 The band began their first tour of the UK on 4 October 1968 , they still were billed as the New Yardbirds , and played their first show as Led Zeppelin at the University of Surrey in Battersea on 25 October . Tour manager Richard Cole , who would become a major figure in the touring life of the group , organised their first North American tour at the end of the year . Their debut album , Led Zeppelin , was released in the US during the tour on 12 January 1969 , and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard chart ; it was released in the UK , where it peaked at number 6 , on 31 March . According to Steve Erlewine , the album 's memorable guitar riffs , lumbering rhythms , psychedelic blues , groovy , bluesy shuffles and hints of English folk , made it " a significant turning point in the evolution of hard rock and heavy metal " . 
