As part of the 2017 hennemusic Rock News Awards, the daily news site is counting down the Top 10 Rock News Artists of the year.
Finalists for the 8th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: winners are determined by the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2017 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Thursday, December 21.
2017 Rock News Artist Of The Year – Top 10
10 – DAVID LEE ROTH
09 – FOO FIGHTERS
08 – JOURNEY
Rock News Artist Of The Year No. 7 – LED ZEPPELIN
Led Zeppelin remained in the news throughout 2017, with Robert Plant the most visible of the three surviving members.
Plant and his band, The Sensational Space Shifters, kicked off AXS TV’s new Sunday Night Rocks series in early March with a concert performance recorded at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, CA last fall during director David Lynch’s Festival Of Disruption, a two-day music, art, film & creativity festival curated by the legendary filmmaker.
The singer performed the 1975 Led Zeppelin classic, “Kashmir”, for the first time without bandmate and guitarist Jimmy Page during an appearance with violinist Nigel Kennedy at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 14.
A few days later, a lawyer representing plaintiff Michael Skidmore filed an appeal to the verdict in the 2016 "Stairway To Heaven" copyright infringement lawsuit involving Page and Plant.
In April, Led Zeppelin’s 1970 classic, “Immigrant Song”, was featured in the first trailer for the third movie in Marvel Studios' Thor franchise, "Thor: Ragnarok", due in theaters in November.
The rare appearance of a Led Zeppelin tune in a film helped the only single released from “Led Zeppelin III” to debut on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart at No. 16 while also re-entering the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart at No. 1.
The following month, Plant and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson joined Paul Rodgers in Oxford, UK for a performance of Barrett Strong’s 1959 classic, “Money (That’s What I Want)”, with the three rockers taking turns on lead vocals and Plant adding some harmonica to the proceedings.
The “Stairway To Heaven” trial returned to the headlines in June when attorneys for Led Zeppelin filed a motion requesting the plaintiffs pay their legal costs and fees as they continue to fight the appeal in the lawsuit.
In August, Plant announced plans to release a new album, “Carry Fire”, in October while issuing a lyric video for the lead track, “The May Queen.”
October brought news that late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham would be honored with a statue in his hometown of Redditch, UK following approval by the local city council.
Plant ruled out any chances of a further reunion with his Led Zeppelin bandmates, once again, in October, saying, “You can’t ever really go back. It’s tough enough repeating yourself with something that’s a year old, never mind 49 years old. I’ve got to keep moving.”
Just ahead of the launch of a UK tour in November, it was announced that Plant will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK Americana Music Association as part of their 2018 awards event in London on February 1.
Plant was joined by Pretenders vocalist Chrissie Hynde during his December 8 show at London’s Royal Albert Hall to perform a pair of songs, including the pair’s cover of the Ersel Hickey rockabilly classic, "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" (as featured on “Carry Fire”), and the Pretenders’ 1984 track, “2000 Miles.”
Plant will begin an early 2018 tour of North American theatres in Raleigh, NC on February 9.
See also:
Search Led Zeppelin at hennemusic
AC/DC sweep the 2016 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen and KISS top the 2015 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen sweep 2014 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen and Pearl Jam top the 2013 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen dominate the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen win two hennemusic Rock News Awards
Guns N’ Roses named hennemusic’s Rock News Artist of The Year
Jimmy Page’s 2011 plans named hennemusic’s Rock News Story Of The Year
