The origins of HEAVY METAL! Which do you prefer. Vote!

Also, what band do you think was the first metal band? Doesn't have to be one of the bands I listed. Most of the band's I listed had their start in the 1960's or very early 70's.

Chuck Berry = deep Metal ancestry/attitude/speed

Beatles = some elements

Sabbath = first true Metal band.

Just one opinion.

I've always view Black Sabbath as being the origins of metal, although Zeppelin probably deserves as much credit as Sabbath. However, you can go even deeper and look to bands like Steppenwolf (who many say coined the phrase Heavy Metal), Cream, Iron Butterfly, Amboy Dukes, Alice Cooper, etc.

It's nearly impossible to pin down and exact "first", but these were certainly the proto-metal bands that helped to inspire many others down the road.

Priest.

Sabbath may have invented it, but Priest refined it.

No Priest = No Metal.

:metal:

I'm not touching this subject.

Black Sabbath

I voted Zeppelin; not because I think they invented metal but because they're my favorite from that list.

I went for Priest. I've only been a casual fan of the others mentioned so my vote was obvious.

Can't say who invented it, too much of a difficult origin to pinpoint.

I voted Zeppelin for my favorite from the list.

All of those bands/artists gave us some elements of what we call heavy metal, but IMO, I think there are three that rise above the rest. Zeppelin gave us the overall style, Sabbath gave us the darkness and a heavier sound, Priest put them all together and refined the style into what we now call metal. I agree with Freddy, without Priest, specifically without "Sad Wings of Destiny," metal as we know it today would not exist.

Geez, I sound like a college professor!

Sabbath for me. They were truely "metallic" to my ears.

I remember reading in one book on the History of Heavy Metal that the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" was on of the earliest "metal" songs. Not sure I agree, but I can see where that opinion might be valid.

Sabbath for me. Back when I was a little kid (14) Sabbath Bloody Sabbath started all of this for me. So they hold a speical place in my heart.

Sabbath! Zepplin also contributed some metal like elements though.

Favorite on the list - Priest

Mighty Zep was who I voted for.

Since Korn wasn't a choice, I voted for Priest. While Sabbath may have invented it, Priest seemed to embrace the genre and never had a problem with the "Heavy Metal" label.

Voted for Zep. As for the origins of metal, the Yardbirds could have been the start of the metal revolution. Page, Beck, and Clapton all got their start in the Yardbirds. All three were vital in the development of heavy metal.

In my opinion, metal would have come about with or without Priest. It might have taken a little longer though.

SABBATH! :metal:

the mighty Priest... i agree 100% with freddy.

My fvourite metal band is Priest, but I voted Sabbath because IMO they're the first real metal band. Bands like Zeppelin, MC5, Cream, the Doors, the Yardbirds, etc, were highly influential for their louder, more distorted, more aggressive compositions, but there's much more to metal than volume and distortion. Nevertheless, with their largely fantasty-based lyrics and often dark moods, Zeppelin was definitely the closest.