Top 10 Most Influential Metal Bands

They created and popularized heavy metal. It is idiotic not to have Black Sabbath at number one. Not only were they the first true metal band, but they were also the direct inspiration for quite a few major subgenres. Doom metal, sludge metal, stoner metal, and gothic metal are all inspired by the mighty Sabbath!

Sabbath started metal. They created metal. If it weren't for them, Metallica, Lamb of God, Megadeth, Slipknot, and Iron Maiden wouldn't exist. And what the heck is up with Slipknot, Lamb of God, and System of a Down being on this list? They are good, yeah, but they didn't influence.

They are one of the best metal bands in all of metal history, maybe the most influential band alongside Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Lamb of God and Slipknot should not be here because they are not influential bands. They are from these times. In my opinion, an influential band is one that has influenced many bands in metal, like Iron Maiden!

Sabbath was undeniably the first metal band in existence, but Iron Maiden was really the first band to play actual heavy metal. What I mean by that is they were the first to play metal like how it's known today.

Let's be real, Black Sabbath was really the first metal band, but Metallica is definitely the most well-known metal band and by far the most famous and popular, with Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Iron Maiden being close behind. If you asked someone what the first band they think of when they think of metal, they will most likely say Metallica.

They actually should be number one since most of the world today wouldn't even know every band on this list (even Black Sabbath or any other metal band, for that matter) if it wasn't for Metallica.

Leaders of the NWoBHM, without them, metal would have died away. Rob Halford set the stage for what being a metal frontman is. Also, I believe that having two lead guitars was their idea.

Should really be above Maiden. Black Sabbath at 1 makes sense.

One of the earliest metal bands.

Yeah, everybody knows about the invention of death metal, but don't undermine their influence on metal as a whole. Albums like Human and Symbolic explored the limits of metal.

When they heard the Possessed demo, Chuck said, We should be like these guys. But they later influenced Possessed with Scream Bloody Gore.

These guys were the reason for the existence of Cannibal Corpse, Children Of Bodom, and many others.

Essentially created the genres of Thrash and Black Metal and were a significant inspiration for Death Metal. On a side note, why is Slipknot number 4?

First band to go extreme, and whether you like them or not, you have to admit that was a huge turning point for the genre.

Thrash Metal and Black Metal. All extreme metal bands were influenced by this band, from Death to Darkthrone.

Not a fan, but their influence on early death metal bands is as significant as Possessed, believe it or not!

P.S. What in the world is Slipknot doing on the list? They were probably the first metal band to set an example of how to be utterly terrible by churning out sonic garbage after garbage.

Major influence over extreme metal subgenres and also cited as an influence by many modern metal bands. Definitely top 10 material.

If this list was 'top metal bands' instead of 'influential metal bands,' I would put Pantera at number one simply because their music seems as heavy now as it did when it was released. As legendary as they were, I just don't think the same can be said for bands like Sabbath and Maiden. If it wasn't for Pantera, we wouldn't be able to enjoy many of the top metal bands around now, due to Pantera being the frontmen in the charge against the post-metal grunge era (Nirvana), when metal was no longer considered cool.

In addition to the band's influence on speed and thrash metal, speed metal took its name from the Deep Purple song Speed King. Ritchie Blackmore can be considered the first shredder who influenced many metal guitarists, and he brought the neoclassical style to rock. Ian Gillan became the model for many top metal vocalists such as Dickinson, Halford, or Adams. Paice was the one who introduced the double bass drum in hard rock.

Many bands of the '60s-'70s played heavy blues rock or hard rock, believing it was heavy metal. Many metal fans still make this mistake. Deep Purple played hard rock but also metal as we know it now: non-bluesy rock music, mostly based on classical music. For example, "Highway Star" is a metal definition: an entirely non-bluesy song based on Bach-like chord sequences. It's not their first metal song, but it's the best.

Later, this non-bluesy sound became the most important feature of metal music. Rainbow, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden made it more evident. Metal, in general, became a genre based on classical music. Behind the riffs of "Holy Wars" and "Master of Puppets," you can hear classical music. R. Blackmore is a pure genius. "Highway Star" is widely considered as early speed metal. It also has a memorable riff, a breathtaking technical solo, and Gillan's great vocals.

I voted for them because they happened to be exactly tenth on my list.

Dave Mustaine revolutionized metal riffs and heavily inspired the change in Pantera's sound, which led to the rebirth of the most influential metal band of all time.

I get sore necks and headaches headbanging to Megadeth all day!

What, the most influential Black Metal band is not in the top ten? This band was responsible for the Norwegian Black Metal scene.

Whether or not you think Zep is metal, it's certainly the biggest influence to have existed on the genre. Nobody played hard rock/"classic metal" until Zep came around. Black Sabbath should be in second. They basically did Zep but a bit heavier with more distorted guitar. But that "metal" sound came from Zep.

Why is Slipknot on here? They're not even really metal! Every band on the whole list is five stars (except Slipknot), so it was really hard to choose. Zeppelin is the early metal band definition.

They are influential not only in metal but in other genres as well.

Without Rainbow and Deep Purple, nobody would ever understand the process of metal invention and its evolution. In the late '70s, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden continued in the direction of Rainbow and Deep Purple with a non-bluesy heavy sound, mostly based on classical music. Judas Priest and Iron Maiden didn't sound like the bluesy Led Zeppelin and the bluesy Black Sabbath.

Moreover, in 1977, Roger Glover (Rainbow bassist and ex-Purple bassist) became a producer for Judas Priest to help them. Not many believed in Judas Priest back then, and they had no support, money, gigs, etc. So let's talk about influence. Rainbow perfected the general pattern of metal music and also the speed metal sound started by Deep Purple. Rainbow also invented at least three metal subgenres: power, symphonic, and neo-classical metal. I'd say this is quite influential.

One of the most influential bands in modern metal. Even outside Djent, you can hear their influence, from hardcore to jazz (Tigran Hamasyan).

The godfathers of Djent. Bleed is one of the most iconic metal songs of all time!

They are more influential than the rest of these bands here. Even Townsend says that everyone imitates Meshuggah in the end.

In terms of being influential, KoRn may not have created metal, but they created a major subgenre that dominated the mainstream unlike almost any other subgenre.

They created nu-metal. Whether you like it or not, it was the biggest subgenre in the late '90s and early '00s. They deserve top 10.

There's no nu-metal without Korn. They invented it.

It gives me Redneck when I see this in the top 11. Holy cow, this is better than the others.

I'm surprised that they are this low.

They're the greatest progressive metal band. Their musicianship is the best, especially if you listen to them playing live.