Prince Covering Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love Is The Video You Need To Watch In The Coronavirus Pandemic

Source: Inez & Vinoodh/V Magazine/Prince Instagram

When people think of Prince, typically songs like Purple Rain and Kiss come to my mind. Some may not even know that Prince was a prodigy who had mastered multiple instruments and though he is known for his funky, groovy soulful songs, he did not turn away from rock classics. Prince jammed on the guitar and many believe he was simply one of the best guitarists who ever lived. When Prince hit the music scene in the late 70s, there was still a lot of racial division within the music industry. To be a frontrunner in the rock genre, Prince would have had to have billed himself as the next Jimi Hendrix and interestingly, though he chose another route and musical genre, there are still many who make the comparison. Prince wasn’t a fan of being compared to Hendrix and said that his guitar style was completely different — but maybe that is what made him most similar to Hendrix of all the comparisons. Both Prince and Hendrix were trailblazers who did their own thing and didn’t subjectify their music to other people’s labels or expectations.

Still, when it comes to Prince’s music, there are a lot of rock and roll fans who love to hear Prince get in touch with his rock roots and when he did, magic happened.

He never copied someone else’s musical style — instead, he added his funky spin to rock classics and the results were phenomenal.

Last week, the official Prince YouTube account uploaded a video from December 15,  2002, when Prince covered Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” while performing live at Las Vegas’ The Aladdin.

You may see that video below.

Several years later, Prince blew the minds’ of audience members worldwide with his 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitar solo during the Beatles’ classic song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

He performed with the Traveling Wilburys former members Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne (ELO), Steve Winwood, and George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison.

You may see that performance including Prince’s guitar solo below.

What do you think about the comparisons between Prince and Jimi Hendrix? Do you agree or disagree with those who make them?

What are your thoughts about Prince’s Led Zeppelin cover of “Whole Lotta Love?”