Introduction
Heavy metal is one of the most popular genres of music in the world, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s loud, it’s fast-paced, and it has some of the best guitar solos around. Heavy metal bands are responsible for some of the most iconic songs in rock history—and this list will prove as much.
(1) Judas Priest
Judas Priest is an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1969. The band has sold over 45 million albums to date and released 20 studio albums, selling over 50 million records worldwide. Judas Priest are the third best selling artist of all time behind The Beatles and Michael Jackson, with a reported net worth of $56 million.
The band have sold more than 50 million records worldwide going on to become one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history. They were also ranked number 30 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists Of Hard Rock list and placed seventh on MTV’s greatest Metal bands list as well as being listed at number 35 on Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Bands Of All Time list.
(2) Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band formed in 1981. The band’s current lineup consists of founding members James Hetfield (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Lars Ulrich (drums), longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarists Dave Mustaine, who left the band in 1983 to form Megadeth, and Marty Friedman round out the line-up; both joined the group as touring musicians in 1994.
The fourth Metallica studio album released on August 12th, 1991 was named after one of its songs… And Justice for All! The album hit gold sales status by 1992, but only reached number 6 on Billboard 200 chart due to lack of radio airplay which resulted from lyrics protesting censorship by Warner Bros..
(3) Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath is a heavy metal band from Birmingham, England. The band was founded in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. They have sold over 70 million albums worldwide and are considered one of the most influential bands of all time. Their first two albums Paranoid (1970) and Master of Reality (1971) are widely considered to be among the best heavy metal albums ever made.
(4) Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden is a British heavy metal band. They formed in 1975, and they’re known for their mascot Eddie, who has appeared on many of their albums and merchandise since their release in 1980. The band has released 16 studio albums so far:
- Iron Maiden (1980)
- Killers (1981)
- The Number of the Beast (1982)
- Piece of Mind (1983)
- Powerslave (1984)
- Live After Death (1985)
- Somewhere In Time (1986)
- Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son(1988)
(5) AC/DC
AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been characterized by blues-based riffs and a raw, pub rock attitude. AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the United States alone (AC/DC is the 11th highest selling artist). The group’s 1980 album Back In Black has sold 50 million copies worldwide making it the 2nd highest selling album of all time behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. It also holds the title for “highest selling album” in Australia with 7x platinum certification.
(6) Kiss
Kiss is a hard rock band formed in New York City in 1973. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons the only remaining original members. The band’s best-known lineup consisted of Stanley, Simmons, Frehley and Criss.
The band achieved its most commercially successful lineup when it released their album Destroyer (1976). Kiss has sold more than 100 million records worldwide[3] including 25 gold albums and 26 platinum albums as well as 38 multi-platinum albums.[4] As of 2012, the group had sold 72 million albums [5] — an estimated 28 million compilation albums worldwide[6][7] — since 1977. In total they have sold over 40 million records according to Soundscan.[8][9][10]
The group has been awarded five Platinum albums by the RIAA,[11] four Multi-Platinum Albums[12], five Gold Albums[13], two Silver Albums (also available on CD) and one 10x Platinum Album.[14]. They have also received nine Diamond Awards for sales of over 15 million copies each.[15][16][17]
(7) Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. The band’s first two albums, Van Halen (1978) and Van Halen II (1979), were major commercial successes and are to this day referred to as “The Brown Album” and “The Black Album”. The success of these two albums allowed the group to tour extensively for the first time in their history which helped establish them as one of America’s most successful touring acts during the 1980s.
Van Halen’s popularity was at its peak between 1978-1984 before they lost momentum due to personal problems within the group along with changing musical tastes from fans around that time period.
In 1986 they recorded 5150 which was considered a comeback album because it did well commercially but didn’t receive critical acclaim like their earlier work had received previously either because reviewers felt it wasn’t innovative enough or because they simply didn’t like what they heard due to being used so much over time that people just weren’t interested anymore no matter how good something may be!
(8) Megadeth
Megadeth is a thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1983, they have released 13 studio albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide. They are often cited as one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history. The group’s lineup has changed several times over its history, with guitarist and singer Dave Mustaine being the only constant member. The current lineup of Megadeth consists of Mustaine on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, David Ellefson on bass guitar and backing vocals, Chris Broderick on lead guitar and harmonics, Shawn Drover on drums and percussion
(9) Dio
Dio was a heavy metal band that was formed in 1982 and released their first album, Holy Diver, in 1983. They are best known for their hit single “Holy Diver,” which was included on their debut album. However, they would gain more recognition later on with the release of The Last in Line from 1984 and Sacred Heart from 1985. Shortly after releasing those albums, Dio’s lead singer Ronnie James Dio died in 2010 at age 67 (the same year as Lemmy Kilmister).
While each one of these bands has made an impact on the world of heavy metal music and deserve recognition for it, there can only be one winner!
(10 Def Leppard
Def Leppard is an English hard rock band formed in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, in 1977. The band has sold over 100 million records worldwide, including over 65 million albums in the United States alone. With their breakthrough album Pyromania (1983), Def Leppard became one of the most commercially successful British heavy metal bands and a key participant in what some have called the Second Wave of British Heavy Metal.
Def Leppard’s musical style has changed several times since they came to prominence with their second album High ‘n’ Dry (1981). They initially combined glam rock/heavy metal with pop melodies, but went on to explore other genres later on including alternative rock and progressive rock.
The top 10 heavy metal bands of all time
There should be a single, definitive list of the top 10 heavy metal bands. It should be based on popularity, influence and the quality of their music. The bands should have been around for at least 20 years.
The list should reflect my own personal tastes, but it must also accurately represent what heavy metal is all about.
Conclusion
Heavy metal is a genre that has been around for decades, and it shows no signs of going away anytime soon. These bands are just a few of the many who have contributed to the lasting appeal of heavy metal music.
