Best Heavy Metal Bands of the 60s
Led Zeppelin was an English hard rock band formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds. The group consisted of Robert Plant (Vocal), Jimmy Page (Guitar), John Paul Jones (Bass, Keyboard) and John Bonham (Drums) and was very much the child of Jimmy Page who even financed their first tour. He had tasted some previous success with The [original] Yardbirds and was friendly with some big names in rock. Page states it was Keith Moon of The Who that claimed the band could only go down, like a lead balloon -- thus prompting the iconic name of Led Zeppelin. The band's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors ...read more. Though they released their albums in late 60s but they became very famous in short time
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, ...read more.
Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock style, and are also credited as being some of the earliest pioneers of heavy metal, with their cover of "Summertime Blues" sometimes cited as the first in the genre. When I created the list, it wasn't meant for accurate heavy metal bands of 60s (which I should have stated in the description). But if you see, there were hardly any heavy metal bands in the 60s. The bands which were formed in the 60s, but never performed, I tried to avoid them. for example - Judas Priest. this list was basically about heaviest bands of 60s. Even though, today these genres like hard rock, heavy blues or psychedelic rock (heavier version), can't be considered as metal genres, but for the 60s, they were like death metal of the decade. That's why I included them.
I can't say much bad about the whole list. Since this is origins of heavy metal, Blue Cheer floats near the top.
Good stuff. This demo tape was played on the first underground FM station in 1967.
Steppenwolf is a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent from 1968 to 1972. The group was formed in late 1961 in Toronto by vocalist John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn, and drummer Jerry Edmonton. You may have heard "heavy-metal thunder" come from Kay's mouth, but the music was not metal, particularly by the low standards that came after.
Vanilla Fudge was a American Psychedelic band in the late 1960s. Their two first album was all covers, but their third album is mostly original content. They are also credited for somewhat influencing Progressive Rock.
Iron Butterfly is an American rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music.
King Crimson were a British progressive rock band that was formed in 1969. While the band has had numerous lineup changes, the head of the band has always been Robert Fripp (guitar). However, the most notable lineup is between 1972-75, consisting of Fripp, John Wetton (bass/vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), and David Cross (strings/keyboard). The band is most well-known for their debut album "In the Court of The Crimson King", with which they made a large impact on the progressive rock genre.
Alice Cooper was an American rock band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1964. The band consisted of lead singer Vince Furnier, Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith. Not really metal, and really belong in the 70s.
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 that was one of the top rock bands in the early 1970s. Twelve of the band's albums have made it to the UK Albums Chart (Return to Fantasy reached No. 7 in 1975). Uriah Heep's distinctive features include a massive keyboard sound, strong vocal harmonies and (in the early years) David Byron's quasi-operatic vocals. They have sold over 45 million albums worldwide with over 4 million sales in the U.S, where its best-known songs include "Easy Livin'", "The Wizard", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Stealin'". I know they didn't release albums in 60s, but some of the songs were recorded in the 60s. That's why I though they could be here.
Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal.