After Bonham’s death in 1980, the group disbanded. The three surviving members have sporadically collaborated and participated in one-off concerts, including the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, with Bonham’s son Jason Bonham on drums..
After the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, Led Zeppelin made the difficult decision to disband, marking the end of one of rock music’s most iconic and influential bands. Bonham’s death on September 25, 1980, due to asphyxiation from alcohol intoxication, was a devastating blow not only to his bandmates but also to millions of fans around the world. His powerful, innovative drumming had been a cornerstone of the band’s sound, and the surviving members—Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones—felt they could not continue under the name Led Zeppelin without him.
In a brief but heartfelt statement, the band announced their breakup, saying they could not continue as they were, out of respect for Bonham. This decision cemented the group’s legacy and added a sense of finality to their legendary run. Despite their breakup, interest in Led Zeppelin never waned, and the surviving members would occasionally reunite for special events and causes.
Over the years, Plant, Page, and Jones collaborated on a few occasions, including Live Aid in 1985 and the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988. These performances, while appreciated by fans, were met with mixed reviews and often lacked the tight cohesion the band had in its heyday. A more structured reunion took place in 1994 when Page and Plant reunited for an MTV Unplugged session, later released as No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded. However, John Paul Jones was notably absent from this project, leading to some tension among the former members.
The most celebrated reunion came in 2007, at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert held at the O2 Arena in London. The concert was a tribute to Ertegun, the co-founder of Atlantic Records, who had signed the band in the late 1960s. For this one-off performance, the surviving members reunited with Jason Bonham, John Bonham’s son, on drums. Jason’s passionate and skilled performance earned praise and helped recreate the energy of the original lineup. Tickets for the show were in extremely high demand, with over 20 million people reportedly applying for the lottery to attend. The concert received critical acclaim and was later released as the live album and concert film Celebration Day in 2012.
Though the 2007 performance sparked rumors of a full reunion, the members ultimately chose not to tour or record new material as Led Zeppelin. Instead, they have continued to focus on individual projects, preserving the band’s legacy as one of the greatest in rock history.
