Top 10 Founders of Metal Music

The Top Ten

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath were a heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 by guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, singer John "Ozzy" Osbourne, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. Their self-titled debut album received mixed reviews, but they quickly gained a strong following... read more

The most important metal bands:
1. Black Sabbath - initial inventor of the dark sound.
2. Deep Purple - gave metal shredding guitar, added classical influence, and speed.
3. Judas Priest - savior of metal from the punk attack in the mid-70s, first with the twin guitar leads, making a standard arrangement style for metal, removing the hippy style and giving a leather style culture to metal.
4. Big 4 Thrash - raised the level to be heavier.
5. Pantera - savior of metal from the grunge attacks in the early 90s, and the gate for subgenre development.

Black Sabbath started metal! And for the ones who voted for SOAD, SOAD are awesome, but they didn't start anything. The ones who deserve to be here are Sabbath, Zeppelin, and Deep Purple for starting metal, Motörhead, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden for starting metal as we know it today, Metallica, Slayer, and Testament for starting thrash metal, and maybe Pantera (not sure), and Blue Cheer. But not SOAD and not HIM!
Deep Purple

Deep Purple is an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are regarded as pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has changed over the years. They originally played progressive rock, but shifted to a heavier sound around 1970.... read more

Metal is currently defined as an extreme non-bluesy subgenre of rock music, mostly based on classical music. Deep Purple was the first band with such songs, so they solely invented the pattern of metal music as we know it now (credits to Ritchie Blackmore for mingling rock and classical music). For the record, Black Sabbath's early albums (70s with Ozzy) were heavy blues rock, not metal. Even Tony Iommi admitted that.
Deep Purple also had hard rock songs, which made their metal legacy more obscure. However, besides the general pattern of metal music, they defined some other metal elements:
1. They first used double bass drumming on "Fireball" (1971).
2. They were "the globe's loudest band" of the 1970s, officially listed in the 1975 Guinness Book.
3. Ritchie Blackmore first expressed that appetite for speed, complex songwriting, and fast technical solos and riffs (e.g., "Highway Star" - you can also hear the galloping style, made popular later by Iron Maiden and currently found everywhere).
4. Ritchie Blackmore, aka The Man in Black, gave metal its signature color (black).
Rainbow

Rainbow is a British rock band led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, active from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1993 to 1997. The band was originally formed with Ronnie James Dio as the lead singer and lyricist. Rainbow was ranked No. 90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and has sold over 28 million... read more

Ritchie Blackmore started it all in Deep Purple (1968-1974) by mixing rock and classical music (now known as heavy metal) and perfected it in Rainbow with Dio (1975-76). Dio confirmed the top-notch metal singing and also introduced the famous horns (one of the metal symbols).
Credits for inventing subgenres like power metal and neo-classical metal go exclusively to Rainbow. They also perfected traditional metal and speed metal, adding a certain epic feel and some proggy nuances.
Check out their genre-defining songs:
From the 1976 album: Stargazer, A Light in the Black, Tarot Woman.
From the 1978 album: Gates of Babylon, Kill the King, L.A. Connection.
Metal instrumentals (neo-classical): Still I'm Sad (1975); Difficult to Cure (1981).
Judas Priest

Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are frequently ranked among the greatest metal bands of all time and are commonly called "The Metal Gods," after their song on the 1980 album British Steel. Their influence on the development of heavy metal is profound... read more

In the early 70s, most metal riffs were slow, but Judas Priest played their riffs a little bit faster. Some people claimed them as one of the founders of speed metal.

They revolutionized metal more than everyone else. Black Sabbath may have been the heaviest band of the early 70s, but Priest defined the real metal sound.

Judas Priest should be at #3 because they were the third band after Deep Purple and Rainbow that came up with the pure metal sound, i.e., non-bluesy sound.
Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Their most critically acclaimed period is widely considered to be from 1983 to 1989, during which they released landmark albums like Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere... read more

While they didn't originally found metal, they heavily (pardon the pun) shaped metal after it was created by the hard rockin' of Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Rainbow, and Judas Priest.

Maiden wins this list by far. Sure, Sabbath founded it, but Maiden took it to the next level. Also, the reason why metal still lives is because of Maiden.

The greatest and still going strong! Just saw 'em yesterday in Helsinki (too bad the sound quality at the stadium was bad). Up the Irons!
Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English hard rock band formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds. The group consisted of Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboard), and John Bonham (drums). The band was largely the brainchild of Jimmy Page, who even financed their first tour... read more

Zeppelin were around before Sabbath and obviously influenced Sabbath. Listen to Dazed and Confused and You Shook Me from their first album. Both songs anticipated Sabbath's doom sound by two years.

Yes, the heavy metal genre started with Black Sabbath, but Led Zeppelin planted the seeds. Without Zeppelin, I think metal would be very different.

