Metal music has long been one of the most enduring genres. Over its five-decade history, metal has dominated charts, made appearances in movies and TV shows, and made lasting cultural impacts.
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1. Headbangers Ball
MTV’s Headbangers Ball was an iconic music video show during the heyday of heavy metal in the 80s and 90s. Hosted by Riki Rachtman and featuring some of the biggest hair bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Kiss, Skid Row, Megadeth as well as up-and-coming artists it showcased both legendary metal artists as well as newcomers in metal and hard rock genres.
Headbangers Ball was an early platform for many bands that eventually found greater success, such as Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne. Additionally, Megadeth, Death, Testament and Lacuna Coil made their first appearances here as well.
Headbangers Ball made its final airing on MTV in 1995 without an official reason, though speculation suggests the decision might have been due to The Real World airing 24/7 in its timeslot and wanting to move away from metal music in general. A modified format returned briefly on MTV2 hosted by Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed but failed to gain traction for long. Today, however, its original form continues running on YouTube as web-only series while some episodes from its archive have even been reissued as DVD and Blu-Ray releases!
2. Uranium
Uranium was one of the first shows to feature music videos from hard rock and metal bands like Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and Slipknot. Following its success, Juliya Chernetsky became one of MMUSA (later Fuse TV) most beloved hosts and Juliya became widely beloved among viewers of Uranium.
Uranium, found naturally, is an abundant and silver-colored heavy metal that outnumbers lead, cadmium and tungsten combined. It’s malleable, ductile and slightly paramagnetic; each cubic centimeter of it contains about as many protons as an atom of mercury!
Uranium can also be fissile, making it suitable for use in nuclear reactors. Naturally found in earth’s crust as uranium-238 and -235; ore such as pitchblende, carnotite and uraninite; as well as in phosphate rock (Ca(UO2)2PO4) and brown coal; artificially produced through neutron bombardment of thorium; most radioactivity comes from its decay products: alpha particles that chemically and physically resemble helium; beta particles; and gamma radiation; these decay products can be measured to determine age of rocks or geologic events.
3. Metalocalypse
Metalocalypse opened many young metalheads up to a wider world of music than what they might have experienced growing up in their mom’s basement. Portraying fictional death metal band Dethklok, this gonzo parody of the music industry contains drugs, violence, sexual content and plenty of bloodshed while simultaneously featuring shredding riffs, dueling guitar solos and blast beat drumming as well as humor inspired by shows such as Home Movies.
Metalocalypse’s offbeat imagery and dark humor don’t take itself too seriously, creating characters whose antics are both amusing and engaging. Furthermore, this show acts as a humorous satire of the music industry while offering some of the finest metal songs ever composed for television.
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar is a follow up operatic special, released in 2013, entitled Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem that resolved an epic cliffhanger for Dethklok band members. After Metal Masked Assassin and Salacia have left Dethklok vulnerable from mental illness and recording session abduction respectively, Dethklok must fight them off again while writing new lyrics for their Song of Salvation to save not only themselves but ultimately save the universe from imminent destruction.
4. Slayer’s “Seasons In The Abyss”
Slayer aren’t known for being particularly creative when it comes to music videos, but for their 1990 release Seasons In The Abyss they made an exception with this groundbreaking creation featuring them sailing in some sort of Egyptian desert environment aboard a peasant boat – truly one of their finest works ever made! It remains one of their best works ever produced.
Seasons In The Abyss, Slayer’s classic lineup including vocalist Tom Araya, guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman and drummer Dave Lombardo is widely considered their masterpiece. It explores themes of violence (Hallowed Point and Expendable Youth), serial killers (Dead Skin Mask) and state-sponsored corruption (South of Heaven).
Slayer was instrumental in pioneering thrash metal with their musical innovations like fast alternate picking and double bass drumming, along with bold lyrics tackling topics such as serial killers, Satanism and war that challenged social norms. Slayer also pioneered live performances by donning various masks and costumes during concerts – this bold approach propelled Slayer into becoming the most beloved metal band of the 80s.
5. Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” video from 1975 is now the first pre-1990s clip to reach one billion views on YouTube, marking an historic achievement and immortalizing one of rock music’s finest tracks, known for Freddie Mercury’s timeless vocal performance and unmatched popularity.
The video for “Stars Are Blind” is so timeless, it’s hard to envision life without it. From its opening alien harmonies – which set the scene – through to a fiery rocker with its signature gong sound, there is emotion-packed sequences throughout its entirety – including tortured ballad, demented Gilbert & Sullivan-inspired tune, tortured ballad and fierce rocker with gong finish that gives this timeless song its timeless sound, this clip captures them all beautifully.
Queen is proud to mark this landmark anniversary by joining forces with YouTube Music, Universal Music Group and Hollywood Records to launch “You Are the Champions,” an exciting fan engagement campaign which gives their followers an opportunity to star in three user-generated videos for Bohemian Rhapsody, A Kind of Magic and Don’t Stop Me Now on their own YouTube channels later this year – more information can be found via this link above or by following Heavy Metal Television, one of the longest running music video channels worldwide!
6. Megadeth’s “Breaking The Law”
If you were into metal in the 1980s, chances are you remember watching Friday Night Videos on MTV. One of the most iconic clips from that era was this Judas Priest hit that featured them committing a robbery using their instruments as weapons – making for quite an enjoyable video to watch!
This song from the British Wave of Heavy Metal era is truly legendary; but its music video propelled its success to unprecedented levels of fame.
Hair metal was still very popular during the ’80s, as evidenced by this video from that era. Featuring both animation and real-life footage with violent elements typical of heavy metal music genres.
Staying current with metal music news and events requires following YouTube channels like Metal Injection’s, which provides up-to-date news and updates in one convenient place. Expect lots of concert footage, interviews with bands from around the globe and insights from its staff as well as cell phone footage and professional-shot clips featuring your favorite metal artists!
7. Anthrax’s “Blood On The Tracks”
Who could forget Headbangers Ball from its original run in the mid ’80s through its peak-era run in the 1990s with Riki Rachtman hosting both US and European versions, later joined by Vanessa Warwick? Or its 2000s reboot with Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed? Without question it remains one of the iconic shows solely dedicated to heavy music that converted many channel-hopping kids into hardcore fans – we really miss it! Bring it back!
Metalheads may recall Tawny Kitaen dancing around in two Jaguar XJs in this video, but what makes it truly exceptional is how seamlessly it merges animation, regular day-to-day footage and the band’s frenetic music to produce one of the most distinctive metal videos ever produced.
Ice-T’s band Body Count was an early indicator of how hip-hop and punk rock began blending into metal in the early ’90s. While “Cop Killer” does not contain lyrics as violent as other black metal songs by bands like Brujeria, its political message still provoked debate during an era when police brutality was at an all-time high. This song and video serves as a timely reminder that both metal and rap could be equally as provocative and divisive.