grammaticality - "Led Zeppelin was" vs. "Led Zeppelin were"




Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968.



(Source.)


Is "were" really the right word here? It feels like it should be "was".


After reading the answers and my own searching, it appears to be correct in this case


Should I use American English or British English?



Answer



"Led Zeppelin were..." would be considered improper in US English, but in the UK, names of groups, organizations, and companies are often treated as plural:



[T]he Government have taken £4.5bn from the mineworkers' pension scheme...



In this context, "Led Zeppelin were..." would be appropriate.


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