Origins: late 1960s and early 1970s
Critics disagree over who can be thought of as the first heavy metal
band. Most credit either Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, with American
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commentators tending to favour Led Zeppelin and British commentators
tending to favour Black Sabbath, though many give equal credit to both. A
few commentators—mainly American—argue for other groups including Iron
Butterfly, Steppenwolf or Blue Cheer.
In 1968, the sound that would become known as heavy metal began to
coalesce. That January, the San Francisco band Blue Cheer released a cover
of Eddie Cochran's classic "Summertime Blues", from their debut
album
Vincebus Eruptum
, that many consider the first true heavy metal
recording.
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The same month, Steppenwolf released its self-titled debut
album, including "Born to Be Wild", which refers to "heavy metal thunder" in
describing a motorcycle. In July, another two epochal records came out: The
Yardbirds' "Think About It" (from the 1967 Yardbirds album
Little Games
)—
B-side of the band's last single—with a performance by guitarist Jimmy Page;
and Iron Butterfly's
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
, with its 17-minute-long title track,
a prime candidate for first-ever heavy metal album.
The Jeff Beck Group, whose leader had preceded Page as The
Yardbirds' guitarist, released its debut record that same month:
Truth
featured
some of the "most molten, barbed, down In October, Page's new band, Led
Zeppelin, made its live debut. The Beatles'
White Album
, which also came out
that month, included "Helter Skelter", then one of the heaviest-sounding
songs ever released by a major band.
The Pretty Things' rock opera
S.F.
Sorrow
, released in December, featured "proto heavy metal" songs such as
"Old Man Going" and "I See You".
In this counterculture period MC5, who began as part of the Detroit
garage rock scene, developed a raw distorted style that has been seen as a
major influence on the future sound of both heavy metal and later punk music.
The Stooges also began to establish and influence a heavy metal and later
punk sound, with songs such as "I Wanna Be Your Dog", featuring pounding
and distorted heavy guitar power chord riffs.
Pink Floyd released two of their
heaviest and loudest songs to date; "Ibiza Bar" and "The Nile Song", which
was regarded as "one of the heaviest songs the band recorded".
King
Crimson's debut album included 21st Century Schizoid Man, which was
considered heavy metal by several critics.
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