10 Greatest Pre-Metal Metal Songs

The Yardbirds have been swept under the rug far too many times throughout rock's history. Along with being one of the greatest blues outfits ever to emerge from the London club scene in the '60s, they remained a breeding ground for excellent guitarists throughout their tenure, with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck each coming through the ranks. However, the pathway to metal was when they had a young kid named Jimmy Page behind the fretboard.

On the surface, Heart Full of Soul reads as your typical blues pop number, set in a minor key to give everything a slightly darker edge. No, the real killing blow here comes in the presentation from Page, who unpacks his fuzz box to create one of the sharpest riffs of the '60s. While the riff itself isn't anything all that complicated, the way it screams out of Page's amplifier makes it sound like the notes have just been dipped in acid.

Though the Rolling Stones had already created an interest in heavier rock with Satisfaction, this kind of tune makes Jagger and his cronies look like kids. Comparing this to a few years down the line, it's no question that this was the same guy who took heaviness to the nth degree with Led Zeppelin. The blues worship may still be here, but you can tell that something much more gritty is lying just underneath it all.