15 Most Underrated Hard Rock Bands Of All Time

Whenever people talk about the founders of heavy metal, normally it comes down to Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Deep Purple. While many American hard rockers had to get their helping of heaviness from overseas, some bands were making more than their fair share of ominous tunes on this side of the Atlantic.

Emerging originally as a psychedelic band, Blue Oyster Cult quickly found their niche once they took a more sinister approach. The band themselves were not goth by any means, but the songs said otherwise, with a foreboding aura in the melodies and ethereal harmonies that sounded like they were being sung by an army of demons. As the band went on, they were able to nab modest success with hits like "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" and "Godzilla," but the opportunity to reach the big leagues never panned out.

The band did eventually play gigs with heavyhitters like Black Sabbath, but their sound ended up being too heavy for the regular rock fans and too soft for the staunch metalheads. Blue Oyster Cult may have seen a decent amount of hits in their heyday, but the amount of groundbreaking music they put out should earn them a spot as the 2nd Cousins of Heavy Metal.