Heavy Metal
tagStarted 1970Peak 1980-1991Last big hit still active
Located in 2 routes
The broad umbrella: amplified, distorted electric guitars built on power chords and riffs, thunderous bass, hard-hitting drums, and commanding vocals from soaring highs to gritted aggression. Themes of power, rebellion, fantasy, and darkness. Loud, dense, and rhythmically heavy by design, with the guitar solo as a centerpiece.
History
Forged around 1970 when Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin pushed blues-rock toward heavier, darker, riff-led territory. Judas Priest stripped away the blues and codified the leather-and-studs template. Across the 70s and 80s it splintered into dozens of subgenres while remaining a unifying banner for guitar-driven heaviness worldwide.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- AllMusic (Heavy Metal style)
- Wikipedia (Heavy metal music)
- Encyclopaedia Metallum
- Rolling Stone