1.  Robert Plant

No matter the era, no matter the type of music, Robert Plant is my favorite singer of all time.  Does he have the range he had in the late 60’s/early 70’s?  Definitely not, but he certainly doesn’t care to be THAT “golden god” from a lifetime ago.  Plant has been able to meld multiple styles: wild banshee howler, mellow acoustic/folk, 50’s crooner, rockabilly swinger, African rhythm man, duet partner… the list goes on and on.  Many of these styles were part of what made Led Zeppelin such a fantastic band-  these guys were an “A list” of players with influences far and wide, especially Plant with his love of blues music and early American rock and roll.  Once Zep came to an untimely end Plant kicked off a solo career, branching into more alternative rock soundscapes centered around atmospheric guitar/keyboard interplay before revisiting the “cock rock” of his old band’s heyday in the late 80s and eventually branching into more experimental territory that continues to this day.  Plant is certainly not one to rest on his laurels and is constantly on the move to explore the next thing, which keeps him sounding fresh and invigorated.  Don’t expect him to relive past glories but expect the unexpected.  Personally, I’d like to see a rockabilly album from him a la The Honeydrippers, although I don’t think that’s happening.  But you never know!

Choice cuts:  Gotta go with ten songs total, although it’s tough to whittle it down to just ten: from Zep:  “Whole Lotta Love”, “Kashmir”, “Ten Years Gone”, “Trampled Underfoot”, “Ramble On”;  Solo career:  “Big Log”, “Ship Of Fools”, “Calling To You”, “Rockin’ At Midnight”, “Heaven Knows”.