Metal music, with its powerful riffs, thunderous drums, and iconic vocal styles, has carved an indelible mark in the annals of music history. The genre, which emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has given rise to countless bands that have pushed musical boundaries and cultivated dedicated fanbases worldwide. In this article, we will explore the top 15 best metal bands of all time, celebrating their contributions to the genre and the legacy they’ve left behind. These bands have not only defined metal but have also influenced countless artists across various genres. From the pioneering sounds of Black Sabbath, whose dark, heavy riffs laid the foundation of metal, to the technical brilliance of Metallica, who brought metal to the mainstream, each band on this list has a unique story and an undeniable impact. We’ll delve into the groundbreaking albums, unforgettable performances, and the cultural significance of these metal titans. Whether you’re a lifelong metalhead or a newcomer to the genre, this journey through the annals of metal history will showcase why these bands remain at the pinnacle of the metal world. Join us as we headbang through the legacy of metal’s most influential and celebrated bands.

15 Best Metal Bands of All Time

In the latest episode of Gibson TV 's "The Collection", host Mark Agnesi is in the KISS warehouse to explore Paul Stanley's impressive guitar collection. KISS is an American icon. They have sold over 100 million records, earning them more gold records than any other band in history, and Stanley was at the front and center for all of it. He has toured the globe for nearly 50 years with one of the most influential rock bands in the world, so you know he has a guitar collection that is made for lovin'.

PAUL STANLEY: 'I Was Convinced I Could Play The Guitar When I Had No Knowledge Of The Guitar'

STRYPER's Michael Sweet has once again weighed in on bands who rely heavily on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

STRYPER's MICHAEL SWEET: 'As Long As You're Performing Live And Using' Backing 'Tracks Sparingly, It's Totally Fine'

Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t just music—it’s an experience. When you’re at a concert, the loud tunes, the buzz of the crowd, and the performers’ energy make you feel the music in a way you just can’t from a studio recording. That’s why albums that capture live performances are so special. They let us relive those incredible concert moments or imagine we’re right there in the thick of it. Here’s a look at seven live rock albums that aren’t just about the music—they’re a slice of rock history we can enjoy over and over.

The Top 7 Live Classic Rock Albums of All Time

DoYouRemember?

Hair metal, a subgenre of heavy metal, is renowned for its flamboyant fashion, catchy hooks, and high-energy performances. The genre emerged in the late ’70s and early ’80s with bands like Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, and Def Leppard being pioneers, setting the stage for its explosive popularity.

Upcoming Docuseries Set To Explore The ‘Uncensored’ World Of ’80s Hair Metal

Community Voices represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program but not yet verified their accounts. Community Voices are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

community_voice

Total Apex Sports & Entertainment

People have different levels of maturity. An individual’s age or upbringing can make them possess certain traits. Yet, most people believe that one matures as they grow old. On the contrary, some zodiac signs appear childish in old age. They are jumpy and careless. This strains their relationships with signs who misunderstand them. Air and fire signs are temperamental and some people refer to them as being childish. How can you identify an immature sign?

3 Zodiac Signs Who Are Immature

Pink Floyd is a seminal British rock band formed in London in 1965, known for their groundbreaking contributions to progressive and psychedelic rock. The classic lineup included Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason, and David Gilmour. Renowned for their innovative soundscapes, philosophical lyrics, and elaborate live shows, they achieved international fame with albums like *The Dark Side of the Moon* (1973), *Wish You Were Here* (1975), and *The Wall* (1979). Pink Floyd’s music explores complex themes of alienation, conflict, and the human condition, leaving a lasting impact on rock music and popular culture.

10 Best Pink Floyd Songs of All Time

American Songwriter

Legendary metal band Megadeth has been around for a while. And even in their early days, they weren’t afraid to get a little controversial. One particularly controversial song by Megadeth is the 1986 track “The Conjuring” from their album Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?. Megadeth...

The Megadeth Song That Dave Mustaine Refused To Play Live for Religious Reasons

Louder

The footage comes ahead of Gilmour's live dates in Italy, the UK and the US later this year

David Gilmour releases chilled rehearsal footage of Wish You Were Here

Over nearly 25 years and eight studio albums, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have established themselves as the pristine epitome of symphonic metal. A quick look at today's scene reveals a great number of bands that have veered away from the original NIGHTWISH blueprint and embraced a more alternative (rock) or futuristic, pop-inclined approach. Not so the Austrians. As with its 2022 predecessor — which, as you might imagine, was called "Pirates" — "Pirates II - Armada" is by no means old fashioned, but it does adhere proudly and somewhat rigidly to what is, effectively, old-school symphonic metal. And while everyone scrabbles around, trying to find new ways to frame their cinematic opulence, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have steadily become more and more adept at honoring the genre's original principles: immaculate, modern metal with plenty of contemporary crunch; layer upon layer of orchestral bombast; impeccable male and female vocals, with both operatic dexterity and a hard rock edge; colossal, instantly memorable tunes; and lots of quasi-philosophical stuff about pirates. Even if this isn't what you want from your friendly neighborhood symphonic metal band, you can hardly fault this band for putting the effort in.

