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

Wild Horses　

Wild Horses were considered a minor super-group of the late ’70s, whose leaders, as it turned out, were anything but super. In fact, though the cast of characters involved in their history reads li ..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

White Lion　

Of all the glam/pop-metal bands that crawled out of hair salons coast to coast during the mid- to late ’80s, one of the more talented acts was New York’s White Lion, led by singer Mike Tram ..more

Warrant　

With a pair of double-platinum albums and three Top Ten singles, Warrant were one of the most popular pop-metal bands of the late ’80s. Formed in Los Angeles in 1984, the group weathered several li ..more

Voivod　

Voivod (singer Denis Snake Belanger, guitarist Denis Piggy d’Amour, drummer Michel Away Langevin, and bassist Jean-Yves Blacky Theriault) were one of the first thrash bands f ..more

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

Uriah Heep　

Taking their name from the scheming, parasitic lawyer in Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel David Copperfield, Uriah Heep is a progressive rock institution who, alongside bands like Deep Purpl ..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

Tyketto　

Hard rock outfit Tyketto was formed by previous D.O.A. frontman Danny Vaughn in 1989 following the dissolution of his previous band, Waysted. Guitarist Brooke St. James, bassist Jimi ..more

Triumph　

Late-’70s/early-’80s prog metallists Triumph endured countless comparisons to Rush throughout their career, and with good reason; they were both quite similar musically and lyrically, comprised ..more

Treat　

Thunder　

Vocalist Danny Bowes and lead guitarist Luke Morley first played together when they were 15-year-old classmates in London. The two later formed the band Terraplane, and released two albums bu ..more

Therion　

Formed during the late ’80s, Swedish death metal band Therion are led by vocalist, guitarist, and composer Christofer Johnsson. Originally rounded out by lead guitarist Peter Hansson, bassist ..more

Testament　

Testament were the biggest thrash metal band never to reach the platinum plateau. In fact, the San Francisco quintet seemed on the verge of challenging Metallica (their most obvious influence) i ..more

Tailgunner (Metal)　

Stryper　

Heavy metal has been associated with ol’ Beelzebub ever since its inception, but a few acts took the opposite route and put their Christian beliefs in hard-rocking songs, such as Stryper. Formed in ..more

SODOM　

This German black metal band’s early lineup consisted of Tom Angelripper (bass/vocals), Aggressor (guitar/vocals), and Chris Witchhunter Dudek (drums). They were heavily influenced by thras ..more

Slayer　

Slayer were one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics dealt with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of ..more

Scorpions　

Known best for their 1984 anthem Rock You Like a Hurricane and the 1990 ballad Wind of Change, German rockers Scorpions have sold over 22 million records, making them one of the most successful ..more