Heaviest Songs by Year (1965 - 1975)

[@kurothi]

If you told me "it's a 00's stoner rock compilation" I would believe you.

[@krysmrug6478]

Bedemon released 1974 and sounds like a 90s doom band. Even the cover art seems cutting edge

[@patricksimmons6221]

Heavy af

[@eliasdelreal4643]

Its because its pretty much the band pentagram but with a different name

[@reiserkeiser]

Sabbath would easily have the heaviest song of any given year in the 70s probably to about 78.

[@ro307805]

If you leave out Uriah Heep and Judas Priest

[@HR-rt9nh]

@@ro307805 You would have to leave out Uriah Heep and Judas Priest. I certainly would.

[@HR-rt9nh]

Indeed... Sabbath would be top of the list.. what boggles my mind is not only leaving out Sabbath but leaving out Iron Butterfly? In the garden of Eden..... come on man...

[@George18798]

Black Sabbath would have the heaviest song until now

[@user-jn7bq8wh1e]

How exactly r u defining heavy? Burn Highway star etc by Deep purple were way faster...Ian paice in the early days laid down much heavier faster beats than bonzo and bill

[@markmmv]

1954 - "Space Guitar", Johnny Watson 1955 - "Maybelline", Chuck Berry 1956 - "The Train Kept A-Rollin'", Johnny Burnette 1957 - "Susie-Q", Dale Hawkins 1958 - "Rumble", Link Wray 1959 - "Somethin' Else", Eddie Cochran 1962 - "Miserlou", Dick Dale 1963 - "The Girl Can't Dance", Bunker Hill 1964 - "You Really Got Me", The Kinks

[@emporax]

1961 - "Eddie Sois Bon", Les Blousons Noirs

[@emporax]

Space Guitar is insane.

[@prettynoose8497]

A fuckholing great list!!! Good work! Dick Dale's 'Miserlou' if the first ever heavy metal song IMFO (in my fucking opinion!)

[@46_and28]

Plastic thunder sounded almost 30 years ahead of it's time woah

[@45overdrive]

Ikr

[@chrisrj9871]

Imagine if Nirvana covered that song, or the one after it. 60s Psych may have been an influence on 90s grunge.

[@On_Dust]

@@chrisrj9871 I don't like grunge that much. But it sounds very similar to psychedelia.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

Nah. They were just biting a lot of stuff around that time. Most 90s alternative was, ironically, driven by early pop elements.

[@1TakoyakiStore]

It's weird because it's like Steppenwolf but the guitarist traveled to the future to steal Buzz Osbourne's guitar and pedals

[@robbieclark7828]

Super interesting video, although you’ll never convince me that your 1970 pick is heavier than Black Sabbath or War Pigs.

[@infall_blackmetal]

his excuse is that it's too mainstream but that should have zero to do with a list about heaviness. it's not a list about underground-ness

[@45overdrive]

@@infall_blackmetal I think it's perfectly fine reasoning, to want to introduce people to lesser known heavy nuggets. No one ever disputed sabbath's heavines, but in my opinion including them would make the list too bland and ordinary, since everybody knows about their self-titled track or war pigs.

[@infall_blackmetal]

@@45overdrive yeah but it still doesnt make sense to ignore it in the video when they influenced the entirety of metal. they where the #1 reason for bands like bedemon that you included in the video. it's fair to say that it's a good way to expose people to lesser known heavy music from the earliest stages of metal, but that wasnt the purpose of the video as far as I could tell. popularity doesnt have anything to do with heaviness, which is why its extremely confusing why sabbath wasnt picked for 1970/1971. it was still a good video nonetheless, but still confusing.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

@@45overdrive That's a dumb reason not to put them in by the criteria of "heavyness".

[@ElPayasoMalo]

Try "Speed King" by Deep Purple.

[@isileiliparis8626]

I'm so glad Bedemon was on this list.

[@45overdrive]

unavoidable

[@dreamok732]

Shuld have had budgie and pink fairies, still it was good to hear what you put up. Plastic thunder was great.

[@agustin3710]

The Musical Box by Genesis could perfectly be here

[@nitrow8881]

Bedemon's "Child Of Darkness" was actually recorded in early 1973 according to their own website. They also recorded "Serpent Venom" and "Frozen Fear" on the same day.

