List of heavy metal bands

This is a list of heavy metal artists.

Original movement: 1967–1979

In the late 1960s a number of bands began pushing the limits of blues-rock into a new genre which would be called heavy metal.

A

Band Name	Years active	Brief summary
AC/DC	1973–present	Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock, and considered pioneers of heavy metal they have always classified their music as "Rock n' roll." Their 1980's album Back in Black is the best-selling rock album of all time.
Accept	1968–1989, 1992–1997, 2004–2005, 2009–present	Accept played an important role in the development of speed metal and Teutonic thrash metal, being part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene which emerged in the early-to-mid 1980s.
Aerosmith	1970–present
Alice Cooper	1968–present

B

name	Years active	Brief summary
Bang	1970–1973, 2001–2004
Black Sabbath	1968–2006, 2011-present	Regarded as one the pioneers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath was formed by Ozzy Osbourne (lead vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass guitar), and Bill Ward (drums). Alcohol abuse led to Ozzy Osbourne getting fired and replaced with former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and enjoyed success with the release of Heaven and Hell in 1980 and Mob Rules in 1981. Throughout the late eighties and early nighties Black Sabbath went through a number of different vocalists and enjoyed small success with Headless Cross, Tyr, Cross Purposes and Forbidden, released in 1989, 1990, 1994 and 1995 respectively.
Blue Cheer	1966–1972, 1974–1976, 1978–1979, 1984–1994, 1999–2009
Blue Öyster Cult	1967–present
Budgie	1967–present
Buffalo	1971–1977

C

name	Years active	Brief summary
Cactus	1970–1972, 2006–present
Cirith Ungol	1972–1992

D

name	Years active	Brief summary

E

name	Years active	Brief summary

F

name	Years active	Brief summary
Flower Travellin' Band	1968–1973, 2007–present

G

name	Years active	Brief summary
Grand Funk Railroad	1968–1977, 1980–1983, 1996–present

H

name	Years active	Brief summary
Hard Stuff	1971–1973
The Jimi Hendrix Experience	1966–1970	Jimi Hendrix established a sonically heavy yet technically proficient bent to rock music as a whole, significantly furthering the development of hard rock and paving the way for heavy metal.
High Tide	1969–1970

I

name	Years active	Brief summary
Iron Butterfly	1966–present
Iron Maiden	1975-present	Pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden achieved success during the early 1980s. After several line-up changes, the band went on to release a series of U.S. and UK platinum and gold albums, including 1982's The Number of the Beast, 1983's Piece of Mind, 1984's Powerslave, 1985's live release Live After Death, 1986's Somewhere in Time and 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

J

name	Years active	Brief summary
Jerusalem	1972
Jethro Tull	1967–present	Won first heavy metal Grammy award in 1988.
Josefus	1969–2005
Judas Priest	1969–present	Judas Priest are considered to be one of the most significant bands in heavy metal. They introduced a newer metal sound with their 1980 release British Steel. Judas Priest are also well known for eliminating most of metal's blues influence.

L

name	Years active	Brief summary
Led Zeppelin	1968–1980	With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands. Their song Stairway to Heaven is often named the most played song in the history of rock and metal radio.
Lucifer's Friend	1970–1982, 1993–1997
Lynyrd Skynyrd	1964-1977, 1987–present

M

name	Years active	Brief summary
Meat Loaf	1967–present
Montrose	1973–1976, 2005
Motörhead	1975–present	Motörhead are typically classified as heavy metal, and their fusion of punk rock into the genre helped to pioneer speed metal and thrash metal. Motörhead had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and particularly No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, cemented Motörhead's reputation as one of Britain's foremost rock bands.
Mountain	1969–1972, 1973–present

N

name	Years active	Brief summary
Necromandus	1970–1973
Night Sun	1970–1973

O

name	Years active	Brief summary

P

name	Years active	Brief summary
Pentagram	1971–1976, 1978–1979, 1981–present	Along with Black Sabbath, Pentagram is considered one of the most important groups in the creation of doom metal.

Q

name	Years active	Brief summary
Queensryche	1981-present

R

name	Years active	Brief summary
Rainbow	1975–1984, 1993–1997
Running Wild	1976–2009, 2011-present	With speedy riffs and themes about the open sea, Running Wild has been labeled as the world's first pirate metal band.

S

name	Years active	Brief summary

T

name	Years active	Brief summary
Thin Lizzy	1969–1984, 1996–present,
Twisted Sister	1972–1988, 1997–present
Trust	1977–present

U

name	Years active	Brief summary
UFO	1969–1988, 1992–present
Uriah Heep	1969–present

V

name	Years active	Brief summary
Vanilla Fudge	1967–1970, 1982–1984, 1987–1988, 1991, 1999–present

W

name	Years active	Brief summary
Warhorse	1970–1974, (partial reunions: 1985, 2005)

Y

name	Years active	Brief summary
Y&T	1974–1991, 1995–present	From Oakland, California, United States

Z

name	Years active	Brief summary

See also

• Heavy metal subgenres
• List of alternative metal artists
• List of black metal bands
• List of Christian metal bands
• List of death metal bands
• List of deathcore bands
• List of doom metal bands
• List of folk metal bands
• List of glam metal bands
• List of gothic metal bands
• List of grindcore bands
• List of groove metal bands
• List of industrial metal bands
• List of melodic death metal bands
• List of nu metal bands
• List of post-metal bands
• List of power metal bands
• List of progressive metal artists
• List of speed metal bands
• List of symphonic metal bands
• List of thrash metal bands
• List of Viking metal bands
• Celtic metal#List of bands
• Crust punk#List of notable crust punk bands
• Metalcore
• New Wave of British Heavy Metal#List of NWOBHM artists
• Sludge metal#List of sludge metal bands by style
• Symphonic black metal#List of notable symphonic black metal bands