Top 20 Best Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
We list some of the best heavy metal bands of all time. Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. In 1968, three of the genre’s most famous pioneers, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, were founded. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness. As with any creative endeavor, most metal bands explored their creative sound without the need of confining themselves to a particular genre. Their music incorporated different sounds and evolved over time. Having said that, the metal bands listed below have incorporated heavy metal in their songs or albums in one way or another.
1. AC/DC
AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in November 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. Although the band are considered pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal, its members have always classified their music as “rock ‘n’ roll”. AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, 1975’s High Voltage. Membership subsequently stabilized around the Young brothers, singer Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd, and bassist Mark Evans. Evans was fired from the band in 1977 and replaced by Cliff Williams, who has appeared on every AC/DC album since 1978’s Powerage. In February 1980, Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking. AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 75 million albums in the United States, making them the ninth-highest-selling artist in the United States and the 16th-best-selling artist worldwide.
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- AC/DC’s Tragic Real-life Story
- AC/DC and the epic struggle behind For Those About To Rock
- Rolling Stone Exclusive: Angus Young, Brian Johnson, and Cliff Williams on the Resurrection of AC/DC
2. Metallica
Metallica is a heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. The band was founded when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The two became friends and decided to form a band. The band’s fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship placed them as one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Metallica earned a growing fan base in the underground music community and won critical acclaim with its first four albums; their third album Master of Puppets (1986) was described as one of the most influential and heaviest of thrash metal albums. Metallica is regarded as one of the best heavy metal bands of all time. Rolling Stone ranked them at no. 61 on its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.
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Read more:
- When Metallica became global superstars
- How Metallica changed metal with their groundbreaking 1986 classic ‘Master of Puppets’
- The Story Behind the Band Name: Metallica
3. Led Zeppelin
Initially called the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page, the final lead guitarist for the legendary British blues band the Yardbirds. Bassist and keyboard player Jones, like Page, was a veteran studio musician; vocalist Plant and drummer Bonham came from little-known provincial bands. Zeppelin ushered in the era of album rock — they refused to release singles off their albums, even when they were garnering massive radio play — and of arena rock, playing ever-larger stadiums as their ticket sales skyrocketed. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. The band is also considered “as influential” during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s.
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4. System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. All members of System of a Down are of Armenian descent, being born to Armenian immigrants or being immigrants themselves. The band enjoyed moderate success with their first singles, “Sugar” and “Spiders”, off their debut album System of a Down. However, their big break came from their sophomore effort, Toxicity, which debuted at No. 1 on the American and Canadian charts, eventually going multi-platnium. The album also has the dubious distinction of being the No. 1 album in America on the week of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The band has sold over 12 million records worldwide, while two of their singles, “Aerials” and “Hypnotize,” reached number one on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. Their song “B.Y.O.B.” won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006.
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Read more:
- “The Truth Doesn’t Recognize Retreat”: The Oral History of System of a Down’s ‘Toxicity’
- How System of a Down Radicalised a Generation of Metal Fans
- System of a Down’s ‘Toxicity’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know
5. Kiss
Kiss (often stylized as KIϟϟ) is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. KISS was born out of the ashes of Wicked Lester. Although ‘Heavy Metal’ didn’t exist when the band was formed in 1972 it can be said that they invented a big part of the sound and style which now belong to Heavy Metal. The band is known for its elaborate stage shows, loud music, and extravagant costumes. Kiss is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, as well as one of the bestselling bands of all time, claiming to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 21 million RIAA-certified albums.
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Read more:
- Farewell to Kings: How Kiss built and sustained The Greatest Show on Earth for 50 years
- 18 Wild and Shocking Facts About the Rock Band KISS
- Kiss changed the look of music — and allowed us all to follow the beats of our own drummers
6. Scorpions
Scorpions is a rock band from Hannover, Germany that was formed in 1965. Known best for their 1984 anthem “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and the 1990 ballad “Wind of Change,” the German rockers the Scorpions have sold over 22 million records, making them one of the most successful rock bands to ever come out of Continental Europe. One of their most recognized hits is “Wind of Change” (from Crazy World), a symbolic anthem of the political changes in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and it remains as one of the best-selling singles in the world with over 14 million copies.