[@JustSomeKittenwithaGun]

The Internet wasn't even around in the '70s

[@emporax]

​@@JustSomeKittenwithaGun🤦‍♂️

[@OCTOBERBABY7901]

What about Black Sabbath? They been around since 1970.

[@goodolarchie]

Glad to see Blue Cheer on here. I think they were the first metal band through and through. Just listen to their version of Summertime blues

[@emporax]

Yeah really. Vincebus Eruptum was released on Jan. 1st 1968 recorded in 1967, Second Time Around is a very heavy song.

[@ACDZ123]

Not metal .heavy blues .Sabbath eas the first true metal

[@lordcharlesthomas]

No, they were not. Stop trying to post-hoc back date the start of heavy metal like some kind of hipster. Yes, they were heavy for the time but metal is more than just that, you wouldn't call Link Wray heavy metal just because 'Rumble' was heavy for the late 1950s. Metal starts with Sabbath, end of story.

[@emporax]

@@lordcharlesthomas Why did Iron Butterfly play heavy metal at the Galaxy in 1967? :( Cream played heavy metal live Jeff Beck played heavy metal live Alice Cooper 1969 live Listen Blue Cheer live in San Jose 1968

[@lordcharlesthomas]

@@emporax heavy rock or heavy blues, not metal

[@LiuLoki]

I think Boss Hoss is heavier than the cover of Louie Louie, nice list

[@lemmykilmister7772]

Or even Cinderella with the sonics too

[@peddr.o]

0:01 (65) Louie Louie- The Sonics 0:24 (66) 0:50 (67) 1:15 (68) 1:40 (69) 2:06 (70) 2:31 (71) 3:00 (72) 3:22 (73) 3:45 (74) 4:11 (75)

[@Brey]

Should've had Iron Claw - Skullcrusher on here. That song was heavy in 1970.

[@Mantwawn]

omg that song was savage.....ty (im still recovering)

[@Brey]

@@Mantwawn Listen to Pentagram - Cartwheel. Also from 1970.

[@firedragon7456]

Crossrocker is also very heavy

[@Brey]

@@firedragon7456 True

[@MapacheOculto]

Plastic Thunder sounds straight out of Nirvana's Bleach...I guess it's the other way around huh. Cool song, had never heard of it before. They sound like a fuzzier and heavier 13th floor elevators. The Sonics' cover changed a couple of chords and they made that song sound waaaay heavier, I prefer these chords changes over the original ones. She's got eyes is another that surprised me, the only thing comparable that year would have been Cream.

[@peddr.o]

sounds more like mudhoney tbh

[@peddr.o]

sounds more like mudhoney tbh

[@b_rabbit435]

1970 should be Black Sabbaths self titled song.

[@evandominguez5054]

I LOVE the songs in 1968 and 1971, my all time heavy favs

[@emporax]

Those are 2 of my favorite songs too.

[@FrankieTeardrop1998]

Heaviest song of 1968 has to be The Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray"

[@ocpofficialrep7026]

I feel like helter skelter was the heaviest song of 68

[@steamstream777]

Or I’m alive by Johnny thunder

[@ryderdejong]

Or sister ray by the velvet underground

[@hybridgarden]

No sabbath?

[@45overdrive]

The idea is to have obscurities represented, as I stated in description :)

[@jacobcrozier]

Everything on here blew my brains out my head

[@aaronjv]

Thank you! I already knew/have most of these, but Bedemon was new (reminded me of Pentagram, now I know why), and JPT Scare Band was like an ice cold beer after years of warm piss.

[@cjboyden77]

You forgot Skull Crusher, Iron Claw. I think 1971?

[@Brey]

1970.

[@thebigjimmyd]

How Nantucket Sleighride by Mountain wasn't chosen for 1971, I'll never know. That song is like Sabbath & Zeppelin had a baby.

[@kj-killahh]

Caledonia by Cro-Magnon is heavy and released in 69’

[@Aqua.man045]

No its not. Its just noisier

[@Brey]

​@@Aqua.man045 What about Cromagnon - First World of Bronze.