Pirates II: Armada

Nikki Sixx is celebrating the 23rd anniversary of his getting sober. The 65-year-old MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist credited a treatment program with giving him the tools to help him live his life without drugs or alcohol. Earlier today (Tuesday, July 2),he Instagrammed an image revealing he had been sober...

MÖTLEY CRÜE's NIKKI SIXX Celebrates 23 Years Of Sobriety

When we talk about the roots of heavy metal, we think about the bands that first made the ground shake with their loud and powerful sounds. These groups set the stage for a musical genre that has grown and changed but always kept its strong spirit. Motörhead. Motörhead, formed...

8 Bands Considered the Forefathers of Heavy Metal

Los Angeles, CA

Nashville, TN

Following successful runs in Latin America (Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and México) and Europe (Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, and more), multi-platinum-selling and GRAMMY® Award-winning rockers MEGADETH will return to the North America this summer for their 34-date “Destroy All Enemies” trek. The Live Nation-produced tour, with special guests Mudvayne and All That Remains, kicks off August 2 in Rogers, Arkansas before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28. Additional tour stops include Los Angeles (two shows), Las Vegas, Boston, St. Louis and many more (the full itinerary is below). Tickets and additional information for all the dates is available HERE.

Megadeth Announce North American Tour Dates

There’s an argument to be made for the 1990s being the last great decade for American rock bands or rock and roll generally. It was certainly the last decade in which rock music dominated culture. Think of the bands not on this list: Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Guns N’...

5 of the Best American Rock Bands from the 1990s

Loudwire

As a result of the ever-changing definitions of music genres, there are quite a few rock bands that were once considered metal, but aren't anymore. We've argued numerous times that heavy metal, as a genre, was "invented" when Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album in 1970. But, there were several other rock groups making music that was heavier than anything people had ever heard around that time, too.

10 Rock Bands That Were Once Considered Metal, But Aren’t Anymore

Widely credited for the late 1990s traditional metal revival that has shown few signs of slowing down, Sweden's HAMMERFALL now finds itself back on the label where it all started: Germany's Nuclear Blast Records. Amidst the upward trajectory of parallel signees DIMMU BORGIR, HYPOCRISY and IN FLAMES, the label wisely poured resources into HAMMERFALL at a time when traditional metal was radioactive. Yet behind the band's sterling 1997 "Glory To The Brave" debut and excellent 1998 sophomore outing "Legacy Of Kings", HAMMERFALL not only made pure, dyed-in-the-wool metal cool again, but it also opened the door for the next wave of bands who musically upheld the principles of classic metal.

JOACIM CANS On Why HAMMERFALL Remains Committed To True Metal: 'I Play Music That I Want To Play'

Taste of Country

The Top 50 American Rock Albums, unsurprisingly, were made by some of the biggest artists in the history of popular music. As you will see in the below list, which the UCR staff chose, even after you remove the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and other rock giants, there's still much to love. You won't find many one-hit wonders here; almost every band, singer-songwriter and performer is a legendary act. That's why several of them check in with more than one record.

Top 50 American Rock Albums

Bristol, VA

John M. Dabbs

Bristol, Va. – The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol has announced a revised timeline for the grand opening of its permanent casino resort. Initially set to begin a phased opening in July, the new target for a fully operational grand opening is now slated for late fall 2024. This change aligns with recent legislation granting casino operators six months to finalize temporary facility projects.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol Delays Grand Opening to Late Fall 2024

In a new interview with The Good The Band & The Ugly podcast, former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young spoke in more detail about the "original band" he formed with fellow ex-MEGADETH member David Ellefson (bass),both of whom are also playing together in KINGS OF THRASH. Regarding the musical direction of the new band's music, Young said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's got everything. It's got all of our influences. Some of it's as heavy as MEGADETH, but it wouldn't be authentic if we just took [Dave] Mustaine's style. And I've seen some ex-MEGADETH members go do an album that sounds like MEGADETH, but that wasn't really their bag. And, of course, that's an influence 'cause we went through that whole process and we were part of that history and we played on the music. But it sounds like all the stuff that we've grown up on. Plus David and I have lived 10 different lives since MEGADETH. We've done a lot as musicians, so we're gonna bring all the stuff. We're not bringing a 27-year-old mindset or 25-year-old. I think I was 25, [2]6 when I was in MEGADETH."

Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist JEFF YOUNG On His New Original Band With DAVID ELLEFSON: 'It's Got All Of Our Influences'

While recording at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Metallica had to “borrow [things] forever” to make ends meet

Metallica turned to “thieving” to survive the early ’80s, says James Hetfield

NewsBreak

British Metal Veterans BLITZKRIEG Announce New, Self-Titled Album

NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) veterans BLITZKRIEG will release their new, self-titled album on September 6 via Mighty Music. The fist digital single from...

British Metal Veterans BLITZKRIEG Announce New, Self-Titled Album

Comments / 0