Greta Van Fleet is one of the biggest up-and-coming bands of the past year. The Michigan rock group exploded into the rock scene with their first EP, Black Smoke Rising in late 2017 and ever since then their fanbase has been steadily growing. And that’s a problem.

Now it’s not unusual for rock bands to see popular success these days, even if it is more difficult than previous decades. Pop-rock groups like Imagine Dragons or WALKTHEMOON have produced radio-friendly hits that garnered them serious followings, and more daring bands like Car Seat Headrest and Tame Impala have built followings through consistency and critical success, landing them spots on multiple year-end lists.

But what makes Greta Van Fleet a curious case is that they fall into neither of these categories. Critics are generally mixed on their music, and sure, some tracks like “Highway Tune” might find their way into a local rock station, but they’re nowhere near the powerhouse hit level of “Radioactive.” Instead what makes the group so popular is their dead accurate imitation of 1970’s classic rock groups, specifically Led Zeppelin.

By now if you’ve heard of Greta Van Fleet, you’re familiar with their sound. Everything about them is almost an exact replica of Led Zeppelin’s style. It’s almost as if they have it down to a formula. From the blues-tinted guitars to the raw drumming, to singer Josh Kiszka’s uncanny impersonation of Robert Plant, everything about them sounds the same.

My issue is not that they are heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin- that’s fine. I love plenty of bands that emulate the sounds of the past, and every band in existence can be traced back to some kind of influential predecessor. My real issue is that Greta Van Fleet sounds exactly like Led Zeppelin to the point where I could be confused which band I was listening. And even then, Greta Van Fleet’s tracks still lack the edge or creativity of Led Zeppelin, so I would probably assume it was a long-lost B-side.

What makes all of this troubling is that for some reason, this is the band people who “haven’t listened to a new rock band in years” are choosing to latch on to. These people have this mentality that Greta Van Fleet is the only great artist today, rising above a sea of garbage. This, of course, is not true as there numerous artists today pushing the genre forward, they’re just not in the mainstream. But instead of discovering and supporting great new bands like the The National, Iceage, Car Seat Headrest, or even Jack White’s new album, these “rock fans” have hyped up a band that is barely more than a Led Zeppelin cover band. I’m not sure if this is a result of people being stuck in the past, too afraid to branch out, or both, but the hype for Greta Van Fleet is spitting in the face of artistic progression in the music industry.

I’m a big believer that music is subjective, and everyone enjoys it in different ways. So if you do like Greta Van Fleet, that’s fine. They’re not by any means making awful music, and you’re not wrong for enjoying any type of artist. But I urge anyone who considers themselves a fan of rock to look into some of the newer artists that are pushing boundaries, developing their own sound and simply just making good music. Because if Greta Van Fleet becomes the new standard for rock bands this decade, then the genre really will die.

NOTE: One thing I wanted to mention is the band refuses to site Led Zeppelin as having a large influence on them. That’s enormously disrespectful to the band that clearly defined their sound and one of the most pathetic jokes I’ve heard this year.

© Hank Michels, 2018