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 music history (31–40)

Bad MedicineBon Jovi

Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine (Official Music Video)

Bad MedicineBon Jovi

It’s a smash hit that practically declares itself a quintessential hard rock anthem of the ’80s.

Released in 1988, it’s a single from the album “New Jersey,” which sold over 18 million copies worldwide and topped the U.S.

charts.

With tight drumming, Richie Sambora’s sprightly guitar riff and brief yet technical solo, flashy keyboards, and an instantly memorable, catchy melody—every element is quintessential Bon Jovi.

It’s the perfect number to lift your spirits, whether you’re belting it out at karaoke or blasting it on a drive!

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Raining BloodSLAYER

Slayer Raining Blood Official Video

Raining BloodSLAYER

A song that sings about the strength to defeat heaven.

“Raining Blood” represents the blood of angels.

It is the title track of Slayer’s third album, released in 1986.

It’s also known for being played in an episode of South Park to scare hippies.

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SURRENDERCheap Trick

CHEAP TRICK【SURRENDER】1978

SURRENDERCheap Trick

Speaking of Cheap Trick, they’re famous for first catching fire in Japan before their home country, the United States.

Their classic 1978 live album, Cheap Trick at Budokan, also helped make the name “Nippon Budokan” known worldwide.

Among their releases from 1978 is one of Cheap Trick’s signature songs, included on the album Heaven Tonight.

It’s a superb masterpiece that perfectly fuses hard-rock dynamism with irresistibly catchy melodies, encapsulating the charm of a band often hailed as the originators of power pop.

When you’re feeling down or can’t get in the mood, listen to this song and lift your spirits!

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Rock You like a HurricaneScorpions

Scorpions – Rock You Like A Hurricane (Official Music Video)

Rock You like a HurricaneScorpions

The wave of hard rock spread not only in the UK and the US but also across various parts of Europe.

Germany, a heartland of classical music, produced uniquely dark music in progressive rock and psychedelic rock that differed from what was found in the UK and the US, and its hard rock also retained a pronounced heaviness.

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Comfortably NumbPink Floyd

Comfortably Numb

Comfortably NumbPink Floyd

Pink Floyd, the monster band that Britain proudly presents to the world.

Often called the pioneers of progressive rock, they transcended the genre’s boundaries to produce a string of historically acclaimed masterpieces and achieved global commercial success, reigning over the scene as a legendary presence in rock.

Among the songs they left behind, I’d like to introduce Comfortably Numb, where you can enjoy a hard rock–styled guitar solo.

It’s a conceptual, narrative-driven piece—quintessentially prog—shaped by the mind of bassist and vocalist Roger Waters, and the performance by guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour is widely hailed as a classic.

Included on the 1979 masterpiece album The Wall.

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Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs etched in the history of music (41–50)

forever youngTYKETTO

Tyketto – Forever Young

forever youngTYKETTO

Bluzy, soulful vocals paired with a weeping guitar.

A catchy chorus.

The song itself is straightforward, macho, and tinged with melancholy—classic American hard rock.

Precisely because it’s simple, you’ll be knocked out after just one listen.

This vibe is a rare treasure these days.

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Still of the NightWhitesnake

Still of the Night (2018 Remaster)

Still of the NightWhitesnake

A leading British hard rock band formed around former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale.

This hard-hitting track, included on their 1987 album Whitesnake (Serpens Albus), which became a worldwide hit, showcases their global popularity.

Centered on a cool, Led Zeppelin-esque guitar riff, its dynamic, over–six-and-a-half-minute, ebb-and-flow arrangement makes it an irresistibly impressive masterpiece.

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