Origin: Los Angeles, CA

Decades: 1980's, 1990's, and 2000's

Metallica was easily the best, most influential heavy metal band of the '80s, responsible for bringing the music back to Earth. Instead of playing the usual rock star games of metal stars of the early '80s, the band looked and talked like they were from the street. Metallica expanded the limits of thrash, using speed and volume not for their own sake, but to enhance their intricately structured compositions. The release of 1983's Kill 'Em All marked the beginning of the legitimization of heavy metal's under... Read More

Accept, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Misfits, Venom, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Ted Nugent, UFO, Deep Purple and Fear

Alice in Chains, Faith No More, Primus, Soundgarden, System of a Down, Kyuss, P.O.D., Mr. Bungle, Queens of the Stone Age, Deftones, Helmet, White Zombie, Lostprophets, Slayer, Pantera, Trapt, Creed, Intruder, Godsmack and Biohazard