Led Zeppelin was the band that coined the term "heavy metal," so they're the best.
Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy and thrash metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup included James Hetfield (vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), and Ron McGovney (bass). They first gained mainstream fame with their 1991 self-titled album (The Black Album... read more
Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969, and they were one of the top rock bands in the early 1970s. Twelve of their albums have reached the UK Albums Chart, with Return to Fantasy peaking at number 7 in 1975.... read more

Their sound was a fusion of progressive/art rock/heavy metal. David Byron's quasi-operatic vocals contributed to their metal sound too. The song Bird of Prey (1971) is a metal song, with metal vocals and screams: awesome vox even from today's metal viewpoint.
Their debut album 'Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble' (1970) was one of the first albums with the word Heavy in the title. It contained progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and blues rock.
Their epic piece Salisbury (1971) is 16:20 minutes long and sounds to me like early symphonic metal with prog elements. Its length can compete with the lengthy stuff of current metal bands. Give it a chance and be convinced. And surprised.
Their metal songs were influenced by Deep Purple but they were cool in their own right. Some other metal songs: Look at Yourself (1971) and Easy Livin' (1972).
Blue Cheer

Blue Cheer was an American rock band that performed and recorded primarily in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band remained sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, they played a psychedelic blues rock style.... read more
Slayer

Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and are considered one of the Big Four of thrash metal, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.... read more

The Newcomers

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Jesus Manson
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Pitchshifter

The Contenders

Motörhead

Motörhead were an English heavy metal band formed in June 1975 by bassist, singer, and songwriter Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis, and drummer Lucas Fox. Lemmy was the band's only constant member. Their aggressive sound, harsh vocals, and fast-paced tempos were influential in the... read more

There was a time I believed Motörhead were metal, but currently I'm not sure at all. They mostly play hard rock, fast rock 'n' roll, and blues rock - all those with some punk air to it. Lemmy himself stated that they were closer to punk rock than to metal.
Overall, Motörhead are not metal or borderline metal at best. Maybe their punk-ish attitude influenced thrash metal somewhat, but it's just my speculation.
UFO

UFO is an English rock band that was formed in 1969. They played a significant role in bridging early hard rock and heavy metal. The band also influenced the development of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and inspired many later artists in the genre.

Formed in 1969, they became a transitional group between early hard rock/heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM).
Their song Doctor Doctor (1974) was covered by Iron Maiden.

Great to see UFO in the top 10. They seem to be the forgotten ones on all other lists.
Iron Butterfly

Iron Butterfly is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", which provided a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music.... read more
The Kinks

The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1964 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the 1960s. Their music was integral to the development of British rock, with hits like You Really Got Me and... read more
Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their leader, Phil Lynott, was composer or co-composer of almost all of the band's songs and was the first black Irishman to achieve commercial success in the field of rock music.... read more

Early metal songs by Thin Lizzy include Massacre and Emerald, released in 1976. Their song Thunder and Lightning came out before Kill 'Em All, and it was a thrash song. Massacre was covered by Iron Maiden, and Emerald was covered by Mastodon (there's a very cool and extended instrumental section in Emerald).
My favorite metal songs: Angel of Death, Thunder and Lightning, Killer on the Loose, Cold Sweat, and Massacre. Their most popular songs/hits were not metal, which is normal - in the 70s and early 80s, metal was far from the mass tastes.
Many metal bands did awesome cover versions, revealing the metal potential of Thin Lizzy songs and Phil Lynott's great songwriting abilities. Most of the covers are in thrash and death metal style, showing the originals had this potential.
I just started a new list on the Top Tens: Top Ten Best Cover Versions of Thin Lizzy Songs.
Dio

Dio was an American heavy metal band formed in 1982 by vocalist Ronnie James Dio after he left Black Sabbath. The band was also co-founded by drummer Vinny Appice, who had played with Dio in Black Sabbath. Dio released several acclaimed albums, including Holy Diver and The Last in Line, and remained... read more

Although often listed with Rainbow, Ronnie James Dio's solo career laid some of the major foundations for both metal and the solo singer industry.
Queen

Queen is an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar). Before Queen, May and Taylor had played together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury, a fan... read more

Surprise, surprise - Queen was not considered a metal band or metal influence back then, but things changed over time. They actually wrote and performed the first thrash metal song, Stone Cold Crazy. It was written by Freddie in 1968 and recorded a bit later when he joined Queen. Metallica did a cover of it.
Another pretty aggressive and dark song is Dead on Time.
In contemporary metal music, you can hear more Queen than Led Zeppelin, for example. The famous multi-layered/canon vocals from Bohemian Rhapsody became a feature of Blind Guardian, late Savatage, and many other metal bands.

Metal influence, but not a metal band.
Megadeth

Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. They have released 16 studio albums to date and have undergone numerous lineup changes, with... read more

Technically they didn't start heavy metal, but it wouldn't be awesome without them.
Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and occasional actor whose career spans over five decades. Known for his distinctive raspy voice and theatrical stage shows, Cooper is often referred to as The Godfather of Shock Rock. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011... read more
Possessed

Possessed is an American thrash and death metal band originally formed in 1982 in the San Francisco Bay Area. They are noted for their fast, aggressive playing style and Jeff Becerra's guttural vocals. The band is widely recognized as one of the earliest pioneers of death metal and is often credited... read more
The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was an English-American rock band formed in Westminster, London, in September 1966. The group featured Jimi Hendrix on vocals and guitar, Noel Redding on bass and backing vocals, and Mitch Mitchell on drums.... read more
Venom

Venom are an English extreme metal band formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. They rose to prominence during the late stages of the new wave of British heavy metal. Their first two albums, Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982), are considered foundational in the development of thrash metal and... read more
Scorpions

Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. Early members included vocalist Klaus Meine and guitarist Michael Schenker, later replaced by Matthias Jabs. The band first gained international attention in the late 1970s, and has since explored styles ranging... read more

Their style in the 70s was completely different from their 80s mainstream ballad style. Check out at least the song Sails of Charon (1977). There are also cool cover versions by Yngwie and Testament.
Death

Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. The band is widely considered one of the most influential in heavy metal and a pioneer of the death metal genre. Their debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, is regarded as the first true death metal record. Death released seven studio... read more
Mountain

Obviously should be higher. Mississippi Queen is such a heavy song you'd think it came out in the late 70s, but it was actually 1970! Way ahead of its time.