Richard Linklater went off on Robert Plant after refusing Led Zeppelin song for Dazed and Confused

If ever a soundtrack helped boost , it’s that of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, a non-stop party album that encapsulated not just the era in which the movie is set but the essence of the film. But despite there being around 30 songs in Dazed and Confused, Linklater had trouble securing rights to one Led Zeppelin track, leading to him to say he would be boycotting singer Robert Plant for life.

Linklater got permission from Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page after sending him a five-minute video of non-stop begging. But in July, singer Robert Plant denied the use of any Zeppelin tunes. As Linklater wrote, “We’re out of time, so two days before the absolutely final mix, I throw in the Zeppelin towel. I’ve never worked so hard for something like this and not gotten it. I’ll boycott Plant for life. Even if he never really was too much involved with the decision, he’s responsible for the assholes around him he’s empowered to do this thinking. The official reason is that “it is in direct competition with his solo career.” Plant doing lame covers of old songs and uninspired new garbage is not much of a solo career.” Linklater would go on to smear Plant’s legacy by saying he was a “lesser talent” and that the real artist of the band was Page.

Linklater continued to tear into the rock band for the Dazed and Confused diss, saying, “But, hey, by not having a Zeppelin tune in this movie, everyone will naturally forget that Zeppelin and Mr. Plant’s only viable blip on the music history’s scene ever existed. Then they will all run out and purchase this pathetically aging rock star’s (who still wants to look and act like he did 20 years ago) illustrious solo album. Yeah, right.”