10 Most Influential Rock Bands

Throughout the 70's, metal was known as the ugly stepchild of the rock genre. While there were many bands that were creating a darker tone in their music, most of them never saw the light of day in the mainstream. That is, until four punks from Northern California thrashed their way to the top.

Like their heavy counterparts like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, Metallica started to play heavy music simply for the release. It never seemed to be about selling millions of records but building a brotherhood through the power of these dark tunes. With each record, the band ran the gamut of heaviness like the thrash of Kill Em All and the borderline-prog metal of And Justice for All.

Across their discography, their unique blend of guitar harmony open the floodgates for bands to learn the theory behind the pounding riffs. The band's slower moments like "Fade to Black" and "One" also showcased that metal could have a soul without coming off as overly sentimental. This culminated in their self-titled 1991 release which officially brought metal to the hard rock masses. When metal was still seen as a sub-genre of rock, Metallica made the mainstream come to them and turned metal into a global force.