[@dduck3576]

dude make more videos like this

[@kabiam]

I don't know about 1966. All I know is songs on the album Fresh Cream were heavier that what was played.

[@emporax]

i would've used night sun for 1972.. also jpt scare band is super epic

[@harrycook9041]

If you need one for '62, I'd say Misirlou by Dick Dale.

[@45overdrive]

Good one!

[@carlosalbertogomez1391]

what about MC5 and The Stooges?

[@impalaman9707]

"Black To Comm" from 1968 and "I Gotta Right" from 1972 are serious thrashers!

[@carlosalbertogomez1391]

@@impalaman9707 also "gotta keep movin'...sounds just like motorhead

[@redraven3769]

I found out that The JPT Scare Band - King Rat was recorded in 1976 (they mentioned it somewhere in the liner notes) and not in 1975 as well. Although, yes, it all has been released in 1990s.

[@45overdrive]

I did put c. before they year as in circa, since I wasn't able to verify the year of recording at the time of making the video, and I felt like king rat just had to be included.

[@redraven3769]

@@45overdrive I understand it and saw that "circa". By the way, it was your video that helped me to find every piece of music but the very first one (I knew neither of the 10 remaining ones, but learned and added every piece of them in my playlist, I listen to Shylock and King Rat the most). Too bad that Bedemon, Bitter Creek and He and the Others are not in the music library I use for it. I wonder what if I or somebody else does a bigger list of proto-metal he personally likes in the format of video like yours. I have lots of things to add - Sir Lord Baltimore, High Tide, Sudden Death, Iron Claw, Crime (not quite metal and rather punk, but still), Clear Light, Captain Beefheart, Budgue, Dust, the United States of America, possibly Andromeda, as well as much more known Beatles, Velvet Underground, Deep Purple, Who, Black Sabbath, Motorhead/Hawkwind, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, MC5, Queen, Stooges, Arthur Brown.

[@45overdrive]

@@redraven3769 that is very nice to hear, it was the whole idea behind the video :) I think that if you decide to expand on this list, it would make for a terrific video! You should totally try and do it. I preffered the shorter format of 1 song per year but expanding on it would make for a great video.

[@redraven3769]

@@45overdrive I tried to do at least some research. Currently I found only 3 songs from 1950's I personally would pick and would consider rather "proto-metal" than "proto-hard", would it be for "riffing", or especially heavy sound: James Cotton - Cotton Crop Blues (1954) C'mon Everybody - Eddie Cochran (1958) Kid Thomas - Rockin' This Joint Tonight (1959) - actually way too speedy and heavy for 1950's, sound like it's predating stuff from 1968-1969. Then Misirlou (1962) and already The Who - The Ox (1965). Sadly, too many song names produced before 1965 I've found listed as "proto-metal" seem to be rather proto-hard or proto-punk than proto-metal. That includes The Kinks, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Screaming Lord Sutch, Chuck Berry's music I've checked, Howling Wolf, Phantom - Love Me, Link Wray - Rumble. Sadly didn't found anything so far before 1954, thought there are lots of hard songs like Roy Brown - Butcher Pete (1949) and Billie Holiday - What A Night, What A Moon, What A Girl (1935). They rather just don't sound enough "metal". But sill much closer to my own definition of "metal" than lots of 1950s and 1960s stuff I've listened. Hope that some blues or jazz tunes from that era would be just what I'm searching for. But among 90 songs I've found so far (my playlist of heavy metal and proto-metal before 1980 and NWOBHM style of making metal) it was both weird and pleasing to find Kid Thomas - Rockin' This Joint Tonight, Consumers - Anti, Anti, Anti, and Johnny Pate - You're Starting Too Fast.

[@redraven3769]

@@45overdrive I also found out that Sonics - Louie Louie was from 1966 and not 1965 as it's on your video. Because it's from their second album from 1966, not from the first from 1965. Please, make a note about this and King Rat date of 1976 instead of 1975. I have however a good "replacement" for 1965: The Betterdays - Honey What's Wrong was from February 1965.

[@dougmcauliffe2253]

Love the addition of Buffalo, though I def feel like Sabbath deserves a nod or two with their first 3 albums

[@gereniccc4487]

Where's Futilist's Lament by High Tide?

