10 Best Metal Rock Bands

The 10 best metal rock bands have had a major influence on both genres of music.

1. Black Sabbath. Indeed, Black Sabbath probably invented heavy metal. Deservedly, they belong at the top of the 10 best metal rock bands of all time.
2. Rage Against the Machine. These innovative trail blazers blended the metal sound with hip hop, and would go on to inspire such bands as Slipknot and System of a Down to take a similar path.
3. Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden continues to be the most influential, and one of the best metal rock bands.
4. Metallica. Arguably the most successful band to have crossed over from the world of metal into mainstream rock, Metallica continues to rule the roost.
5. Guns n’ Roses. No list of the best metal rock bands would be complete without Guns n’ Roses, though we’re talking about the original line-up here, not the present day version of the band!
6. Judas Priest. Except for a brief three-year hiatus in the 1990's, Judas Priest has been going strong since 1968, making them something like the Rolling Stones of heavy metal.
7. Megadeth. After leaving Metallic, Dave Mustaine went on to start his own heavy metal band, which has arguably been just as influential as his previous.  
8. Aerosmith. These 70's metal pioneers have had a long career and produced such unforgettable tunes as “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.”
9. Venom. Venom is often credited with inventing black metal – and for this reason alone, they belong on any list of the best metal rock bands of all time.
10. Pantera. Blending rock and metal into their own peculiar brand of thrash, Pantera rounds out our list of the best metal rock bands.