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 popular songs etched in the history of music (41–50)

stars and the moonFair Warning

FAIR WARNING – Stars and the Moon

stars and the moonFair Warning

It’s a band originally formed by members of Germany’s ZENO.

Their first album was very well received, and this is the first track on the follow-up album.

That said, it’s hard to deny that it’s overshadowed by the album’s strongest killer tune, “Burning Heart.” Even so, despite its mid-tempo pace, I think it’s a great song that really captures their signature style.

Raise the rankinglower

Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs etched in the history of music (51–60)

Iron ManBlack Sabbath

Black Sabbath – Iron Man (1970)

Iron ManBlack Sabbath

A song about a man who travels back in time to witness the end of the world.

It was Black Sabbath’s second single released in the United States, but it was not released as a single in the UK.

A new version appears on the 2000 album Black Sabbath Reunion.

That year, they won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

Raise the rankinglower

My GenerationThe Who

The Who – My Generation

My GenerationThe Who

A song written by Pete Townshend for the rebellious British youths known at the time as the ‘Mods.

‘ He himself commented that it was ‘the only song I’ve ever written that contains a social message.

‘ It is also known that the BBC initially refused to play the song to avoid offending various groups, until it became a major hit.

Raise the rankinglower

Wanted ManRatt

RATT – Wanted Man (Official Music Video)

Wanted ManRatt

Although it was a transitional period between heavy metal and hard rock that still retained a hint of Black Sabbath-like darkness, in Los Angeles—where breezy sounds like AOR and fusion dominated—it evolved into music that coexisted with pop.

Ratt is a representative band of LA metal.

Raise the rankinglower

Born To Be WildSteppenwolf

Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild

Born To Be WildSteppenwolf

A song that became very well-known for being used in the 1969 film Easy Rider, starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda.

It was the second single from the debut album.

Another Steppenwolf song, The Pusher, was also used in the film.

Raise the rankinglower

(I Can’t Get No) SatisfactionThe Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Official Lyric Video)

(I Can't Get No) SatisfactionThe Rolling Stones

The song was released in the United States on June 6, 1965, just one month after Keith Richards came up with the guitar riff.

It spent four weeks at No.

1 on the U.

S.

charts.

The track was used in the 1984 film Starman, starring Jeff Bridges.

Raise the rankinglower

Mississippi QueenMountain

Mississippi Queen

Mississippi QueenMountain

Mountain, an American hard rock band, possesses strong songwriting and performance abilities shaped by a wide range of musical influences, including American country music.

While this song is their most famous as a hard rock band, listening to their other tracks reveals a surprising breadth of variety.

Raise the rankinglower