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 (41–50)

My GenerationThe Who

The Who – My Generation

My GenerationThe Who

A song written by Pete Townshend for the rebellious British youths known at the time as the ‘Mods.’ He himself commented that it was ‘the only song I’ve ever written that contains a social message.’ It is also known that the BBC initially refused to play the song to avoid offending various groups, until it became a major hit.

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Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs etched in the history of music (51–60)

Born To Be WildSteppenwolf

Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild

Born To Be WildSteppenwolf

A song that became very well-known for being used in the 1969 film Easy Rider, starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda.

It was the second single from the debut album.

Another Steppenwolf song, The Pusher, was also used in the film.

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ScatterbrainJeff Beck

Scatterbrain

ScatterbrainJeff Beck

Jeff Beck, counted as one of the three great rock guitarists, did form a band that came very close to hard rock at one point, but afterward he gravitated more toward jazz and fusion.

This is a distinctive masterpiece that occupies a position as if hard rock and fusion had been fused together.

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Iron ManBlack Sabbath

Iron Man (2012 Remaster)

Iron ManBlack Sabbath

A song about a man who travels back in time to witness the end of the world.

It was Black Sabbath’s second single released in the United States, but it was not released as a single in the UK.

A new version appears on the 2000 album Black Sabbath Reunion.

That year, they won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

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Lay It DownRatt

Lay It Down (2007 Remaster)

Lay It DownRatt

In Japan, this band is known—alongside Mötley Crüe—as one of the quintessential groups among those dubbed “LA metal.” This track appears on their second album, Invasion of Your Privacy, released in 1985, and it was issued as a single, reaching No.

40 on the U.S.

charts.

With its dynamic guitar sound, solid, weighty rhythm, and an easy-to-grasp chorus that repeats the title, it encapsulates the exhilarating appeal of ’80s hard rock.

A highlight is the dazzling playing by Warren DeMartini—celebrated not only for his guitar prowess but also for his good looks!

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the searchSIAM

Siam – The Search

the searchSIAM

A British band.

I used to think the vocalist, Tony Mills, had a soaring, clear high register like Tony Harnell from TNT—and then, unbelievably, he actually ended up joining TNT after Harnell left.

It’s orthodox hard rock that makes the most of his vocal timbre.

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native tonguePoison

Poison – Native Tongue / The Scream

native tonguePoison

From the first album after Richie Kotzen joined on guitar.

They abandoned the typical American style and made a major shift in direction.

It starts with a tribal-sounding drum tone, and the bouncy rhythm makes it a groovy track.

The bluesy, growling guitar is Richie’s true forte, and you can fully appreciate his guitar technique.

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