John Paul Jones

Arguably one of the most influential bass players in rock music history, John Paul Jones contributed to the immense power and rhythm of Led Zeppelin, which in turn influenced a myriad of popular music genres for decades after their debut in the late 1960s and demise in 1980. Jones also enjoyed a prolific career as a producer, arranger and player on dozens of recordings, from legendary sides by the Rolling Stones and Donovan to modern acts like the Foo Fighters and independent musicians like the Butthole Surfers and Diamanda Galas. Zeppelin, of course, remained his most prominent credit, and he gamely reunited with singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page for several hit-and-miss performances between 1985 and 2007. If their lack of cohesiveness prevented what would likely have been one of the most anticipated reunion tours in rock-n-roll history, it did not appear to faze Jones, who remained both active and relevant with a variety of bands, including the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl. John Paul Jones' vast contributions to popular music, as well as his tenure in one of the most popular bands of the 1970s and beyond, ensured his enduring status in the upper echelons of rock royalty.