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 (81–90)

you make me smileGalactic Cowboys

Galactic Cowboys – You Make Me Smile (Audio)

you make me smileGalactic Cowboys

It’s a mysterious track.

Over heavily distorted, gritty guitars and a roaring bass, backed by tight drumming, rides a thickly layered vocal harmony.

And yet the vocal melody itself is pop.

There’s a certain mismatch to it all, but it somehow feels pleasant—a strange world.

It’s a bundle of individuality.

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Close My Eyes ForeverLita Ford

Close My Eyes Forever

Close My Eyes ForeverLita Ford

Lita Ford is a female rock artist who served as lead guitarist for The Runaways—the legendary girls’ band that even inspired a movie—and also found success as a solo performer.

This song appears on her hit 1988 album “LITA.” It’s a rock ballad that clearly showcases her strong vocal abilities.

Co-written with the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, who also contributes vocals, the track features not only a heart-wrenchingly melancholic melody but also a standout guitar solo infused with Lita Ford’s fiery rock spirit.

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breaking the gunVincent Neil

vince neil breakin the gun

breaking the gunVincent Neil

This is the title track from his second solo release after leaving Mötley Crüe.

Vince Neil is often seen as a glitzy hard rock icon, but on this song he takes an experimental approach, even incorporating scratching.

Opinions were divided when it was released, but it’s a hidden gem where his unexpectedly soaring vocals suit the style perfectly.

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SkunkMC5

MC5 – Skunk (Sonically Speaking)

SkunkMC5

Garage punk, psychedelic, rock ’n’ roll… This legendary American band has been labeled with many adjectives, but “Skunk,” performed with players from the free jazz scene, reveals the ferocity of their politically radical stage presence and stands as one of the roots of American hard rock.

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Ride OnGotthard

Gotthard – Ride On

Ride OnGotthard

They’re a Swiss hard rock band that’s famous in Japan as well.

This album was released in 1996, at the height of the grunge era.

Throughout the record there’s a bright yet somehow wistful atmosphere.

This particular track is the most up-tempo hard rock number on the album, and the tightly wound, tense performance paired with Steve Lee’s soaring high notes is absolutely superb.

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