Heavy metal: a genre loved and celebrated worldwide. But where did it really begin? While many bands contributed to its evolution, one album stands out as the definitive starting point, according to one of metal's biggest icons.
Before the earth-shattering riffs of the 1970s, rock music was already experimenting with heavier sounds. Think back to the 1950s, when rock and roll pioneers were pushing boundaries. What they considered 'heavy' back then was groundbreaking for the time. But the following decade saw a new wave of musicians determined to crank up the volume and aggression even further.
Imagine the horror of those who preferred gentle pop when faced with this sonic rebellion! They feared that louder guitars would lead to societal breakdown. Link Wray's 1958 instrumental 'Rumble' is a perfect example. It was considered so raucous that it was banned from some radio stations! This gives you a taste of what people meant when they said music was becoming increasingly confrontational.
The aggression only intensified as the 60s progressed. The Kinks' 1964 hit 'You Really Got Me' features a distorted guitar sound that was significantly heavier than anything that preceded it. But here's where it gets controversial... While these bands were undeniably influential, they weren't quite metal yet. They were paving the way, experimenting with the sounds that would eventually coalesce into the genre we know and love.
Towards the late 1960s, Led Zeppelin emerged, getting closer to the metal sound. However, their strong blues influences meant they were ultimately categorized as hard rock, rather than pure heavy metal. Blues music was still a very strong ingredient in their musical "recipe". And this is the part most people miss... the distinct break from the blues is a key element that separates early hard rock from true heavy metal.
Now, for the big reveal: most metalheads agree that Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album, released in 1970, marked the true birth of heavy metal. Virtually every metal artist acknowledges Black Sabbath as the godfathers of the genre. And that includes Judas Priest's legendary frontman, Rob Halford.
In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, while listing his top ten albums, Halford declared Black Sabbath the originators of heavy metal, emphasizing its groundbreaking impact. "They were local guys from the same neighborhood, the same neck of the woods as Priest," he said. "We literally grew up together, inventing this great music that we love and cherish so much called heavy-metal music."
Halford further explained why this album is both a personal favorite and a genre-defining masterpiece: "I chose the Black Sabbath album just because, like so many bands, your first one or two records really establish who you are as a band. It’s a bit like Priest with Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings of Destiny; [it] becomes the one we love so much because it becomes defining." He continues, "With Black Sabbath, here was the first example of what heavy-metal music should sound like, just the texture, the tone, the structure of all of the material, Ozzy’s very unique voice. It’s just become a very important record in the discography of Black Sabbath."
It might seem obvious to proclaim Black Sabbath's debut as the first true metal album. But its radical departure from anything else at the time, and its establishment of the blueprint for an entire genre, make it difficult to dispute. Without Black Sabbath, countless other metal acts wouldn't exist. Dare I say, metal as we know it might never have happened at all.
But here's where things get interesting... Could it be argued that a different band or album deserves the title of "first"? Perhaps a more obscure act experimented with similar sounds even earlier? Or is the legacy and influence of Black Sabbath simply too significant to ignore? What are your thoughts? Do you agree with Rob Halford's assessment? Let us know in the comments!
