“Led Zeppelin’s ‘Going to California’ Was Our Blueprint” — Nancy Wilson Credits ‘Mysterious’ Rock Giants for Heart’s Entire Sound

When Heart’s Nancy Wilson speaks about her musical influences, there’s one band that stands high above the rest – Led Zeppelin. In particular, one track by the legendary rock pioneers became, as she puts it, the “blueprint” for her band’s own eclectic sound.

Led Zeppelin have long been celebrated for their genre-defying approach to rock music. Their songs could shift from delicate acoustic ballads to thunderous riffs within the same album—sometimes even within the same track. It’s this unpredictability and fearless experimentation that inspired generations of musicians. For Wilson, Zeppelin’s influence wasn’t just about admiration—it shaped the very DNA of Heart.

“Led Zeppelin were this beautifully mysterious melodic rock band,” Wilson said in a recent interview. “They would break out all these acoustic guitars and mandolins on songs like ‘Going to California’, and that was the blueprint for our band – we wanted our band to have all these different stylistic ways of playing.”

That track—“Going to California”—epitomises Zeppelin’s softer, more introspective side. With shimmering acoustic guitars and haunting melodies, it’s a far cry from the band’s heavier anthems like “Whole Lotta Love” or “Black Dog”. But it’s precisely this contrast that made Zeppelin so compelling—and so influential.

Heart, much like Zeppelin before them, built their sound on a fusion of styles. Wilson and her sister Ann never wanted to be boxed into one genre, and Zeppelin’s musical freedom gave them the confidence to explore beyond the expected. The result was a catalogue filled with tracks that could shift from folk-inspired softness to stadium-sized rock without warning.

Zeppelin’s story, in itself, is a tale of serendipity. Guitarist Jimmy Page was assembling a new band following the breakup of the Yardbirds. John Paul Jones, seeking a new project, joined after hearing of Page’s plans through his wife. When it came to finding a singer, Page looked beyond London and eventually found Robert Plant, a then-unknown vocalist from the Midlands who was on the verge of abandoning music altogether.

Plant introduced Page to drummer John Bonham, and when the four finally came together, it was clear something remarkable had been born. Their first sessions, held in a small basement in Soho, quickly revealed the group’s chemistry. What began as jam sessions soon evolved into one of the most influential rock bands in history.

That unfiltered, experimental spirit is what continues to resonate today. Wilson’s reflections are just one example of how Zeppelin’s legacy endures—not just through their timeless records, but through the creative freedom they championed.

Artists across decades and genres still look to Zeppelin not for a formula, but for a mindset. As Wilson summed up, it wasn’t just the music itself, but the way it was made—without boundaries, with curiosity, and with fearless originality—that shaped the artists who came after them.