Recommended hard rock and heavy metal

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

Live Spot LugHirata Hiroyasu
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 (71–80)

can’t believeLionsheart

Lionsheart – Can´t Believe

can't believeLionsheart

A British band that burst onto the scene like a comet and vanished just as quickly.

They made waves when their record first came out, but haven’t they already been forgotten by now? The burly vocalist Steve Grimmett’s powerful and emotive voice is striking—truly a textbook example of a voice made for singing hard rock.

The guitar, subtly pulling off technical feats, is also excellent.

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mama i’m coming homeOzzy Osbourne

OZZY OSBOURNE – “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (Official Video)

mama i'm coming homeOzzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne may often cause a stir, but he can sing gentle ballads too.

This song is from the period when Zakk Wylde played guitar, and it’s a beautiful power ballad that opens with country-style guitar, reflecting Zakk’s roots.

Even the harmonics in the guitar solo—which usually sound noisy—come across like a scream and, for some reason, suit this song perfectly.

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can you feel itManic Eden

Manic Eden – Can You Feel It (Official Visualizer)

can you feel itManic Eden

This is a special band formed by guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, known for his work with Vandenberg, together with his former Whitesnake bandmates Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge.

Beyond their tight performance, you can fully enjoy classic, refined, grown-up hard rock.

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Nobody’s FoolCinderella

Cinderella – Nobody’s Fool (Stereo Version)

Nobody's FoolCinderella

Looking at it again, that’s quite an impressive band name, isn’t it? They debuted with a glamorous look worthy of their name and became popular mainly in the ’80s; they’re a band from Philadelphia.

They’re often labeled as quintessential ’80s hair metal, but their central figure, vocalist and guitarist Tom Keifer, is a musician with a refined, blues-leaning sensibility, and that flavor was woven into their otherwise classic ’80s hard rock sound.

That said, the song they released in 1986, which became a hit, is a hard rock–style ballad featuring a powerful, soaring high-register vocal performance.

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Rainbow in the DarkDio

Dio – Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video) [HD]

Rainbow in the DarkDio

This is a track from Dio—the band led by Ronnie James Dio, one of the most important singers in the history of heavy metal and hard rock—featured on their 1983 debut album Holy Diver.

While the song’s structure is a very straightforward, classic hard rock number, Ronnie’s overwhelmingly brilliant vocals and the fluid guitar solo give it a distinctive appeal that sets it apart from more ordinary tracks.

The memorable synth lines also add a nice touch of unmistakably ’80s atmosphere.

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We’re An American BandGrand Funk Railroad

We’re An American Band (Remastered 2002)

We're An American BandGrand Funk Railroad

As the title suggests, this is a signature track by Grand Funk Railroad, a hard rock band that symbolizes America.

The intro’s cowbell really gives it that classic American hard rock feel.

Drummer Don Brewer handles the lead vocals.

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Mother´s EyesEnuff Z’Nuff

Enuff Z´Nuff – Mother´s Eyes (High Quality)

Mother´s EyesEnuff Z'Nuff

Enuff Z’Nuff, influenced by Cheap Trick and the Beatles, won their place in the spotlight by laying powerful hard rock over poppy songs.

Listening like this, you can really tell that hard rock often has accessible tracks that are easy for the masses to embrace.

Around this time, Seattle-style bands known as grunge began to rise to prominence, bringing the LA metal boom to an end.

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