Metal is one of my favorite music genres. I have listened to it since I was really young, and have listened to different generations of it. So to put ten and rank them would definitely be a challenge for me, but I decided to do it anyway. I could go on and on about my favorites of the genre, and I wish I could include more of a variety on this list, because there are so many great bands I’m kicking myself for not putting in here. But regardless, here are my top ten metal bands, that I’d recommend.

10 Metallica:

I felt like I had to include this band, because when you ask people what heavy metal bands they can think of, there is a good chance that they’ll say Metallica. Metallica was formed in 1981. Their first album was “Kill Em All” in 1983, with energetic heavy music from start to finish. They would go on to release eleven more albums throughout the rest of the ’80s, the ’90s, and 2000s. They continue touring today. My favorite songs from this band are probably “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” “Blackened,” and “Until it Sleeps.”

9 Ozzy Osbourne:

Ozzy is the definition of heavy metal! He got his start as the vocalist in Black Sabbath during the 1970s, but after leaving the band in 1979, he decided to continue down the music route and work on his solo career. From there he only grew in popularity and truly became what he is today. Ozzy is a crazy man, which makes him perfect for the heavy metal genre. One time Ozzy bit the head off of a real bat on stage. Ozzy is praised to this day due to all of his enjoyable performances and music. If I had to pick some favorite songs from Ozzy, I’d have to say “The Ultimate Sin,” “Breakin’ All The Rules,” and “I Don’t Know.”

8 Pantera:

In each decade, I think you’ll see that heavy metal music changes. But ’90s heavy metal really had an impact on the genre, and made it even heavier! Pantera is definitely responsible for that. Though the band originated in 1981 (Arlington, TX), it truly became iconic in the ’90s, bringing a heavier sound to the genre. In the ’80s they were trying to be a “hair metal” band, but in the ’90s…. not only did the lead singer Phil Anselmo get rid of his hair, but the band’s sound also changed, and I think that is what truly made the band sound like it should. The band broke up in the early 2000s, but even with their band not lasting as long as it could have, they still had an impact on the music world, with hits like “Revolution is my Name” and “Cowboys from Hell.”

7 White Zombie:

Another ’90s band that was excellent, would have to be White Zombie. Originally, the band struggled with popularity when they started off, but thanks to ’90s icons Beavis and Butthead they quickly became popular. Beavis and Butthead are animated characters who got their start on MTV, eventually getting their own TV show and film (“Beavis and Butthead Do America”). In between parts of their episodes on TV, they would show a clip of music videos, and they would either complain and joke about how bad the music was or they would compliment it in a humorous way. And that is exactly what they did with White Zombie. The show featured White Zombie’s “Thunder Kiss ’65” music video, and their “Black Sunshine” music video. That along with a few other references in the show really helped the band kick off. Not only that, but to repay the favor, White Zombie did some animation and music for a scene in “Beavis and Butthead Do America.” The band was really popular, but unfortunately the band broke up in 1998. Since then, the lead singer (Rob Zombie) has continued music in his solo career. He has good music, but I personally feel like the music from White Zombie was just as good (if not better). Maybe it’s because there was more band mate collaboration which brought new ideas to the music or something, but it’s just different.

6 WASP:

This is an underrated band in my opinion, and they have a really good and unique sound. They originated in Los Angeles, CA, in 1982. They had some great music, and I think they should be included on this list. Some of my favorite songs from this band are “Wild Child,” “I Wanna Be Somebody,” and “Blind in Texas” is pretty good too. But they have a lot of other good music, so check them out if you want to.

5. Van Halen:

You know… people don’t always consider Van Halen “metal” necessarily, but if that’s the case then why do I always hear them on metal radio stations? Van Halen is definitely worthy to be on here. And I don’t care if you’re a fan of  the David Lee Roth era, or the Hagar era, because both had some pretty heavy songs. For Lee Roth… “Unchained,” “Mean Street,” “And The Cradle Will Rock…,” “Atomic Punk,” “Top Jimmy,” “Panama.” And for Hagar… “Humans Being”… That’s the only heavy Hagar song that springs to mind… but there are more. I’ve heard them, I just can’t remember the names and stuff, because I listen to David Lee Roth’s Van Halen more. But my point is, that they are heavy metal in my opinion. Hagar might be a little more hard rock, but Lee Roth’s Van Halen probably fits in the glam/hair metal category.

4 Iron Maiden:

This band is amazing! I don’t know how to really explain it, because it’s not just music you listen to, but it’s also a story. Which I know is kind of the purpose of lyrics, but I mean like the music kind of gets historic in a way… Like, the lyrics tell the story of a person living in a certain period of time. Great examples of this would be in songs like “The Trooper,” “Run to the Hills,”  “The Prisoner,” and “Flight of Icarus.” It is such a unique type of music. It’s something you can listen to and just enjoy the sound, and it’s also something that takes you somewhere if you listen to the lyrics. Iron Maiden is an experience to listen to! My favorite Maiden songs are, “The Prisoner,” “Can I Play With Madness,” and “The Wicker Man.” But I haven’t heard a bad song in all of the ones I’ve heard. Definitely a favorite band of mine.

3 Slayer:

I could not make a top ten metal band article without including Slayer! Slayer IS heavy metal. It had an influence on modern heavy metal / thrash metal too. The band was formed in 1981 in Huntington Park, CA. I think the band’s sound was way ahead of its time. If you compare it to some newer stuff (like Slipknot) and compare it to Slayer, you might think that they came out in the same era. They have so many great songs like “Skeletons of Society,” “Angel of Death,” and “Raining Blood.” In conclusion… really good band, and really heavy metal.

2 Slaughter:

This band is probably one of my favorite bands ever. They formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1988, founded and named after the lead singer/guitarist Mark Slaughter. Slaughter has impressive vocals which really make the music stand out. Their debut album did so impressively well, which made three songs on the Billboard Hot 100. My favorite songs of this band are “Desperately,” “Up All Night,” and “Fly to the Angels.”

1 Ratt

This band is in the number one spot because… I don’t know… it’s my favorite, that’s why. Ratt was like a leader to hair/glam metal. I think that even though Ratt doesn’t make the heaviest music in the world, that they deserve to be in the number one spot because of their energy and sound. I love listening to them the most, because none of the music gets old. Songs like “Round and Round” (which was my first Ratt song I heard) never get old no matter how much I listen to them. Ratt is simply the greatest in my opinion. My favorite Ratt songs are “Wanted Man,” “In Your Direction,” and “Dance.”

That wraps up my list. Some honorable mentions would be Korn, Slipknot, and Judas Priest. I should have put more recent bands on here, but when I considered the list I guess I kind of thought mainly about the older heavy metal bands, which I suppose is fair since those bands made the genre what it is.