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7. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath was an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. In the early 70s, they were the first to pair heavily distorted, sonically dissonant blues rock at slow speeds with lyrics about drugs, mental pain and abominations of war, thus giving birth to generations of metal bands that followed in their wake. Their name itself taken from a notorious horror film, they are often credited with creating the Heavy Metal genre as well as the doom metal subgenre. Black Sabbath officially disbanded in March 2017. They have also won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, and in 2019 the band were presented a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Read more:
- Rolling Stone: Heavy Metal, Year One: The Inside Story of Black Sabbath’s Groundbreaking Debut
- Black Sabbath: ‘We hated being a heavy metal band’
- 10 WTF Things You Didn’t Know About Black Sabbath
- How Black Sabbath Redefined Heavy Music
8. Slipknot
Slipknot is an American metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. The band was founded in 1995 by vocalist Anders Colsefni, percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. The group’s sound is metal, with aggressive lyrics and at times a repulsive sense of humor. Fans are seemingly attracted not only to the catchy melodies of Slipknot’s songs, but also to the group’s symbolic persona. The band has sold over 30 million records worldwide.
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- Behind the History of the Band Name “Slipknot”
- How The Hell Are Slipknot So Successful?
- How Slipknot Transformed Modern Metal With ‘Iowa’
9. Korn
Korn began life as the quartet L.A.P.D, comprised of guitarists James “Munky” Schaffer and Brian “Head” Welch, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and drummer David Silveria. They have collaborated with musicians such as Chino Moreno from Deftones, Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Tre Hardson from The Pharcyde and Nas among others. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. They first experienced mainstream success with Follow the Leader (1998) and Issues (1999), both of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Korn have also sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
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- Korn’s self-titled Album: 10 Things You Didn’t Know Nu-metal’s First Shot
- GQ: How Korn Outlasted Nu Metal
- How Korn turned tragedy into triumph with ‘The Nothing’
10. Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden is an English heavy metal band from Leyton in the East End of London. The band were formed in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, formerly a member of Gypsy’s Kiss and Smiler. Iron Maiden are one of the best heavy metal bands of all time. Iron Maiden’s work has inspired other sub-genres of heavy metal music, including power metal and speed metal. They are cited as major influences by (amongst others) the thrash metal band Slayer, pop-punk band Sum 41 and jam band Umphrey’s McGee. For over 40 years, the musicians have been supported by their famous mascot, “Eddie”, who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers, videos and merchandise. Originally designed by Derek Riggs, Eddie became the main attraction of Iron Maiden live shows, which feature theatrical elements like coloured backdrops, inflatables, pyrotechnics, elaborate lighting rigs, props and stage sets.
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- ‘The Number Of The Beast’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Iron Maiden’s Breakout album
- 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Iron Maiden
11. Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, lead singer Vince Neil and lead guitarist Mick Mars. Mötley Crüe has sold 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The group disbanded in 2015, playing their final show on New Year’s Eve 2015. On November 18, 2019, the band released a video on their Youtube channel confirming their reunion.
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- The Truth About How Mötley Crüe Got Their Name
- Rolling Stone: 4 Essential Books for Motley Crue Fans
- Inside Motley Crue’s Outrageous Biopic ‘The Dirt’
12. Def Leppard
Def Leppard, originally named Deaf Leopard, were formed in 1977 in Sheffield with the English rock band becoming a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Their debut album On Through the Night (1980) was a hit and Def Leppard joined groups like AC/DC and Ted Nugent among the heavy hitters of arena rock. Their 1983 album Pyromania (and its single “Rock of Ages”) made them early stars of MTV. They kept playing through the 1980s and 1990s, emerging as elder statesmen of rock as the 21st century began. As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
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- Behind the Band Name: Def Leppard
- Years later, Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’ is still a triumph of hard rock exuberance
- TIDAL: Def Leppard Interview: ‘Diamond Star Halos’
- Def Leppard Reflects on the ‘Early Years’ and Why Those Iron Maiden Comparisons Were ‘Tiresome’
- Rolling Stone: Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know
13. Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock. Additionally, Deep Purple was given the ‘Legend Award’ at the 2008 World Music Awards and, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
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- How Did Deep Purple Get Their Name?
- 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Deep Purple
- Ritchie Blackmore Couldn’t Get Inspired by Deep Purple at the End
14. Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult is an American rock band. Initially formed in 1967 as Soft White Underbelly, they underwent several name and lineup changes before their 1972 debut album. The original lineup from their first album lasted from 1972 to 1981. They have sold more than 25 million records, and they released a handful of singles during the ’70s that became classic rock radio standards, among them “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “Burnin’ for You,” and “Godzilla.” Their lyrics crisscrossed science fiction, the occult, and horror films. The band’s music videos, especially “Burnin’ for You,” received heavy rotation on MTV when the music television network premiered in 1981, cementing the band’s contribution to the development and success of the music video in modern popular culture.
