Update: Follow Ranker's official New Metal 2020 playlist on Spotify!
Creating some of the best metal songs of 2020, the greatest heavy metal bands ever include some of the most iconic names in music. Famous bands, like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, paved the way for many of today's biggest acts. They're bigger than just heavy metal -- they're among the best rock bands/artists of all time. Which one is the best? That's up to you to decide with your votes. Vote up the good heavy metal bands you're a huge fan of, and vote down any that you just don't like. Also, feel free to add any cool heavy metal bands that might be missing from the list, and rerank the choices in the order you believe is the best! If you're looking for something harder than hard rock, these heavy metal bands have got the music for you.
Not surprisingly, some incredibly well-known classic heavy metal bands top this list, including American bands Metallica and Pantera as well as '70s English band Iron Maiden and '80s metal band Megadeth. Some newer bands are also included. Tool and Korn, for example, formed in the 1990s. Sadly, some of these bands don't include all of the original members or singers (Alice in Chains, for example), but that doesn't mean they're forgotten, not popular, or not worth including. From old school and the 2000s to the new and current, we're ranking the all-time best heavy metal groups.
Which heavy metal band is the best? Be sure to vote and don't forget to rerank this list your way, too.
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15,6296,185Black Sabbath
Paranoid, Black SabbathGenres (Music): Doom metal, Blues-rock, Power metal, Heavy metal, Stoner rock
Black Sabbath were an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968, by guitarist and main... more on Wikipedia
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17,2107,279Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast, Iron MaidenGenres (Music): New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Heavy metal, Hard rock
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist... more on Wikipedia3
17,2219,881Metallica
Master of Puppets, Ride the LightningGenres (Music): Thrash metal, Rock music, Heavy metal, Speed metal, Hard rock
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by... more on Wikipedia4
11,1916,521Pantera
Vulgar Display of Power, Cowboys From HellGenres (Music): Glam metal, Thrash metal, Groove metal, Rock music, Heavy metal
Pantera () was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. The group was formed in... more on Wikipedia5
11,1536,493Judas Priest
British Steel, Screaming for VengeanceGenres (Music): New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Thrash metal, Power metal, Heavy metal, Traditional heavy metal
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in West Bromwich in 1969. They have sold... more on Wikipedia6
9,6425,599Ozzy Osbourne
Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a MadmanGenres (Music): Doom metal, Glam metal, Blues-rock, Heavy metal, Alternative metal
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, actor... more on Wikipedia7
8,9205,075Dio
Holy Diver, The Last in LineGenres (Music): Rock music, Power metal, Heavy metal, Hard rock
Dio was an American heavy metal band formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio,... more on Wikipedia8
9,1615,635motörhead
Ace of Spades, 1916Genres (Music): New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Thrash metal, Rock music, Heavy metal, Rock and roll
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in June 1975 by bassist, singer, and songwriter... more on Wikipedia9
10,4346,576Megadeth
Rust in Peace, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?Genres (Music): Glam metal, Thrash metal, Rock music, Heavy metal, Speed metal
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. The group was formed... more on Wikipedia10
9,8957,995Slipknot
Slipknot, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)Genres (Music): Nu metal, Groove metal, Rapcore, Heavy metal, Alternative metal
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in September 1995, the... more on Wikipedia11
8,2056,759System of a Down
Toxicity, HypnotizeGenres (Music): Nu metal, Progressive metal, Rock music, Experimental rock, Heavy metal
System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band from Glendale, California, formed in... more on Wikipedia12
6,3175,393Alice in Chains
Dirt, Alice in ChainsGenres (Music): Rock music, Grunge, Heavy metal, Alternative rock, Traditional heavy metal
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington,... more on Wikipedia13
5,6184,721Alice Cooper
Welcome to My Nightmare, Hey StoopidGenres (Music): Glam metal, Experimental rock, Shock rock, Psychedelic rock
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter,... more on Wikipedia14
5,6604,865Van Halen
Van Halen, 1984Genres (Music): Glam metal, Rock music, Heavy metal, Hard rock
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. Credited with... more on Wikipedia15
7,7956,113Tool
Ænima, LateralusGenres (Music): Post-metal, Metal, Progressive metal, Rock music, Heavy metal
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up includes... more on Wikipedia16
6,0965,483Deep Purple
Machine Head, Live in JapanGenres (Music): Blues-rock, Classic rock, Heavy metal, Progressive rock, Psychedelic rock
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. The band is considered to be... more on Wikipedia17
7,4386,696Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction, G N' R LiesGenres (Music): Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music, Heavy metal, Rock and roll
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1985. The classic lineup... more on Wikipedia18
5,0424,360Rob Zombie
The Sinister Urge, PastGenres (Music): Horror punk, Noise rock, Nu metal, Industrial rock, Heavy metal
Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician and... more on Wikipedia19
4,1143,967Sepultura
Chaos A.D., AriseGenres (Music): Nu metal, Heavy metal, Extreme metal, Death metal, Crossover thrash
Sepultura (Portuguese: [ˌsepuwˈtuɾɐ], "grave") is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo... more on Wikipedia20
5,3525,338Anthrax
Among the Living, Fistful of MetalGenres (Music): Crossover thrash, Thrash metal, Groove metal, Heavy metal, Speed metal
Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott... more on Wikipedia21
5,5325,642Scorpions
Blackout, Love at First StingGenres (Music): Glam metal, Heavy metal, Hard rock
Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the... more on Wikipedia22
4,0643,646Lamb of God
Sacrament, Ashes of the WakeGenres (Music): Thrash metal, Groove metal, Melodic death metal, Black metal, Metalcore
Lamb of God (sometimes abbreviated as LoG) is an American heavy metal band from Richmond,... more on Wikipedia23
3,9213,822White Zombie
La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1Genres (Music): Horror punk, Noise rock, Industrial metal, Groove metal, Industrial rock
White Zombie may refer to: White Zombie (band), an American heavy metal band from the... more on Wikipedia24
5,8826,076Обезпокоен
Ten Thousand Fists, BelieveGenres (Music): Nu metal, Rock music, Metalcore, Heavy metal, Rap metal
Disturbed is an American heavy metal band from Chicago, formed in 1994. The band includes... more on Wikipedia25
5,9555,765Avenged Sevenfold
City of Evil, Waking the FallenGenres (Music): Thrash metal, Deathcore, Rock music, Experimental rock, Metalcore
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in... more on Wikipedia
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