Home » Music » Heavy Metal » A Brief History of Heavy Metal

A Brief History of Heavy Metal

© Chad Bowar

It's only appropriate to begin this new topic with a brief history of the genre. It is by no means all inclusive, just a short look at some of the pioneers of heavy metal, how the genre evolved, and where it is today.

Today's youth know Ozzy Osbourne as the clueless, mumbling rock star dad on the Osbournes reality show who headlines Ozzfest every summer. But over 30 years ago he was a pioneer and one of the founding fathers of the genre of heavy metal. His group Black Sabbath was one of, if not the first band that could be categorized as "heavy metal". A group of British bands in the late 60s pioneered the genre that had developed and evolved from the blues. In addition to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple were 2 more heavy metal pioneers in the late 60s and early 70s.

Heavy metal was developing in the United States in the early 70s as well, but with a more theatrical flair. Artists like Alice Cooper and Kiss combined makeup and pyrotechnics with hard driving music to send crowds into a frenzy.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, a band that would spawn a generation of imitators and launch an entire scene was formed: Van Halen. David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony were playing in the L.A. clubs in the mid and late 70s, got signed to Warner Brothers, released their debut album in 1978, and watched the metal scene in L.A. take off.

Across the Pacific in Australia, another pioneering heavy metal band was becoming popular in their homeland, but hadn't yet exploded to worldwide fame. AC/DC formed in 1973, had some success, and then finally broke through in 1980 with Highway To Hell. Tragically, their lead singer Bon Scott died shortly after the tour ended. The band regrouped, hired Brian Johnson as their new singer, and recorded Back in Black, one of the most successful metal albums of all time, selling over 15 million copies.

By the late 70s, disco was hugely popular and rock seemed to be on the decline. But the genre was energized with what is now called the New Wave of British Metal. This new breed of metal musicians sped up the tempo and made the music even harder. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon and Motorhead, among others, are credited with helping revive the genre. Def Leppard also emerged from the British scene at the time, although they were more melodic than the other NWOBM bands.

The copyright of the article A Brief History of Heavy Metal in Heavy Metal is owned by . Permission to republish A Brief History of Heavy Metal in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.