The Community Knows Better: The ACTUAL Most Important 50 Metal Bands of All Time

[Jack the Stripper]

I’ve made a list of 57(originally it was 75 but I’ve managed to whittle it down) of what I think are/were the most important bands and artist to metal & most sub-genres. This isn’t a list of my greatest or favourites otherwise it would look quite different but a list of importance and influence. If there is a band you think should be there let me know but I most likely did originally have them in but had to cull them to shorten the list.

Now I have to somehow get it down to 50 

Black Sabbath                                                         
Led Zeppelin                                                                                         
Deep Purple                                                           
Judas Priest                                                           
Kiss
Alice Cooper
Scorpions
Rainbow
AC/DC
Motörhead
Van Halen
Iron Maiden
Saxon
Venom
Diamond Head
Mercyful Fate
Accept
Ozzy
Dio
Motley Crüe
Ratt
Queensrÿche
Fates Warning
Metallica
Slayer
Anthrax
Megadeth
Kreator
Sodom
Trouble
Candlemass
Saint Vitus
Manowar
Savatge
Helloween
Nightwish
Yngwie Malmsteen
Celtic Frost
Bathory
Mayhem
Darkthrone
Possessed
Death
Obituary
Morbid Angel
Napalm Death
Carcass
Corrosion of Conformity
D.R.I
Suicidal Tendencies
Pantera
Sepultura
Faith No More
Alice In Chains
Korn
Paradise Lost
Ministry

[Zzzptm]

Good call on DRI and Suicidal Tendencies.

I'd add Aria from Russia and then 2 more and make it a top 60 list.

But I didn't see any others missing, nor did I see any "WTF???" surprises.

[Charger]

That's probably a very definitive listing right there Jack.

I can atleast agree with most of them...some bands that I don't know enough about though...

[JSTHECONQUEROR]

Wow Jack had FNM on there! You could get rid of KORN and just have FNM because KORN was very influenced by FNM.

[Jack the Stripper]

Wow Jack had FNM on there! You could get rid of KORN and just have FNM because KORN was very influenced by FNM.

Well I could get rid of quite a few if I ventured down the track of certain bands influencing others that went on to start a sub-genre or movement. Korn are pretty much attributed to kickstarting Nu-Metal in the 90’s. FNM are harder to categorise, they practically sit alone with all the different styles they incorporated into their music.

[Zzzptm]

Speaking of FNM, would Jane's Addiction count?

[Jack the Stripper]

Speaking of FNM, would Jane's Addiction count?

Yep you could but they’re just not metal or heavy enough and another band that’s hard to categorise.

[Zzzptm]

Bon Jovi.

I hates 'em, but they're important because they took metal in a very strange direction... straight into preteen girl land. Took a lot of other bands with them and kinda ruined the late 80s for a lot of headbangers that thought maybe the whole world was turning metal in a *good* way.

[Jack the Stripper]

^Not metal enough and I think Motley Crüe and Ratt has got that aspect of metal covered.

[JSTHECONQUEROR]

Yeah FNM are generally a genre hopping band. Definitely one of my favorites. I think they are the forefathers of Nu-Metal kind of like how Black Sabbath was the forefather of doom and metal in general! Mr. Bungle are also a very influential band and bands like KORN took influence from them as well. In the real early days of Mr. Bungle, they even played thrash metal. Songs were good enough to get Scott Ian from Anthrax and Dave Lombardo of Slayer to play on them for a series of concerts earlier this year.

[Jack the Stripper]

Yeah FNM are generally a genre hopping band. Definitely one of my favorites. I think they are the forefathers of Nu-Metal kind of like how Black Sabbath was the forefather of doom and metal in general! Mr. Bungle are also a very influential band and bands like KORN took influence from them as well. In the real early days of Mr. Bungle, they even played thrash metal. Songs were good enough to get Scott Ian from Anthrax and Dave Lombardo of Slayer to play on them for a series of concerts earlier this year.

Yep that’s definitely right. You can trace a lot lot sub-genres of metal back to the early works of Black Sabbath more than any other band from that period.

[Zzzptm]

^Not metal enough and I think Motley Crüe and Ratt has got that aspect of metal covered.

Yeah, but did they ever have concerts where 95% of the audience were all in elementary or middle school and the mom that got stuck with driving them all in?

[Jack the Stripper]

^Not metal enough and I think Motley Crüe and Ratt has got that aspect of metal covered.

Yeah, but did they ever have concerts where 95% of the audience were all in elementary or middle school and the mom that got stuck with driving them all in?

Yes which makes them even less metal

[Zzzptm]

^Not metal enough and I think Motley Crüe and Ratt has got that aspect of metal covered.

Yeah, but did they ever have concerts where 95% of the audience were all in elementary or middle school and the mom that got stuck with driving them all in?

Yes which makes them even less metal

Well... less metal for *adults*. I'd say they serve as a cautionary tale for bands one and all... be careful, or you may wind up making millions of dollars because you become a teen sensation!

[Charger]

Bon Jovi is not metal...not by any standard. They are a rock band.