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 fan favorites etched in music history (21–30)

Welcome To The JungleGuns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses – Welcome To The Jungle

Welcome To The JungleGuns N' Roses

A quintessential hard rock classic from the ’80s that everyone’s heard at least once! Released in 1987 on Guns N’ Roses’ powerhouse debut album Appetite for Destruction, this track is practically synonymous with the band.

Axl Rose’s astonishing high-range shouts, an unforgettable, earworm chorus, a guitar intro that makes clever use of delay, and a solo tinged with Slash’s signature bluesy flavor… It’s not just a hard rock song—there’s no doubt it’s a piece that will go down in rock history.

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Foxy LadyJimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Foxey Lady (Miami Pop 1968)

Foxy LadyJimi Hendrix

He is a legendary rock guitarist whom many later-famous hard rock guitarists often cite as an influence.

With his Marshall cranked to full distortion and his freewheeling command of the instrument, he not only laid the foundations of hard rock but also had such a distinctive style that he was nearly impossible to emulate.

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PanamaVan Halen

Panama (2004 Remaster)

PanamaVan Halen

The moment that exhilarating intro guitar hits your ears, you can’t help but want to jump up and start running—this is one of Van Halen’s most popular songs.

Released as a single from the smash-hit album 1984, which sold 10 million copies worldwide, it also reached No.

13 on the U.S.

charts on its own.

No need for fussy explanations: from the riff to the backing to the solo, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar absolutely explodes—pure, straightforward cool.

The easy-to-catch chorus that repeats the title and David Lee Roth’s exuberant shouts are in top form, too!

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Run To The HillsIron Maiden

Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills (Official Video)

Run To The HillsIron Maiden

A song released as a single in 1982.

The cover art, depicting a Native American wielding a hatchet fighting a demon from hell, sparked some controversy.

The song was re-released in 2002 and was used to promote a tour held to support former drummer Clive Burr, who was suffering from multiple sclerosis.

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Enter SandmanMetallica

Metallica: Enter Sandman (Official Music Video)

Enter SandmanMetallica

A song about a nightmare written by James Hetfield together with Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett.

It is also known for being used at baseball games and as the entrance theme for the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) wrestler, The Sandman.

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TushZZ Top

Zz top – Tush

TushZZ Top

In the early days, they had a strong image as a blues rock band, raising their profile by opening for acts like the Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin.

Today, they’ve become one of America’s leading hard rock bands, and in 2004 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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ASSAULT ATTACKMichael Schenker Group

M.S.G-Assault Attack

ASSAULT ATTACKMichael Schenker Group

During the transition from hard rock to heavy metal, guitarists increasingly became the stars of their bands.

Michael Schenker, formerly of Scorpions, formed his own band after leaving and quickly became a guitar hero.

The Flying V guitar he played became Michael’s trademark.

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