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 (51–60)

Wanted ManRatt

RATT – Wanted Man (Official Music Video)

Wanted ManRatt

Although it was a transitional period between heavy metal and hard rock that still retained a hint of Black Sabbath-like darkness, in Los Angeles—where breezy sounds like AOR and fusion dominated—it evolved into music that coexisted with pop.

Ratt is a representative band of LA metal.

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stars and the moonFair Warning

FAIR WARNING – Stars and the Moon

stars and the moonFair Warning

It’s a band originally formed by members of Germany’s ZENO.

Their first album was very well received, and this is the first track on the follow-up album.

That said, it’s hard to deny that it’s overshadowed by the album’s strongest killer tune, “Burning Heart.” Even so, despite its mid-tempo pace, I think it’s a great song that really captures their signature style.

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Mississippi QueenMountain

Mississippi Queen

Mississippi QueenMountain

Mountain, an American hard rock band, possesses strong songwriting and performance abilities shaped by a wide range of musical influences, including American country music.

While this song is their most famous as a hard rock band, listening to their other tracks reveals a surprising breadth of variety.

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Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama – 7/2/1977 – Oakland Coliseum Stadium

Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrd

People refer to rock from the American South as Southern rock, and among them, I think Lynyrd Skynyrd leans strongly toward hard rock.

Conversely, the Allman Brothers Band has the image of a classic, straight-ahead Southern rock band.

The loud guitars and pounding rhythms make it unmistakably Southern hard rock.

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Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs that have made their mark in music history (61–70)

can’t believeLionsheart

Lionsheart – Can´t Believe

can't believeLionsheart

A British band that burst onto the scene like a comet and vanished just as quickly.

They made waves when their record first came out, but haven’t they already been forgotten by now? The burly vocalist Steve Grimmett’s powerful and emotive voice is striking—truly a textbook example of a voice made for singing hard rock.

The guitar, subtly pulling off technical feats, is also excellent.

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Street LethalRacer X

Street Lethal

Street LethalRacer X

Standing alongside Yngwie Malmsteen as a speed star is Paul Gilbert, who was a member of Racer X.

Racer X, where every member was a technician, specialized in songs that were extremely simple yet performed with an abundance of virtuosic technique.

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Deserted Cities of the HeartCream

Cream – Live Cream II – 1 – Deserted Cities of the Heart

Deserted Cities of the HeartCream

This is a track from the 1968 double album Wheels of Fire by the supergroup that featured legendary players Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker.

Also known in Japan by the title “Arehateta Machi” (“Deserted City”), it’s a hidden gem that showcases their harder edge.

As you can especially tell from the live recordings, the band’s ensemble—three players each refusing to back down—is thrilling and undeniably cool.

Busy, intricate drumming, a restlessly moving bass, and a roaring guitar solo… it’s a number so powerful it would send your average hard rock band running for the hills.

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