TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Maidens first album didn't come out until almost midway through 1980 ...technically they shouldn't even be on this list.Maiden is a very solid choice, imho. The best guitar duo. The combination is lethal. The rest of the band , choice very highlķy rated out of hard rock/metal rhythm sections. Then and now.
As for the Stones vs. Led Zep
The argument could be made by music historians smarter than I without the Stones there likely may not have been a Yardbirds or a Led Zeppelin (or Iron Maiden for that matter). At the very least the Stones seemed to pay homage and give credit to the American bluesman who inspired them without outright plagiarizing.