Artist Index > Rock & Pop > Heavy Rock & Metal > Bestseller Artists

Van Halen　

With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what the electric guitar could do, ..more

Rainbow　

The brainchild of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Rainbow quickly developed into one of the ’70s most successful heavy metal bands behind charismatic front man Ronnie James ..more

Black Sabbath　

Black Sabbath has been so influential in the development of heavy metal rock music as to be a defining force in the style. The group took the blues-rock sound of late-’60s acts like Cream, Blu ..more

IRON MAIDEN　

Known for such powerful hits as Two Minutes to Midnight and The Trooper, Iron Maiden were and are one of the most influential bands of the heavy metal genre. The often-imitated band ha ..more

Whitesnake　

After recording two solo albums, former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale formed Whitesnake around 1977. In the glut of hard rock and heavy metal bands of the late ’70s, their first albums ..more

Helloween　

Alongside Switzerland’s Celtic Frost and Sweden’s Bathory, Germany’s Helloween were possibly the most influential heavy metal band to come out of Europe during the 1980s. By taking the har ..more

U.F.O.　

Vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, and drummer Andy Parker formed the British space metal outfit UFO in 1969. Originally known as Hocus Pocus, the group, ..more

Metallica was easily the best, most influential heavy metal band of the ’80s. Responsible for bringing the genre back to Earth, the bandmates looked and talked like they were from the street, sh ..more

AC / DC　

AC/DC’s mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the ’70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of ..more

Megadeth　

After he left Metallica in 1983, guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine formed the thrash metal quartet Megadeth. Though Megadeth followed the basic blueprint of Metallica’s relentless att ..more

Dio　

For a brief spell during the mid-’80s, the heavy metal quintet Dio were one of the top U.S. concert attractions, boasting one of the most over the top stage acts of its time loaded with props an ..more

Stone Sour　

Although Slipknot made their mainstream debut in the late ’90s, singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root got their start a few years prior in Stone Sour. Described as a cross between M ..more

Judas Priest　

Judas Priest was one of the most influential heavy metal bands of the ’70s, spearheading the New Wave of British Heavy Metal late in the decade. Decked out in leather and chains, the band fus ..more

Bullet For My Valentine　

Since their inception in 2003, the Welsh quartet Bullet for My Valentine have been taking cues from ’80s metal bands and the punk-infused metal of the new millennium to make melodic, metal ..more

Gary Moore　

One of rock’s most underrated guitarists (both from a technical and compositional point of view), Gary Moore remains relatively unknown in the U.S., while his solo work has brought him substanti ..more

Buckcherry　

The Los Angeles-based hard rock act Buckcherry formed in mid-1995, after singer Joshua Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson were introduced through their tattoo artist. After cutting several de ..more

Stratovarius　

Although Helsinki, Finland heavy metal band Stratovarius were formed in 1982 by drummer Tuomo Lassila, the group did not record its debut album, Fright Night, until 1989. Released in 1992, {^ ..more

Amaranthe　

Sweden’s Amaranthe is a metalcore band known for its mix of melodic pop and death metal. Formed in 2008, Amaranthe features several vocalists, with Eliza Reed and Jake E handling most of t ..more

Anthrax　

Nearly as much as Metallica or Megadeth, Anthrax were responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal. Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitar ..more

Yngwie Malmsteen　

Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the ’80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love fo ..more

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