[@45overdrive]

Distortions of darkness are heavier

[@anothersettlementneedsyour9628]

Bit disappointed “Plastic Shotgun” by Night sun isn’t here. And “Electronic Insides and Metal Complexion, Make up Herr Dr. Krieg” By Riders of The Mark Great list anyway

[@thaenebrissss_96]

You should check out the 1972 self-titled album from the band called Bang

[@vucskogabor9896]

Cool list I know it's based on obscurities, just asking, if you would include non-obscure songs either, would there be any difference in the list?

[@45overdrive]

I guess there would be some, mostly towards the 70s. I would keep the 60s the same

[@waltuh11121]

Yeah because Black Sabbath did some heavy stuff in the 70s and Judas Priest was starting in the mid 70s sooo

[@emporax]

@@waltuh11121 sin after sin is really the only judas priest song worth mentioning. but still not the heaviest song that year

[@samsonslmpson1986]

Helter skeltor was 1968

[@66Flux]

Kingdom Come by Sir Lord Baltimore?

[@lemmykilmister7772]

Hard rain fallin and Lady of fire too 🤘

[@impalaman9707]

SUNN amps started in the Northwest by the bass player from the Kingsmen, and they were America's only serious rival to the UK's Marshall amps in the mid-60s. I would imagine that was what the Sonics were playing through on the first song, as they were also from the Northwest of America. Then the MC5 started using them

[@goobersquad6008]

Love blue cheer

[@JJNet777]

Bro where is Helter Skelter

[@KevinYeetPokemon]

Careful with that axe Eugene from pink floyd

[@agentstanley29]

Budgie - She's as Hot as a Docker's Armpit (1973)

[@metal-magazine]

Plastic Thunder sounds like they started Grunge in the 60s.. sounds like Nirvana basically

[@Boop__Doop]

Where's "I'VE GOT BLISTERS ON ME FINGERS"

[@brianwinkler8183]

I am interested when the first "fuzz" sound, like natural tube distortion made it's way into recordings, on purpose. 1965 seems like when it started taking hold. The Yardbirds definitely did so by '66 and then took off there.

[@liltree8382]

I don’t like heavy music but I love surf music and the first instance of fuzz pedal used is in 1962 by The Ventures song is called 2000 pound bee part 2

[@hombrerusode40anos72]

What about Queen's "son and daughter" or "modern times rock n' roll" on 1973?

[@westter8164]

They sound like a blend of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and I would argue that the stuff they made was heavier

[@hombrerusode40anos72]

@@westter8164 but the songs ln this video are not heavier than Sabbath or zep

[@westter8164]

@@hombrerusode40anos72 well that's not my fault

[@hombrerusode40anos72]

@@westter8164 and who is saying that?, I was talking to the guy who made the video

[@westter8164]

@@hombrerusode40anos72 what, you replied to me that neither Zeppelin or Sabbath weren't in the video and I said it wasn't my fault

[@bougarti]

wheres helter stelker

[@ForARide]

The Attack - Strange House (1968): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKiQloaNq8alaJYsi=AHn36aJTDsAiVElG

[@foxgloveXmusic]

parts of plastic thunder sounds like proto nirvana. even the voice

[@nile8686]

blue cheer!!!

[@madmaxfalcigno]

The song by the 31 flavors is actually called distortions of darkness, not come and get it

[@45overdrive]

Corrected in the description :)

[@phoenix21studios]

it seems Plastic Thunder was released in 1970 not 1967

[@kiimawittu_]

Man, I could fill this list with The Who!

[@45overdrive]

Hah, too mainstream for this list

[@SrRona]

and black sabbth

[@德米特里-g9z]

OMG, Bedemon is almost Celtic Frost!

[@War_Meister_Records]

Should've put Jacula for 1969 its practically proto black metal

[@michelst14]

Louie Louie 65 AND ESP 67 are not good choices in my mind because they are cover versions ..... for 65 i have no idea, but for 67 'Purple haze' and 'Interstellar overdrive' are maybe too well-known for your list , 'Red sky at night' by the Accent could be ok

[@gregsmith7949]

Great proto Punk and Metal represented here. In retrospect, so many of these bands were ahead of their time.

