Black Sabbath　

An English hard rock institution whose influence on heavy metal cannot be overstated, Black Sabbath not only pioneered the genre, they helped launch the career of one of its most colorful and contr ..more

Dream Theater　

The technically proficient guitar playing of John Petrucci elevated Dream Theater to the upper echelons of contemporary heavy metal. While its lineup has continuously evolved, the Long Island-ba ..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

Ozzy Osbourne　

Though many bands have succeeded in earning the hatred of parents and media worldwide throughout the past few decades, arguably only such acts as Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Marilyn Manson ..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 attack ..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 hard-r ..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

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

Michael Schenker Group　

IRON MAIDEN　

Known for such powerful hits as Two Minutes to Midnight and The Trooper, Iron Maiden are one of heavy metal’s most influential bands. They’re also one of metal’s most enduring and distinctive a ..more

Def Leppard　

UK heavy metal top band Def Leppard dates back to Atmoic Mass, formed in 1977 by Rick Savage (bassist) and Pete Wills (guitarist). Let’s take a review at their long and winding career. ..more

Metallica　

American quartet Metallica were one of the most influential heavy metal bands of the ’80s and ’90s, inspiring generations of rockers with their early thrash and later hard rock sounds before settli ..more

Motley Crue　

Motley Crue were undeniably one of the most popular hard rock/pop-metal acts of the 1980s. Combining the theatrics and glam of Kiss with the hard power pop hooks of Cheap Trick, the Crue o ..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

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

Sammy Hagar　

After spending several years as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the mid-’70s hard rock band Montrose, Sammy Hagar began a solo career that produced several hits and made him an {\a ..more

AC / DC　

AC/DC’s mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the ’70s, and is now one of the defining sounds of rock and metal. In its own way, it was a reaction against ..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

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

Night Ranger　

Night Ranger is best known for Sister Christian, a 1984 single that reached the Top 10 in the U.S. and Canada that later turned into a power ballad perennial. Prior to Sister Christian, Night ..more