Top 10 Best Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Bands Formed in the 60s

What are the best bands that played hard rock or heavy metal and were formed between 1960 and 1969? It doesn't matter if they released only one album or multiple albums during those years.

The Top Ten

  1. 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

    @the guy who commented before me: Actually, the classical influence makes them the sole inventors of metal music as we know it now, which is rock music based on classical. Nobody else played rock based on classical back then. Of course, they also played hard rock, which is based on blues, and they are one of the hard rock pioneers too.

    Great band - saw them twice and their music is as good as in the recording studio.

    Good hard rock. Blackmore, Lord, and Paice - enough said?

  2. 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

    Absolutely one of the most influential hard rock and heavy metal bands of all time.

  3. 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

    Judas Priest not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the biggest travesty in the history of music!

    Ever since the first time I heard Judas Priest, they're still my favorite band.

  4. 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

    Black Sabbath are the founders of metal!

    The godfathers of Heavy Metal. Any metal musician will tell you so.

    The true fathers of the Heavy Metal genre!

  5. Scorpions

    Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. Vocalist Klaus Meine and guitarist Michael Schenker joined several years later. Michael Schenker was succeeded by Uli Jon Roth, while Matthias Jabs became the band's lead guitarist in 1978. The band first gained... read more

    Love the German musical influence.

  6. 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

  7. Rush

    Rush is a Canadian progressive rock band that was formed in 1968. The band's most iconic lineup consisted of guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, and drummer Neil Peart, who joined in 1974. Following Peart's death from brain cancer on January 7, 2020, Lee and Lifeson announced in October... read more

  8. Cream

    Cream was a 1960s British rock supergroup power trio consisting of bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce, drummer Ginger Baker, and guitarist and vocalist Eric Clapton. The band was known for its blend of blues, psychedelic rock, and hard rock. Cream is often regarded as one of the first supergroups and was... read more

  9. 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

  10. The Who

    The Who is an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1964. The most recognizable lineup consisted of Roger Daltrey (lead vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar), John Entwistle (bass guitar), and Keith Moon (drums). They are best known for their live performances and hit songs "Baba O'Riley," "My Generation... read more

    Dude, they were the first thrashers. They smashed their instruments into the ground and made your ears ring. You don't see excitement like that these days.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    The Stooges

    The Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, are an American proto-punk band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were active from 1967 to 1974 and reformed in 2003. Although they initially sold few records and often faced indifferent audiences, the Stooges are now recognized as a foundational influence... read more

  12. ?

    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

    13. The Contenders

  13. Sweet

    Way ahead of their time! Incredible musicianship!

  14. Alice Cooper

    Alice Cooper is 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. They pioneered a theatrical brand of hard rock designed to shock audiences, and their influential stage shows famously... read more

    Better than Rush, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and The Who!

  15. 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.

  16. Blue Öyster Cult

    Blue Öyster Cult is an American rock band from Long Island, New York, known for blending hard rock and heavy metal with science fiction and occult themes. Their most successful songs include "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," "Godzilla," and "Burnin' for You." The band has maintained a cult following since the... read more

    One of the best bands of all time. Although they are hard to categorize, they probably were the first Gothic band. Some so-called experts don't even list them. Look up "The Relationship between Blue Öyster Cult and Vampires" for an excellent argument that they should be included. They are very influential in many styles from punk to metal.

    I know, Led Zeppelin is untouchable and so is The Who in some ways. Well, I might argue that Secret Treaties is superior to them all. Blue Öyster Cult's hard rock compositions of their first 5 albums, and the beauty and lightning of Buck Dharma's guitar are unmatched. Sorry, the world got it wrong.

  17. Steppenwolf

    Steppenwolf is a Canadian-American rock group that rose to prominence from 1968 to 1972. The band was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist and guitarist John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn, and drummer Jerry Edmonton. All three had previously played in the Toronto-based group The Sparrows before... read more

  18. Nazareth

    Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band that was formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in December 1968. They achieved global recognition in the early 1970s with albums such as Hair of the Dog and hits like Love Hurts and This Flight Tonight. The band continues to record music and tour internationally more than... read more

  19. The Doors

    The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and occasionally controversial rock acts of the 1960s, largely due to Morrison's poetic... read more

  20. 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

    Had this album when I was a teenager in the early 70s. Still listen to it occasionally today. It's a classic!

    Their debut album "Vincebus Eruptum," recorded in '67, practically created the distorted and loud Heavy Metal sound.

  21. Slade

    Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The British Hit Singles & Albums names them the most successful British group of the 1970s... read more

  22. ZZ Top

    ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. The band's classic lineup consisted of bassist and lead vocalist Dusty Hill, guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, and drummer Frank Beard. Known for their blues-infused rock and signature beards, ZZ Top achieved commercial success... read more

  23. 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

  24. The Yardbirds

    The Yardbirds are an English rock band formed in London in 1963. The band launched the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963-1965), Jeff Beck (1965-1966), and Jimmy Page (1966-1968), all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest... read more

  25. Free

    Free were an English rock band formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". The band consisted of Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Andy Fraser, and Simon Kirke. Despite their relatively short career, Free had a significant influence on British blues rock and hard rock... read more

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