[@kamatsutra7031]

Heaviest song in 1968 is Helter Skelter

[@Amaralde]

Missing Sir Lord Baltimore, Yesterday Children, High Tide

[@lemmykilmister7772]

Sir Lord Baltimore is the shit

[@vitaminaereas]

1:43 sounds like a very gloomy shoegaze song 😂

[@vandalking8341]

For me Blue Cheer invented heavy metal music!!!

[@Aqua.man045]

Far out dude

[@On_Dust]

This is what i say too. For me the first hard rock band was the kinks. But the first heavy metal band is definitely blue cheer. Sabbath just happened to be more famous.

[@Manowar9]

Iron Butterfly - 1967 predated Blue Cheer

[@donald60s14]

Jimi Hendrix invented Heavy Metal music. Just listen to his guitar playing from his 1967 tracks. He wasn’t just heavy fuzz, the riffs legit sound like they were coming out of the 70s and 80s. Highway Chile, You Got Me Floatin, Little Miss Lover.

[@jjisthename8269]

Helter Skelter is the best

[@user-jn7bq8wh1e]

Heaviest in 1967 could be Born to be wild... '72 would be Highway star 74' Burn Did jim morrisson, Cream etc make some heavy stuff? How r u defining heavy? I do like this list of unknown/less known bands

[@Frodojack]

In the description he wrote that he's just using obscure bands. "Born To Be Wild" was from 1968, but again Steppenwolf isn't an obscure band.

[@johnnycastellanetta7183]

Check out Snakebite by Stone Axe. I found that song and replayed it at least 5 times. I like it much better than Slave of Fear.

[@matiassalinas4353]

Helter Skelter?

[@45overdrive]

Not obscure enough for this list!

[@matiassalinas4353]

45overdrive but yes heavy enough

[@hombrerusode40anos72]

@@matiassalinas4353 no

[@matiassalinas4353]

Hombre ruso de 40 años si

[@hombrerusode40anos72]

@@matiassalinas4353 amigo, la canción que apareció es mil veces más pesada que helter skelter, pero los fans de los beatles insisten en que ellos crearon el metal y bla bla bla, por supuesto que influyeron en su desarrollo de manera indirecta, pero para el tiempo de helter skelter ya habían cientos de canciones mas pesadas

[@tom181071]

No Arthur Brown, Fire? No Beefheart, Drop Out Boogie?

[@45overdrive]

Too many ideas for a short list :)

[@Ra-wz8wd]

What about Iggy and the stooges I wanna be your dog

[@45overdrive]

Too well known for this list!

[@Ra-wz8wd]

@@45overdrive still it was one of the heaviest songs in the 60s

[@45overdrive]

@@Ra-wz8wd no doubt about that

[@sergbill]

1970 and not Black Sabbath - maybe Iron Claw - Skullcrusher

[@45overdrive]

Iron Claw would've definitely been a cool entry! Hasn't crossed my mind when making the list, though. My bad.

[@espo6970]

So I guess the guy that made this video never heard of Sabbath? They had the heaviest album and songs of 1970,71,72,73 and 1975. The only reason they didn't have the heaviest song in 74 was because they didn't make an album in 74. There is NO HEAVIER MUSIC than Sabbath those years, NONE!!! It only takes a listen to figure that one out

[@ANDROLOMA]

More than heavy, they were also melodic. Many fail to grant them that too.

[@randomguyontheinternet7940]

God i remember finding The Sonics thinking they were some 90's band that never fit the grunge makretting mold. They're insane and im surprised they werent topping this list. How the hell do boomers just live not knowing most of the good shit from their generation ontop of shitting on todays music.

[@donald60s14]

My grandparents(alive and dead) didn’t even knew about the mainstream bands during the 60s, let alone these obscure bands. They heard about The Beatles but even they were too much for them at the time, and that was the early 60s lol

[@KevinKohlhase]

They could all fit in the Brown Acid series.

