Heavy metal and mainstream pop music, the proverbial oil and water in terms of musical genres, especially to the fans of both. Widely regarded as two concepts that should never be entwined, there have been maestros of metal madness whom have stepped outside the norm and rebelled against the traditional constraints of genre labelling to create some truly awesome covers of some of mainstream pops most iconic songs throughout history. We here at WhatCulture have previously showcased 10 of heavy metal's most memorable covers of pop musics most unforgettable hits in the previous article, but upon our research we found that there were in fact many more out there than previously estimated, and so have compiled another list of 10 extreme versions of your favourite pop idol's biggest hits. But, just like the aforementioned piece there will be no mention of Limp Bizkit in regards to their cover of George Michaels Faith, or Alien Ant Farm in relation to their version of Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal. They have already made a significant impact within the mainstream arena and these articles are striving to focus on those that may not have been heard of by the general masses.
Honorary Mention Northern Kings, Various
A Finnish metal Supergroup comprising of members from Nightwish, Teräsbetoni, Charon, and Sonata Arctica, they came together solely for the purpose of doing heavy metal covers of pop songs (although their next album promises original material), releasing two albums filled with guitar infused tributes to some of the mainstream publics favourite pop and rock artists, not to mention one hit wonders.An honorary mention only simply because if they were to be included wholesale this article would have to be dedicated solely to their brilliance.