In a heartfelt and electrifying message that has reverberated across the rock music world, AC/DC’s legendary guitarist Angus Young has penned an open letter to Robert Plant and the surviving members of Led Zeppelin—a tribute not only to their monumental influence on rock music but also to the unshakable bond between the architects of the genre.
Released on AC/DC’s official social media accounts and website earlier this week, the letter reads as both a personal reflection and a public declaration of admiration for Led Zeppelin’s enduring legacy.
“To Robert, Jimmy, John Paul, and the memory of John Bonham,” the letter begins, “this is a long overdue thank you—from one band of brothers to another.”
Angus Young, known for his iconic schoolboy stage attire and thunderous guitar riffs, goes on to express how Led Zeppelin’s sound shaped his understanding of music during his formative years. He recalls hearing Whole Lotta Love for the first time in his older brother Malcolm’s bedroom and being “blown out of the water by the sheer force of it.”
“You weren’t just a band. You were a revolution,” Young writes. “You turned every amplifier to eleven and then shattered the ceiling of what rock could be.”
This public homage comes at a time when both bands are experiencing renewed interest from a younger generation of listeners, thanks in part to streaming services and the resurgence of vinyl. But for Young, this letter goes beyond music appreciation—it’s a deeply personal tribute.
He credits Led Zeppelin for helping define the kind of band AC/DC would become: loud, proud, unrelenting in their vision, and dedicated to the raw power of rock and roll. In the letter, Young reflects on AC/DC’s early days in Australia and how Zeppelin’s pioneering music helped fuel their ambition.
“You gave us permission to be bold,” he writes. “When we thought we were too heavy, too raw, or too mad, we just looked at what you were doing and thought—‘maybe there’s room for us after all.’”
Perhaps the most moving part of the letter is Young’s direct acknowledgment of Robert Plant’s vocal influence and stage charisma. “Robert, your voice was a weapon and a spirit all its own. I spent years trying to figure out how to channel that same fire through my fingers.”
He also pays homage to Jimmy Page, calling him “a six-string alchemist who made magic seem effortless,” and to John Paul Jones, whose versatility “held it all together with grace and genius.” Of John Bonham, Young simply writes: “No drummer has ever hit harder or mattered more. Bonzo was the heartbeat of an era.”
The letter closes with a call for unity and recognition among the titans of classic rock. Angus Young encourages a new generation of musicians to study Zeppelin’s catalog—not just to imitate it, but to understand what made it timeless.
“In every solo, every thunderous rhythm, and every whispered lyric, there is truth. And in that truth, there is Zeppelin. Thank you for giving us the map and the fire to follow it.”
Signed, “With respect and rebellion, Angus Young.”
The response from fans, critics, and fellow musicians has been overwhelmingly positive. Social media has erupted with tributes, reaction videos, and renewed calls for a formal collaboration or tribute concert honoring the intertwined legacies of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.
Robert Plant himself responded briefly in a post, saying, “Angus, my brother in noise—your words mean more than you know. Long live the loud.”
Jimmy Page shared a throwback photo of the two bands backstage in the late ‘70s with a caption that simply read: “No one plays like Angus.”
For longtime fans, this exchange is more than nostalgia—it’s a rare moment of vulnerability and kinship between two of rock’s most influential figures. It’s a reminder that, while the arenas may go dark and the albums may age, the spirit of rock and roll is kept alive through mutual respect, enduring riffs, and a refusal to ever go quietly.
And as Angus Young’s letter makes clear: the torch of rock will never burn out—it will always be passed, with gratitude and fire, from one legend to another.
