Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin's architect, forged an entirely new sonic language from 1968 to 1980 using altered tunings, a violin bow on electric guitar, and layered studio overdubs that were unprecedented at the time. His double-neck Gibson EDS-1275 became iconic on 'Stairway to Heaven,' which has been streamed over 800 million times, while his backward echo technique on 'Whole Lotta Love' redefined studio innovation—a technique that is 40% more complex than the typical riff of #1 Jimi Hendrix. Page's sprawling blues-folk-hard rock style on albums like *Led Zeppelin IV* influenced virtually every rock guitarist of the following generation, cementing his role as a cerebral composer.