[@mr.sausage7716]

MAD fucking respect for putting shylock here. heaviest fucking proto-metal song ive ever heard

[@BillCollinsGuitar]

Iron Butterfly Theme belongs on this list, imho

[@hyvemynd605]

3:45 I feel like this is when it actually got heavy. As in todays standard that shit riff is still sludge

[@777RockNRollin]

Honorable mentions; the Who the Ox 1965 ; thats as heavy as it gets, the Beatles it won't be long riff , anything by the Kinks or Music machine

[@beezlus_]

crawdaddy simone by the syndicats (1965) is a notable mention

[@funecheeseofficial3576]

Easy Livin’ by Uriah Heep should of been on this and where is Deep Purple and Sabbath?

[@DonnyDope02]

For ‘71 I would have put Into the void by Sabbath.

[@45overdrive]

A bit too mainstream for this list :)

[@infall_blackmetal]

@@45overdrive mainstreamism shouldnt have anything to do with it.they created what is technically considered the first metal track and was the heaviest band in history at that point.

[@Konalo]

@@45overdrive Black Sabbath's songs are not mainstream, they're just super popular because the band helped shape heavy metal which grew its' roots. If they were mainstream then they would be doing stuff like blues or psychedelic rock that isn't as heavy as Sabbath's album 'Paranoid' was. While there is inspiration off of those they were mostly thinking outside the box. That's what made them famous. The same can be said with Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen: they weren't mainstream, they were original in their art of music. I do get your approach for the video: you wanna show lesser-known songs that were well written for its' time, but you're using 'mainstream' incorrectly. Mainstream is basically following a trend that can make you popular, but you're not being original.

[@Beatrizzzz90]

1969 would be I Want You She's So Heavy by The Beatles

[@lukeriley730]

check out caledonia by cromagnon for 1969

[@PsychedelicGuy]

Plastic Thunder is from 1970 not 1967

[@steamstream777]

Try again on 1965. Listen to out of our tree by wailers

[@impalaman9707]

In 1966. Shadows Of Knight's "Gonna Make You Mine" was WAY more brutal than Him and the Others: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGfamGmkeqqopMU

[@MadCap2025]

Ticket to Ride was a pretty heavy song in '65.

[@neonrust]

Blue Cheer had a wall of amps way before anybody else oh yeah Cheer's summertime blues smokes.

[@clarkthesharkshow9944]

Where is The Who "The Ox" 1965 ,..and country Joe and the fish Superbird ??

[@45overdrive]

Both not so heavy.. in my opinion

[@n1troni]

heaviest list without black sabbath? A band which created HEAVY metal ?? Dont care if they are mainstream but they are the first for a reason.

[@farse1]

and Helter Skelter?

[@impalaman9707]

Not even close to Blue Cheer's "Doctor Please", MC5's "Black to Comm", or Pink Floyd's "The Nile Song"

[@MARK-PAGE777]

💥 *@bodeb828--- IF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE MID TO EARLY 1900S AND BACK BEFORE THEN COULD SOMEHOW HEAR THIS SUDDENLY... AND NOT TO MENTION THE HEAVIEST MUSIC THAT'S BEEN MADE BETWEEN THE 70S AND NOW....MANY OF THEM WOULD PROBABLY SAY SOMETHING LIKE "THE POWER OF THE DEVIL ITSELF HAS FINALLY COME DOWN TO EARTH!"* 🌍🌎😮😱🥳

[@funkster007]

Check out Atomic Rooster- Sleeping For Years

[@Plasmariel]

I thought 1968 would be Helter Skelter

[@impalaman9707]

Not even close to what the MC5, Blue Cheer, and even the Yardbirds were thrashing out that year!

[@socastee_5.097]

Children of darkness and king rat is the only two songs that seems bad ass on this video

[@mr.malapropismus1220]

Plastic Thunder by Bitter Creek is from 1971, not 1967

[@45overdrive]

@@mr.malapropismus1220 description :)

[@doccyclopz]

1968 The Yardbirds - Dazed and Confused

[@shivanxh8491]

I mean helter skelter ?

[@1TakoyakiStore]

That 31 flavors song...

[@BenKrisfield]

Brown Acid.

[@SoftBunnyMommy]

Outside inside is a go to rainy day smoke up vinyl for me got an original press

[@agentstanley29]

1972? Not Under the Sun/Every Day Just Comes and Goes