Ever wondered about the origin of the heavy metal genre and the first ever songs to be considered heavy metal? Well, wonder no more, because today we have a look at the early days Metal and the people who played a role in establishing this genre of music with these 7 First True Heavy Metal Songs.
7. Black Sabbath
In 1970, the band Black Sabbath released a song with the same name and it was a huge hit with fans. The song features dark heavy riffs, a screaming singer, drums that sound like cannons and ominus, morbid lyrics about Satan and witches. That is as heavy metal as you could get back in the 70s.
6. Whole Lotta Love
Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin stands out as one of the songs that heralded the start of heavy metal. Jimmy Page’s amazing guitar skills, John Bonham’s frantic drumming, John Paul Jones’ brilliant bass and Robert Plant’s voice combine to create an undoubtedly heavy metal sound.
5. Born to Be Wild
Born to Be Wild was done by the band Steppenwolf and became the soundtrack of the movie Easy Rider. It features all the elements that are present in popular metal songs including those created by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. In fact many metal fans that love the song Born to Be Wild swear that it was the first actual heavy metal song to be made.
4. Helter Skelter
Of course the Beatles had to make the list. As one of the most popular rock bands of all time, the Beatles are also credited for producing one of the first heavy metal songs. Helter Skelter is considered the loudest and dirtiest track by the beatles. Have a listen to it and you will understand why.
3. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
It’s worth pointing out that these were the formation years and therefore songs may not sound quite like modern metal but they make the cut due to their unique sounds and style. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by the band Iron Butterfly is a 17-minute song that hits all the right notes musically speaking. It was produced in 1968 and makes the list as one of the pioneer metal songs.
2. I Can See for Miles
Next on the list is the song I Can See for Miles by The Who. The pounding on the drums by drummer Keith Moon, guitarist Townshend’s big power chords and the palm muted guitar rhythm definitely distinguish the song from other genres and land it squarely in the heavy metal genre.
1. You Really Got Me
The Kinks were a British rock band formed in 1964 by two brothers named Ray and Dave Davies. The band took the world by storm and were part of the British Invasion of the United States when it comes to entertainment.
However they were banned from touring the U.S. due to constant bickering and fighting between the brothers. Their song You Really Got Me was among the first heavy metal releases even though it may not sound so metal compared to today’s standards of metal. To achieve the distorted sound commonly associated with heavy metal, the brothers literally cut the speakers from the amps of their guitars using a knife.
