Want to hear how heavy metal sounded before the 1990s? These are the best metal bands that helped shape the genre.
• Black Sabbath. Some of their best songs include “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.”
• Deep Purple. Some of their best songs include “Highway Star,” “Soldier of Fortune,” and “Smoke on the Water.”
• Led Zeppelin. Some of their best songs include “Stairway to Heaven,” “Immigrant Song,” and “Black Dog.”
• Iron Maiden. Some of their best songs include “Fear of the Dark,” “Sign of the Cross,” and “The Number of the Beast.”
• Megadeth. Some of their best songs include “Sweating Bullets,” “In My Darkest Hour,” and “Tornado of Souls.”
• Uriah Heep. Some of their best songs include “Gypsy,” “Look at Yourself,” and “Bird of Prey.”
• Judas Priest. Some of their best songs include “Living After Midnight,” “Painkiller,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.”
• Rainbow. Some of their best songs include “Gates of Babylon,” “Man on the Silver Mountain,” and “Temple of the King.”
• Motorhead. Some of their best songs include “Ace of Spades,” “Eat the Rich,” and “Just ‘Cos You Got the Power.”
• Kiss. Some of their best songs include “Heaven’s on Fire,” “I Love It Loud,” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
• Saxon. Some of their best songs include “Ride Like the Wind,” “The Eagle Has Landed,” and “Broken Heroes.”
• Helloween. Some of their best songs include “Eagle Fly Free,” “Dr. Stein,” and “Are You Metal?”
• Diamond Head. Some of their best songs include “Lightning to the Nations,” “Shoot Out the Lights,” and “It’s Electric.”
• Def Leppard. Some of their best songs include “Two Steps Behind,” “Pour Some Sugar,” and “Love Bites.”
• Dio. Some of their best songs include “Holy Diver,” “Straight Through the Heart,” and “Rainbow in the Dark.”
• Ozzy Osbourne. Some of their best songs include “Mr. Crowley,” “No More Tears,” and “Crazy Train.”
• Motley Crue. Some of their best songs include “Live Wire,” “Looks that Kill,” and “Wild Side.”
• Scorpions. Some of their best songs include “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “No One Like You,” and “The Zoo.”
• Slayer. Some of their best songs include “War Ensemble,” “Dead Skin Mask,” and “Chemical Warfare.”
• Anthrax. Some of their best songs include “Madhouse,” “Indians,” and “Antisocial.”
• Sepultura. Some of their best songs include “Troops of Doom,” “Arise,” and “Beneath the Remains.”
• Queensryche. Some of their best songs include “Bridge,” “Warning,” and “Walk in the Shadows.”
• Rush. Some of their best songs include “Time Stand Still,” “Xanadu,” and “The Trees.”
• Van Halen. Some of their best songs include “Eruption,” “Jump,” and “Unchained.”
• AC/DC. Some of their best songs include “Highway to Hell,” “Sin City,” and “Problem Child.”
• Dream Theater. Some of their best songs include “Pull Me Under,” “As I Am,” and “Take the Time.”
• Testament. Some of their best songs include “The Legacy,” “Electric Clown,” and “Sins of Omission.”
• Blind Guardian. Some of their best songs include “Bright Eyes,” “Sacred Worlds,” and “Mordred’s Song.”
• Guns N’ Roses. Some of their best songs include “Paradise City,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” and “November Rain.”
This list is compiled in no particular order.