Youtuber Goes Viral With A Led Zeppelin Song Created By AI

Youtuber “Funky Turkey” has been using artificial intelligence to create songs in the style of classic rock bands for the 1970s and 1990s. Nirvana, Metallica, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Nickelback, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin are among the chosen sounds. The channel initially began with parodies and originals. But it was Funky Turkey’s AI and its songs that caught viewers’ attention.

These videos present another landmark in the history of AI – when robots started writing music.

But how does an AI write songs, you may be wondering? By using lyrics.rip, Funky Turkey scours the Genius API (lyrics database) for all the data available on a particular artist. Next, using a predictive algorithm known as a Markov Chain, all the songs are cleverly spliced and re-composed into a new piece. Then, some music is added, and the robot is instructed to sing the results in the style of the lead singer. For example, Led Zepbot sings Mountain Man in the style of Robert Plant.

What’s crucial in marking this feat as a landmark in AI history is that all music and vocals are mixed, performed, and mastered by the algorithm and then slightly edited by Funky Turkey.

The youtube explains:

The lyrics…. well, it sure spit out a lot of Robert Plant-esque adlib, which I think turned out okay. Towards the end with the repeating ‘Nevers’ in particular, which is something that Markov Chains do – repeat phrases that had been repeated once or twice, but to infinity. It actually repeated the word ‘never’ almost 37 times, but I had to cut it short to fit the song, and also to freaking breathe.

If you watched the Led Zeplot video, you may wonder, “why the puppies?” Well, Funky Turkey said:

I know I usually use concert footage of the band for my videos. However, YouTube keeps yanking the video for this one so that means DEPLOY THE STOCK FOOTAGE OF ADORABLE PUPPIES.