All the music we hear today had to start somewhere and these are a few of the bands and songs that helped make that happen. Imagine being the guys that wrote this music... go ahead and imagine it, I'll wait. It's unfathomable and incomprehensible. Being the guys that shaped music today, being the guys that created something new back when there was still new things to create and then being the people that EVERYONE looks up to or tries to emulate... it would be an ego affirming dream or nightmare... depending on who you talk to.
anyway here's the list.
The Beatles - I Want You (She's so Heavy)
I know, The Beatles... they wrote so many songs that could be considered the first of a genre but here's one that maybe you haven't thought of. I want you, the middle part of this song is so doomy and dark you could confuse it with an early Black Sabbath track.
Queen - Stone Cold Crazy
This has to be one of the first thrash metal songs ever written, Queen smash this track out like a bunch of mad men for the time it was released. Speed and fury along with some of the chunkiest riffs really give this that thrash feel.
The Stooges - Search and Destroy
This is complete punk rock through and through, Iggy was the original punk boy and created that anarchistic and nihilistic view of the world that punks grabbed hold of and ran with throughout the 70's and 80's.
Motorhead - Overkill
It's purely for Philthy's drum beat on this track probably one of the most insane and full on drumbeats for it's time. I feel like it's probably the first death metal track in history and my fuck is it an absolute cracker of a song!
Venom - Black Metal
These guys were on another level back in 1982 when this was released, absolutely crushing black metal for it's time and one of the first bands to have that devilish dark thrashy sound we now know as black metal.
Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come
Sir Lord Baltimore have been long lauded as the first stoner/sludge band and this is probably the track that gave them this honour, Kingdom Come is absolutely classic stoner metal and honestly has held up so well over the years.
MC5 - Ramblin' Rose
These guys created possibly one of the heaviest sounds of the time and probably had a hand in creating quite a few different genres, particularly hard rock and punk with their hardcore left wing political stance and complete disregard for the establishment. Love the start of the video lol
Budgie - Whiskey River
Budgie single handedly created the NWOBHM genre or New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden probably wouldn't be around if it wasn't for them. They created such a unique sound for the time and inspired some of the biggest bands around.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
This has to be the first instance of true doom where as the beatles one was just a cool sounding riff. This is the epitome of complete despair and impending calamity. How could Black Sabbath not be on this list. They were/are the original metal band by which all other metal bands have been measured for the last 50 odd years. And if you don't know... shame on you.
Uriah Heep - The Wizard
Uriah Heep probably helped to create the prog/hard rock sound that came along with the late 60s early 70s, with bands like Blue Oyster Cult and Pink Floyd but Uriah Heep are also one of the bands that helped form the foundation for power metal, NWOBHM and even later on with the Stoner Rock sound with bands like Colour Haze and Greenleaf building on what they started.
I would add The Velvet Underground & Nico to the list too. They were highly influential on the noise rock scene!
Good one, didn't even think of them when I was writing this! Maybe I'll do a part 2 of this at some stage?