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 that have made their mark in music history (61–70)

Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama – 7/2/1977 – Oakland Coliseum Stadium

Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrd

People refer to rock from the American South as Southern rock, and among them, I think Lynyrd Skynyrd leans strongly toward hard rock.

Conversely, the Allman Brothers Band has the image of a classic, straight-ahead Southern rock band.

The loud guitars and pounding rhythms make it unmistakably Southern hard rock.

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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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Street LethalRacer X

Street Lethal

Street LethalRacer X

Standing alongside Yngwie Malmsteen as a speed star is Paul Gilbert, who was a member of Racer X.

Racer X, where every member was a technician, specialized in songs that were extremely simple yet performed with an abundance of virtuosic technique.

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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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