With Queen, Freddie Mercury helped redefine what a rock band could be. They were unafraid to enter territory that most groups would shy away from, tapping into new trends such as synth-pop and deviating from their rocky roots. His artistry may have evolved over the years, but Mercury never lost his penchant for old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.

When Mercury arrived in England from Zanzibar in 1964, he didn’t take the significant cultural difference between the two countries for granted. At the time, The Beatles had begun dominating the hit parade, with The Rolling Stones trailing their tail and soon-to-be household names like The Who cutting their teeth at The Marquee Club.For anyone with even a passing interest in music, there was no more fizzing scene to be a part of, and for Mercury, the English capital was the perfect place to throw himself into a life of rock ‘n’ roll.

Naturally, as a singer by trade, Mercury was particularly drawn to vocalists and felt compelled by Robert Plant upon Led Zeppelin’s emergence. Characteristically, the outwardly confident Mercury believed no other frontman could compete with him, but by his own admission, Plant gave him a strong run for his money.While Queen and Led Zeppelin were two distinctly different groups, Queen would have been an exceptionally different-sounding band if it hadn’t been for Led Zeppelin’s early inspiration, which put them on the path to greatness. Mercury bonded with his bandmates over their shared love of Led Zeppelin, and Brian May later revealed their beloved song ‘Now I’m Here’ was inspired by ‘Black Dog’ from their fellow rockers.Additionally, May revealed how Led Zeppelin in ways that transcended their sound, noting to Total Guitar, “The way they handled their image, the integrity, the way they built their stage show – so many things. I suppose between Zeppelin and The Beatles and The Who, you would see where we came from. That was the kind of platform that we bounced off.”

For a vast array of reasons, whether this be the brilliance of Plant or how they handled themselves behind the scenes, Mercury considered Led Zeppelin to be the gold standard when it came to rock.“I would say that Led Zeppelin are the greatest, and as a rock band they deserved the kind of success they got,” Mercury once said about the four-piece. He added: “Robert Plant is one of the most original vocalists of our time. He was always my favourite singer. And he’s said nice things about me.”

As Mercury sadly departed the world in 1991, there’s a lack of further material regarding his love of Led Zeppelin in his own words. However, May has spoken about the topic at length on numerous occasions, and even once revealed, “He behaved as if he was Robert Plant at the time, and nobody minded him because he just had that aura about him but underneath it – no – massive insecurity, massive shyness, right to the end.”

Thanks to his natural talent and the example set by Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury was destined for rock greatness. His loss is still profoundly felt in the music world, and in 1992, a star-studded lineup came together for a tribute concert at Wembley Stadium to celebrate his legacy. The show, held in 1993, was not only a night to remember but also served as the launch for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which continues to fight AIDS worldwide today. Among the memorable performances, David Bowie and Annie Lennox famously teamed up for a duet of ‘Under Pressure’. Other notable guests included Roger Daltrey, Elton John, and Axl Rose.

Most importantly, Mercury’s hero, Plant, was also involved in the show. For one night only, the Led Zeppelin vocalist fronted Queen for a rendition of ‘Innuendo’, which included a snippet of ‘Kashmir’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’. It was a full circle moment that should have been a cause of celebration; however, the atmosphere was understandably underpinned by a sadness at Mercury’s premature passing.