Probably the hardest top 10 list I have made as their are countless influential metal bands out there. I also decided to cut Led Zeppelin and KISS from the list. Although their sound and style can still be felt today in metal, they themselves aren't metal and I had to draw the line somewhere. In honor of Spinal Tap recording a new album, this one goes to 11.
#11 Motley Crue
In the 80's, no band was bigger than Motley Crue. Love them or hate them, they defined metal for an entire decade.
#10 Napalm Death
Napalm Death are the godfathers of the grindcore genre and have influenced bands from Carcass to countless death metal bands.
#9 Death
Led by the late guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, Death was one of the forefathers of death metal music.
#8 Metallica
Early Metallica was at the forefront of thrash along with Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth and Exodus.
#7 Manowar
With Manowar's fantasy based lyrics, they have influenced many or today's top power metal bands from Hammerfall to Dragonforce.
#6 Motorhead
Having started in the mid 70's, Motorhead's vocalist and axeman, Lemmy Kilmeister has influenced bands from black metal to thrash and beyond.
#5 Celtic Frost
Having influenced bands from Metallica to Nirvana, Celtic Frost introduced metal to a gloomy gothic sound and influenced countless black metal bands.
#4 Venom
The bands blackened death metal sound and lyrics about religion influenced many of the metal bands today. Venom are a major influence on today's thrash scene.
#3 Judas Priest
One of the best bands out there with several timeless classics under its belt. Judas Priest has dominated the NWOBHM scene since its' inception.
#2 Iron Maiden
Still going strong today, Iron Maiden have been a force since the 70's.
#1 Black Sabbath
How could Black Sabbath not top this list? You can trace back so much to Sabbath, from guitar riffs to tones.
