I agree with you there. For a band that the critics hated (Zeppelin) they are almost critique proof. I like some Steely Dan ("Pretzel Logic" namely). Of all early 70's 'bombastic rock' I love the Who the most.
It was also the golden age of southern rock with the Almans, Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Little Feat and Marshall Tucker.
Never really got southern rock. Again I repeat I'm from the south, Memphis Tennessee. I was always more into stuff actually from Memphis.. Stax/Volt soul.. Big Star...etc.
I liked the Clash and a lot of the New Wave stuff at the time, but not as much now. It's not as good musically, some of it is mean-spirited, and a lot is just vapid.
I've always had mixed feelings about the Clash. They were pseudo commies but they made electrifying music. I think it was during that period that rock music took a hard left turn. Still I love most of it though, as a counterweight to disco (and I don't totally rag disco either, some of it was okay -- Chic). Actually when I was referring to punk saving rock from itself I was referring more to the Ramones. By the way, Johnny Ramone (not Joey) was a total Republican Conservative.
The left turn occurred pretty early on with the influx of the folkies in the late 50s/early 60s followed by the San Francisco groups. If I recall, the Clash broke up because Strummer was moving politically to the right following Eden "Commander Zero" Pastora; I remember someone saying an interview that "Joe is a Contra, not a Sandinista" meaning it to be an insult.
"Do you remember rock 'n' roll radio..." They were a lot of fun. At least they didn't take themselves too seriously, like the Clash. OTOH, if you distilled Sandinista down to 10 songs, you'd have an amazing album. At least they were mad, even if they came up with the wrong prescription.
Of New Wave, I still like some Blondie, particularly "Eat to the Beat," and Elvis from the "Armed Forces" era. I used to like the Talking Heads, but they seem too art-school, in retrospect.