A new book documents the surreal history of 80,000 unused tickets that were created for Led Zeppelin’s Chicago November 1980 shows that were ultimately cancelled.
“How to Sell 80,000 Tickets to a Concert That Never Happened” documents the story of entrepreneur Michael E. Dehn’s purchase of the tickets for $9,000 in 1986, a purchase which earned him a Guinness World Record for the most unused concert tickets bought by an individual.
Dehn purchased the tickets from William Wirtz, the owner of Chicago Stadium and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team.
Dehn discussed the history of his purchase in the fifth episode of the Zepfan podcast:
The book contains no text other than a letter from Dehn, but it uses images such as adverts and newspaper clippings to show the history of the tickets including Dehn’s sale of individual tickets to Led Zeppelin collectors via his business Metro Pulse.
It’s thought that around 22,000 of the tickets remain in one collection which is likely now owned by Hard Rock Cafe following its purchase of a majority stake in Globe Entertainment in 2025.
100 numbered copies of Dehn’s book are available for sale, each signed by Dehn. Copies of the book are offered for sale via renowned Led Zeppelin collector Brian Knapp.
Anyone interested in buying the book for $50 plus postage can contact Knapp via email on goset123@msn.com.
100 copies are going to sell FAST!!