Recommended hard rock and heavy metal

Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs etched in the history of music

Live Spot LugHiroyasu Hirata
I’m Hiroyasu Hirata from Live Spot RAG. When I was 15, I was blown away by how cool music—especially rock—was, and I started playing guitar and formed a band. I’m from Kochi Prefecture, where there weren’t many live houses or concert venues, so there were few opportunities to experience live music. Back then, our sources of information were magazines, CDs, and even VHS tapes (!?). Still, I was captivated by the sparkle of music, and I spent my days enjoying guitar and music, mostly neglecting my studies. I moved to Kyoto for university and “graduated” from the light music club, so to speak (laugh). Until then, I mainly listened to Japanese rock and Western hard rock, but thanks to seniors and peers I learned there was so much more music in the world. Now I listen to anything that strikes me as good, regardless of genre. After graduating, I joined RAG. After about six years in the office and about ten years in the music studio, I now work at the long-established Live Spot RAG, which has been around for 39 years, mainly handling promotions. Being exposed to the “real music” performed by Japan’s top musicians and delivering it to our audience lets me feel the brilliance of music anew every day. I still play guitar and keep a band going casually, and in recent years I’ve even started singing—better late than never. I’ve fully become an old guy by now, but I hope we can continue to chase “what lies beyond the dreams I painted with music back then” together.

Hard rock, rooted in blues rock, transformed its sound to become heavier and more dramatic.

The achievements of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Queen, and Aerosmith are nothing short of legendary.

For those who listened in real time, it remains a beloved formative musical experience; for younger generations, it offers chances to discover music they didn’t know and to make new findings.

In this article, we’ve picked out great hard rock bands and classic tracks that will surely be talked about for generations to come.

Even within the hard rock genre, there are songs that head in many different directions, so please enjoy!

Legendary hard rock masterpieces and fan favorites etched in music history (21–30)

Purple HazeThe Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze (Music Video)

Purple HazeThe Jimi Hendrix Experience

A song inspired by a dream Hendrix had of walking on the ocean floor shrouded in purple mist.

It was written the day after Christmas in 1966.

Part of the lyrics were drawn from a collection of poems he occasionally jotted down.

One of the guitar tracks uses a device called the Octavia.

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Welcome To The JungleGuns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses – Welcome To The Jungle

Welcome To The JungleGuns N' Roses

A quintessential hard rock classic from the ’80s that everyone’s heard at least once! Released in 1987 on Guns N’ Roses’ powerhouse debut album Appetite for Destruction, this track is practically synonymous with the band.

Axl Rose’s astonishing high-range shouts, an unforgettable, earworm chorus, a guitar intro that makes clever use of delay, and a solo tinged with Slash’s signature bluesy flavor… It’s not just a hard rock song—there’s no doubt it’s a piece that will go down in rock history.

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Foxy LadyJimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Foxey Lady (Miami Pop 1968)

Foxy LadyJimi Hendrix

He is a legendary rock guitarist whom many later-famous hard rock guitarists often cite as an influence.

With his Marshall cranked to full distortion and his freewheeling command of the instrument, he not only laid the foundations of hard rock but also had such a distinctive style that he was nearly impossible to emulate.

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Enter SandmanMetallica

Metallica: Enter Sandman (Official Music Video)

Enter SandmanMetallica

A song about a nightmare written by James Hetfield together with Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett.

It is also known for being used at baseball games and as the entrance theme for the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) wrestler, The Sandman.

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gimme all your loveMasquerade

Masquerade – Gimme all your Love

gimme all your loveMasquerade

They’re a band from Sweden.

Their sparkling, Scandinavian hard rock recalls TNT, and the vocalist’s clear high tones are incredibly satisfying.

This track opens their debut album and really feels like a calling card.

The catchy chorus makes you want to sing along at their shows.

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Run To The HillsIron Maiden

Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills (Official Video)

Run To The HillsIron Maiden

A song released as a single in 1982.

The cover art, depicting a Native American wielding a hatchet fighting a demon from hell, sparked some controversy.

The song was re-released in 2002 and was used to promote a tour held to support former drummer Clive Burr, who was suffering from multiple sclerosis.

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Helter SkelterThe Beatles

06 Helter Skelter

Helter SkelterThe Beatles

This is a Beatles song included on the ambitious double album The Beatles, released in 1968 and commonly known as the White Album.

Often cited as a prototype of hard rock, it was written by Paul McCartney, who has said he had The Who in mind when composing it.

Its dynamic, heavy guitar sound greatly influenced later bands and has been especially popular among heavy metal groups, who frequently cover it.

Among the Beatles’ catalog, it stands out as an exceptionally intense rock track and can be considered a groundbreaking classic.

It’s unfortunate—for the band as well—that the Charles Manson incident saddled it with a negative image.

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