What if Led Zeppelin had carried on with Cozy Powell?

After John Bonham's death, the band quit. Right on the verge of the '80s resurgence of heavy metal, and the MTV era. What if, instead of breaking up, they just got Cozy (like it was rumoured), and carried on bringing the Zep to the 1980s and, considering it's Cozy we're talking about, probably being heavier than ever?

I think as big as they were in the '70s, the sky was the limit. Forget about Whitesnake, forget about Bon Jovi, Mötley Crue and what have you. They'd have ruled over everyone.

Or maybe not?

That would probably have been pretty frickin cool.

Cozy is one of my favorite drummers, but it would not have worked. (IMHDO)

I don't think it would have been a great thing, but not because of Cozy Powell being involved.

The emergence of punk in the late 1970s had a big impact on how they conceived their setlist for the final 1980 European tour, dropping a lot of the extended improvisation that had made their shows so special throughout the 1970s. Seeing how eager Plant was to embrace new synthesizer technologies and such upon embarking on his solo career, I imagine that would have been worked into their music as well. I don't think they would have ruled MTV either, as the whole brand hung on notions of youth and Zeppelin would have been seen as old-timers.

Can’t replace people like Bonham, Plant or Page.

They all had the right chemistry together.

Their last album "In Through the Out Door" wasn't one of their strongest, relying on JPJ writing most of the songs, and a lot of keyboards. Page was strung out and being propped up in the studio. I don't think it could've lasted much longer, or put out anything decent. Then again, maybe the death of Bonham would have woke Page up and Cozy would have rejuvenated the band.