Editing Robert Plant (section)

===Early solo career and success (1981–1993)===
{{BLP sources section|date=August 2023}}
After Led Zeppelin disbanded in December 1980 (following the death of drummer [[John Bonham]]), Plant briefly considered abandoning music to pursue a career as a teacher in the [[Waldorf education|Rudolf Steiner education system]], going so far as to be accepted for teacher training. He nevertheless embarked on a successful solo career, helped by encouragement from [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] drummer [[Phil Collins]], who would go on to play with him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musictimes.com/articles/23372/20150106/robert-plant-praises-phil-collins-encouraging-solo-career-led-zeppelin-split.htm |title=Robert Plant Praises Phil Collins For Encouraging His Solo Career After Led Zeppelin's Split |work=Music Times |first=Shawn |last=Christ |date=6 January 2015 |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref> Plant's solo career began with the album ''[[Pictures at Eleven]]'' in 1982, followed by 1983's ''[[The Principle of Moments]]''. Popular tracks from this period include "[[Big Log]]" (a Top 20 hit in 1983), "[[In the Mood (Robert Plant song)|In the Mood]]" (1983), "[[Little by Little (Robert Plant song)|Little by Little]]" (from 1985's ''[[Shaken 'n' Stirred]]''), "Far Post" (the B-side of "[[Burning Down One Side]]"), which appeared on the soundtrack of the 1985 movie ''[[White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]'' starring [[Gregory Hines]] and [[Mikhail Baryshnikov]], and popularised by airplay on [[album-oriented rock]] stations), "[[Tall Cool One (Robert Plant song)|Tall Cool One]]" (a No. 25 hit from 1988's ''[[Now and Zen]]'') and later "[[I Believe (Robert Plant song)|I Believe]]" (from 1993's ''[[Fate of Nations]]''). This last track, like Led Zeppelin's "[[All My Love (Led Zeppelin song)|All My Love]]", was written for and dedicated to his late son, Karac. Whilst Plant avoided performing Led Zeppelin songs through much of this period (although he would occasionally improvise his unique Zeppelin screams into his set), his tours in 1983 (with Phil Collins on drums) and in 1985 were very successful, often performing to sold-out arena-sized venues. In 1986 Plant performed at the [[Heart Beat 86|Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert]] with other famous Midlands musicians. 
[[File:Robert Plant and Phil Johnstone, backstage at Glastonbury Festival, 1993.jpg|alt=The two men looking rocked-out and happy posing for a photo|thumb|Plant, [[Phil Johnstone]], and ''[[Creem]]'' editor [[Dusty Wright]], backstage at the [[Glastonbury Festival]], 1993]]

During the late 1980s and early 1990s Plant co-wrote three solo albums with keyboardist/songwriter [[Phil Johnstone]]. These were: ''[[Now and Zen]]'' in 1988, ''[[Manic Nirvana]]'' in 1990, and the 1993 ''[[Fate of Nations]]'' (which features [[Moya Brennan]] of [[Clannad (musical group)|Clannad]] and former [[Cutting Crew]] guitarist [[Kevin MacMichael|Kevin Scott MacMichael]]). Songs from this third album, plus a smattering of Led Zeppelin classics, made up the set-list for Plant's acclaimed sunset performance on the Main Stage at Glastonbury Festival, in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 1993|url = http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/history/history-1993/|website = Glastonbury Festival – 24–28 June 2015|access-date = 12 February 2016|first = Pretty Good|last = Digital}}</ref> It was Johnstone who talked Plant into playing Led Zeppelin songs in his live shows, something Plant had always previously resisted, not wanting to be forever known as "the former Led Zeppelin vocalist".{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Although Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980, Plant occasionally collaborated with [[Jimmy Page]] on various projects through this period, including forming a short-lived all-star group with Page and [[Jeff Beck]] in 1984, called [[the Honeydrippers]]. They released an EP called ''[[The Honeydrippers: Volume One]]'', and the band had a No. 3 hit with a remake of the [[Phil Phillips]]' tune "[[Sea of Love (Phil Phillips song)|Sea of Love]]", plus a follow-up hit with a cover of [[Roy Brown (blues musician)|Roy Brown]]'s "[[Rockin' at Midnight]]". The pair again worked together in the studio on the 1988 Page solo effort ''[[Outrider (album)|Outrider]]'', and in the same year Page contributed to Plant's album ''Now and Zen''. Also, on 15 May 1988 Plant appeared with Page as a member of Led Zeppelin, at the [[Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary]] concert (where he also performed in his own right as a solo artist). Plant's live collaborations with other well-known musicians continued when he took to the stage with Queen at Wembley Stadium, for 1992's "The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert" for AIDS Awareness; where he sang Queen's "[[Innuendo (song)|Innuendo]]" and "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]", and Led Zeppelin's "[[Kashmir (song)|Kashmir]]" and "[[Thank You (Led Zeppelin song)|Thank You]]".