A look into the most influential songs in heavy metal: from those which inspired the genre to head-banging anthems. We listen to music throughout the past 90 years and discuss how they shaped this colossal genre, and the historical context in which they were born.
After being thrown out of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne thought his music career was done and a life as an abattoir worker awaited him in Aston. The Blizzard of Ozz LP turned out to be his saving grace, not only giving his career the boost he needed, but saving his life at the same time. Discover how Ozzy became the most recognisable man in metal.
29 Jan 2024
Ep.16 Ace of Spades by Motorhead w/Special Guest Teri
Motorhead is yet another band who needs no introduction. Their influence is felt far and wide and by uniting the punks and the metalheads they changed the paramters of what metal could be. The pinnacle of their sound, the Ace of Spades, tells their story; from Lemmy's beginnings as a roadie to topping the UK charts.
12 Nov 2023
Ep.15 Victim of Changes by Judas Priest
If Black Sabbath built the home of heavy metal, Judas Priest decorated it. After their first album flopped commercially, and their label holding their purse strings tight, Judas Priest needed something outstanding if they were to survive as a band. 1976's Sad Wings of Destiny not only gave the band the success they deserved, but developed the metal genre further. Title track Victim of Changes is still one the most important and enjoyed Judas Priest tracks.
9 Aug 2023
Ep.14 School's Out by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper brought a third dimension to live shows, transforming the bare stages of the early 70s into works of art in their own rights, whilst at the same time kicking up controversy. School's Out became the anthem for school children across the Western world, and Alice Cooper left a lasting mark on heavy metal.
2 May 2023
Ep.13 Smoke on the Water By Deep Purple
It's 1972, heavy metal is this awkward new genre the fans love but bands hate. Nonetheless, rock groups are pushing boundaries to make darker and heavier music, and Deep Purple too have stamped on their distortion pedals.
Smoke on the water brought groove and power to heavy rock, and influenced a slew of hard rock and metal bands over the next 50 years.
1 Apr 2023
12.5 Bonus Episode! Children of the Grave by Black Sabbath
Bonus Episode! At a time when the threat of nuclear war seemed excruciatingly real, Black Sabbath once again produced a seminal anti-war song to capture the feeling of a generation. Children of the Grave has proven to be a timeless song and one of the many reasons Black Sabbath are still an influential force in music.
28 Mar 2023
Ep.12 Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath
I did say I'd do Children of the Grave but in my research I found I had a lot more to discuss about Sweet Leaf.
Black Sabbath are going from strength to strength and their third album Master of Reality builds on the artistic and commercial success of Paranoid. Delving into more experimental territory, one song Sweet Leaf spawned a genre and its influence was felt for decades.
Not just a stoner anthem, but an uplifting song showing how great cannabis is, and why it should be legalised.
31 Jan 2023
Ep.11 The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin
Hailed as one of the biggest bands in rock and pop, Zeppelin's influence spread far and wide into the very fabric of metal itself. They proved to be highly controversial and not always for the right reasons.
13 Jan 2023
Ep.10 Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
The swinging sixties died taking the blues revival bands with it. The world needs something else to see it through this dark time. Black Sabbath's debut album introduced the world to heavy metal, a new dark, scary and heavy type of music. It would be too much for some to handle, leaving the room when it was played or protesting the band, but many enjoyed this new sound.
4 Dec 2022
Ep.9 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson
By taking influences from a wide range of genres, King Crimson invented their own kind of music which was so hard to place at the time. They weren't ordinary rockers, they were far from jazz, and by no means were they classical. Their dark and challenging outlook invented progressive rock. Protesting the Vietnam war, 21st Century Schizoid Man threw the music world a curveball it didn't know how to catch, but became an important element in heavy metal.
31 Oct 2022
Ep.8 Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix
It's not possible to overstate the genius of Hendrix. In a career spanning a mere four years, he changed not only elitist musician culture, but the very way in which we play guitar. He embraced the hippy movement along with the Black Panthers, and brought love to the world at a time when the flower power movement was at its peak.
13 Sept 2022
Ep.7 Helter Skelter by The Beatles
What does Charles Manson and Roland Barthes have in common? Helter Skelter was the first heavy metal song to be released. Whilst it may not have been the most popular Beatles song in its time, it did become a blueprint for the bands that followed showing them how to dig the sonic depths of distortion and noise. It's also been used as a blueprint for creating an apocalyptic race war and justifying murder by a white supremacist.
7 Sept 2022
Ep.6 Light My Fire/The End by The Doors
The Doors get a lot of love, but I still feel they're underrated. They smashed open topics other bands skirted around which would be vital in the creation of heavy metal. A study in hedonism and existentialism, the Doors are metal without the distortion. This episode contains themes about sex and death.
19 Aug 2022
Ep.5 Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones
The '60s is a time full of change both culturally and musically, and one song represents this change to both worlds more than any other of this time. Satisfaction not only highlights the difference between the conservative ruling classes and the emerging free younger generation, but the evolution of rock music.
2 Aug 2022
Ep.4 All Day and All of the Night by the Kinks
The swinging 60s are kicking off and blues is popular again thanks to some pioneering English musicians. Rock music is born and feeds into a rapidly shifting society embracing free love and change. Meanwhile, the Kinks are cranking up their amps to destructive levels.
26 Jul 2022
Ep.3 Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley
Elvis, perhaps the most famous musician ever. He not only changed the face of music forever but our very society too. Blue Suede Shoes came out at a time where he went from local hero to international superstar.
19 Jul 2022
Ep.2 Rock Around the Clock by Bill Hailey & his Comets
Transistors, films, & rock n roll. Rock Around the Clock is a seemingly innocuous, yet perhaps one of the most consequential tracks in history and almost spent its life as a forgotten B side.
14 Jul 2022
Ep.1 Crossroad Blues by Robert Johnson
This episode looks into the life of Robert Johnson, the King of the Blues. Learn about why this song is so important, the harsh life he lived and the legacy he left.
14 Jul 2022
Ep.0 Introduction
An introduction to the series explaining what it's about, how I'm making it and what to expect.
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