I read some of the article. I'm confused. I thought everyone knew it was Cameron Crowe's first cover story for RS, the one about The Allman Brothers that was the inspiration for Almost Famous.
https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2013/12/13/be-honest-and-unmerciful-cameron-crowe-talks-almost-famous
Maybe some quotes come from the deal with Zep too.
I'm confused. I was alive in those days. I get it with RS's stature in some circles. Did I ever learn about any music via RS? Nope. Did I generally read RS? Nope. Would I give two shytes what RS thought about a band? Nope.
In those days owners of FM stations played music they liked. Whatever that was. If you heard it and liked it, you or someone you know bought the album. If you liked it, and they did a concert nearby, you'd go see them. Radio songs, tours, money if you have fans. That was how it went. If I read a RS article that dissed a band I liked, it simply meant RS was over-pretentious and unhip. Besides they didn't know who was worth writing about until they looked to see who was selling out concerts and had fans. People like me (ie everyone) decided that for them. Or they wrote about someone trying to promote them, and if I heard it and thought it was shyte, well so was RS.
ZZ Top is a band I don't remember ever doing any promotion. Maybe they did and I don't remember. I think at one time they sold out every concert for 7 plus years or something like that. I've no idea what RS thought of them, if they interviewed them or if they didn't. Irrelevant.
I'll bet every swinging you know what working at RS would give anything at the time to be in Robert Plant's shoes for just one day. If any of them say otherwise, they are lying to you.