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- 50 Years Ago: Blue Öyster Cult Breaks Out
- Behind the Band Name: Blue Öyster Cult
- An Interview with Joe Bouchard of Blue Öyster Cult
15. Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. It was formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers – drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell – along with vocalist Terry Glaze. Bassist Rex Brown joined the band the following year. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Phil Anselmo in 1987. Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released four albums during the 1980s. With its fifth album, 1990’s Cowboys from Hell, Pantera introduced a groove metal sound. The sixth album, 1992’s Vulgar Display of Power, exhibited even heavier sound while Far Beyond Driven (1994) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio.
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- Pantera: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Cowboys From Hell’
- Pantera’s Early Years: The Humble, Hairsprayed Origins Of A Metal Juggernaut
16. Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from New York City. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands. The band is generally categorized as glam metal for their earlier work, although the band does not consider themselves to be so. The band’s style shifted to a more strident, aggressive metal-influenced sound when frontman Dee Snider joined the band and took over songwriting, leading to the creation of fan-favorite songs such as “I Wanna Rock”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, and “Under the Blade”.
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- 7 Significant Moments in Twisted Sister’s History
- Why Twisted Sister Actually Matters
- 5 Blasts of Rockin’ Business Wisdom From Twisted Sister
17. Slayer
Slayer was an American metal band from Huntington Park, California, active from 1981-2019. Formed by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo, and bassist/ vocalist Tom Araya, Slayer’s extremely fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the 1980s “Big Four” bands of the thrash metal style, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. The band’s lyrics and album art frequently revolve around topics like death, gore, Satan, hell, warfare, serial killers, and much more following in the same vein. The content of these lyrical choices have often generated public controversy for the band, such as; album bans, album delays, lawsuits, and strong criticism from religious groups, as well as the general public. Despite the controversy, Slayer has become one of the most successful thrash metal groups, even winning two Grammies, one in 2007 for “Eyes of the Insane”, and another in 2008 for the song “Final Six”.
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Read more:
- Farewell, Slayer: Metal’s Most Unflinching Band – Rolling Stone
- The Real Hidden Message In Slayer’s Music Was Anti-Authoritarian and Anti-War
- Slayer’s ‘South Of Heaven’: 9 Things You Didn’t Know About The Thrash Classic
18. Motörhead
Motörhead were an English rock band formed in June 1975 by bassist, singer, and songwriter Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, who was the sole constant member, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature the work of Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums and “Fast” Eddie Clarke on guitars. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the latter theme being the focus of their hit song “Ace of Spades”.
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- Motörhead’s Snaggletooth: The Story Behind Lemmy And Co.’s Iconic Mascot
- How Lemmy and Motorhead Gave Metal Its Umlaut – Rolling Stone
- The Story Behind the Song: Motorhead by Motörhead
- How Motörhead Became Legends
19. Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in West Bromwich in 1969. They have sold over 50 million copies of their albums. They are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success or attention until 1980, when they adopted a more simplified sound on the album British Steel. Despite a decline in exposure during the mid-1990s, the band has once again seen a resurgence, including worldwide tours, being inaugural inductees into the VH1 Rock Honors in 2006, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010, and having their songs featured in video games such as Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series. In 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Read more:
- Rob Halford’s Memoir ‘Confess’: 20 Wild Things We Learned
- Judas Priest singer Rob Halford reflects on his sobriety, why metal band is no longer ‘hell bent for leather’
- The Sad, Strange Tale of Judas Priest
20. Tool
Tool is an American progressive metal band from Los Angeles. Formed in 1990, the group’s line-up includes drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Justin Chancellor has been the band’s bassist since 1995, replacing their original bassist Paul D’Amour. Tool established themselves as one of America’s most enduring and unpredictable acts with an ever-evolving brand of muscular but mind-altering sonics, a wry sense of humor, and a mystical aesthetic that attracted a cult-like following of devoted fans with just a handful of albums spread across decades. The band has won four Grammy Awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums topping the charts in several countries.
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- TOOL Band: Everything You Need to Know About TOOL
- “We tore them apart with chainsaws”: how Tool changed metal forever
- The Guide to Getting Into Tool, Rock’s Most Lovable Pseudo-Intellectuals
- How Tool’s Ænima taught us to find some comfort in the dark and unsettling
Honorable mentions
- Faith No More
- Dio
- Quiet Riot
- Machine Head
- Accept
- Helloween
- Dream Theater
- Sepultura
- Testament
- Mastodon
- Queensrÿche
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