The Who are allright, but Zeppelin is ****ing brilliant, I don't think it should even come close. The Who have a few good songs, no real GREAT songs.

Meh.... If you mean their name then sure.

Zeppelin o were much more influenced by chicago blues, obscure folk music and The Stones than they were by The Who.... I don't really hear any significant Who influence.

Anyway, i worship The Who and Led Zeppelin, but i prefer Pink Floyd to both. :)

Townshend awful?... Gee, makes since coming from someone who thinks Jack White is better than Eric Clapton.

Townshend wasn't very technically skilled (though he was much more fun live than Jimmy Page was), thats true, but his playing was pure energy, listen to Live At Leeds, if you think it's horrible, you have serious problems.... Let's not forget that he is also one of the most respected rhythm guitarists in the whole f*cking business.

And for the record he is better than Jack White.

Sabbath came out the same time as Zeppelin, and they're just as metal as they are. So no, not the first in metal, and how is the who a pop band? Their early stuff, maybe their later stuff? Nope.

Another thing, I aint going to accept "buy todays standards they're a pop band" because you often go "well buy the standards back then zeppelin is metal" which means you're being very hypocritcal or you just have different standards, for different bands.

Zeppelins first two albums were in 1969, Sabbath's first was in 1970.

Sabbath formed in 68' as did Zeppelin. :)

True, but both bands were pretty damn obscure back then.

Blue Cheer predate both, and i think their influence on metal is pretty overlooked, they were considered the loudest band in the world at that time.

Zeppelin were obscure ...period

They weren`t played on radio or TV as far as the UK goes anyway, because they didn`t release singles & album tracks were banned.

You wanted to hear them you had to see them or buy the records.

Zeppelin were FAR from being one of the biggest bands of the 70s in the UK.

In the 60s yes, but their popularity skyrocketed in the mid and late 70s.

Zeppelins popularity didn`t skyrocket here until at least the release of the remasters box set in 1990.

Until then they were just another rock band.
I realise it may be hard to beleive for someone bought up in a country where you have radio stations dedicated to stairway. But the fact is Zeppelin were never that much of a big deal in the UK. You didn`t hear them , you didn`t see them. It wasn`t even until about 1990 that I was even aware of them.