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)

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

Runaway TrainSoul Asylum

Soul Asylum – Runaway Train (Official HD Video)

Runaway TrainSoul Asylum

Although Soul Asylum is recognized as alternative rock, they actually have many hard and loud songs.

This track is quite different, but since it’s the Grammy-winning single, it’s probably their most well-known song, isn’t it? In this promotional video, photos of missing children were used, and I’ve heard that some of them were actually found.

The power of music is amazing.

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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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Rockin’ In The Free WorldNeil Young

Rockin’ in the Free World

Rockin' In The Free WorldNeil Young

Canada’s legendary musician Neil Young defies easy categorization, but his style of blasting distorted guitar at high volume is a defining hallmark.

This track is a fan favorite that appears in both acoustic and electric versions on Freedom, the hit album Young released in 1989.

The hard-edged guitar and bass, along with a song structure that alternates between calm and explosive passages, had a major impact on the grunge sound that exploded in popularity from the 1990s onward.

The song was also featured in Michael Moore’s film Fahrenheit 9/11.

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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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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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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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