Top Ten Reasons Why There Shouldn't Be a "Big 4" In Thrash Metal

This is why I think the concept of a "Big 4" in thrash is stupid and why all thrash bands should be equally recognized.
The Top Ten
1 It's a matter of popularity when the point of most metal is to rebel against the concept of popularity in music

Yeah, that's why I listen to pop and rock music. But I'm sometimes a metal fan. People at my school don't know who metal is.

2 It makes Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer the only Thrash Metal bands most casual listeners ever hear

I'm not a fan of thrash metal but Brobusky is right with this list having a "Big 4" is a terrible thing for a genre that immediately restricts it's potential appeal to the general public.

No, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax are known as the Big 4 because they were the four bands that helped create thrash metal and bring it into the mainstream. Hell, without those four bands (especially Metallica and Slayer), bands like Annihilator, Testament or Death Angel wouldn't have been around.

They aren't even the four best Thrash Metal bands. My four favorites are Overkill, Kreator, Exodus, and Annihilator.

Thrash isn't stupid.

3 Many bands like Exodus and Testament are amazing but never get the recognition they deserve

Believe it or not, back in the late 80's/early 90's, Testament was more popular/received more recognition than some of the bands that weren't part of the Big 4. Other than touring with the likes of Slayer, Megadeth, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and being part of the European "Clash of the Titans" tour (with Megadeth, Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies) during the 90's, Testament managed to sell over half a million records that decade thanks to "Practice What You Preach", according to Wikipedia, that album sold over 450,000 copies in America.

4 It gets people into arguments like "this band should be in the big 4" when in reality they should all be equally recognized
5 It inspired another big 4 for Teutonic thrash (Kreator, Destruction, Tankard, Sodom)
6 No more Thrash bands will reach the level of popularity as the Big 4 because of the Big 4's status as the "4 best thrash bands"
7 Bands like Havok are just as good as the big 4 but are ignored because they are new and "don't deserve to be in with the classics"
8 It started a whole concert between the Big 4 and great bands like Overkill didn't get to play because they weren't part of it
9 Thrash subgenres like crossover thrash never gets recognized because of it
10 Exodus is one of the most influential thrash bands and without them Metallica wouldn't have Kirk Hammett, but they are not recognized because of the Big 4
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