We’re obsessed with nexts in today’s day and age.

Lebron James is the next Michael Jordan. Pink is the new black. Jaguar is the new Cadillac. iPod is the next Walkman.

It’s our insatiable need to compete that finds us forever searching for ways to replace our icons. Whether it’s because we hold these benchmarks in such a high regard that we compare all followers to their standards, or we’re so masochistic we want nothing more than to prove ourselves wrong – nothing is ever as legendary as we claim.

Which is why it’s safe to say the Dave Matthews Band is the new Led Zeppelin.

Not by the quality of output. Led Zeppelin on a bad day (see: “In Through the Out Door”) still was good. Whereas the Dave Matthews Band on a good day (see:?) still is bad. But that doesn’t change the fact the two acts bare a striking resemblance to one another during their respective 11-year recording careers. Some comparisons are concrete; others are trivial, but undeniable all the same.

Never first…but always No.2
From 1968-79 Led Zeppelin was arguably the largest band in the world. Though they had a rotating list of competitors – Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Wings, Abba – the British powerhouse always was one of the largest drawing, selling, interesting and talked about groups of the era. No band stayed as important for the entirety the decade as the quartet.

The same can be said for the DMB. Though often selling fewer albums than as N’sync, Brittany Spears and Creed in specific years, no contemporary act has sustained the interest of the masses the way the jam band has.

Name
Despite having multi-word names, it has become both common and expected to refer to the acts with a single moniker. It could be the friendly, inviting nature of “Dave” or the monolithically stoic “Zeppelin,” fans drop the excess words with ease, as if giving too much description is a formality lost on these audiences.

Singles
During its years, Led Zeppelin notched 10 different singles on the Billboard charts; DMB has tallied 11. Neither group has a No.1 single, as “Whole Lotta Love” peaked at No.4 and “Where Are You Going” at No.2 for the bands respectively.

Albums
The two bands combined for a dozen different albums on the Billboard charts – all of which reached the Top 10. From Led Zeppelin’s self-titled debut through DMB’s “Busted Stuff,” each album to crack the list found itself ranked in single digits. No exceptions.

Criticism
Both acts suffer from two similar criticisms.

The first complaint regarding both bands is that all their material sounds alike. Whether if it’s Zeppelin’s version of electric, grinding blues and hauntingly wailing vocals, or DMB’s acoustic-driven jangle folk, the two acts rarely deviate from their norm. And that can be a good thing if you like hearing the same song a dozen times on each new record.

The second complaint for each band is that they have overrated front men and underrated musicians. Sure, it’s hard to call Jimmy Page underrated. But it is fair to say that he and his Zeppelin comrades’ talent outshines Robert Plant’s in spades. The same way Dave Matthews owes his musical triumphs to the talents of drummer Carter Beauford and violinist Boyd Tinsley.

Fans
Being a Zeppelin fan in the 1970s is the same as being a DMB fan today. Neither group has the embrace of the elite, and their fans know it. Unlike some circles that shun the mainstream, both band’s core audience welcomes new fans with arms open; which explains the always-growing legion of followers.

Both have countless tribute bands.

Additionally, both groups have an army that loyally treks around the country from show to show. The growing bootleg phenomenon that took shape in the 1970s with acts like Led Zeppelin, has reached its pinnacle in today’s trade-driven Internet market. Much like the tour-centric days of old, it is not uncommon to find people traveling to multiple DMB shows per tour.

Notorious
Zeppelin’s most famous moment involves fishing off a bridge for a shark. DMB’s involves dumping something off a bridge in Chicago.

There’s more to the scenario.
- The Dave Matthews Band has been known to cover “Tangerine.”
- Both band’s front men have released solo albums.
- Page played the guitar with a violin while Tinsley actually plays the violin.

And despite the ever-growing list of similarities, from record sales to inherent traits, I can only stomach myself comparing Led Zeppelin to the Dave Matthews Band for a little while. I’m going to go wash up. I feel dirty.

Daily Herald BEEP, Feb. 24, 2006