The Best Old School Metal Bands for the Heavy Metal Newbie

New to the heavy metal genre or are you trying to introduce someone to the joys and travails of metal? Why don’t you load your playlist with the best songs from the granddaddies of the genre?

• Black Sabbath. Some of their best songs include “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “N.I.B.”

• Deep Purple. Some of their best songs include “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star,” “Soldier of Fortune,” and “Hush.”

• Iron Maiden. Some of their best songs include “Fear of the Dark,” “Man on the Edge,” “Afraid to Shoot Strangers,” and “Holy Smoke.”

• Judas Priest. Some of their best songs include “Painkiller,” “Electric Eye,” “Living After Midnight,” and “Breaking the Law.”

• Helloween. Some of their best songs include “I Want Out,” “Eagle Fly Free,” “If I Could Fly,” and “Dr. Stein.”

• Led Zeppelin. Some of their best songs include “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Immigrant Song,” and “Black Dog.”

• AC/DC. Some of their best songs include “Highway to Hell,” “Back in Black,” “Problem Child,” and “Hells Bells.”

• Motorhead. Some of their best songs include “Ace of Spades,” “Orgasmatron,” “Mean Machine,” and “Just ‘Cos You Got the Power.”

• Dio. Some of their best songs include “Holy Diver,” “Rainbow in the Dark,” “Stand Up and Shout,” and “We Rock.”

• Rush. Some of their best songs include “Tom Sawyer,” “Working Man,” “The Spirit of the Radio,” and “Xanadu.”

• Diamond Head. Some of their best songs include “It’s Electric,” “Helpless,” “All the Reasons You Live,” and “Wild on the Streets.”

• Rainbow. Some of their best songs include “Temple of the King,” “Man on the Silver Mountain,” and “Catch the Rainbow.”

• Def Leppard. Some of their best songs include “Love Bites,” “Two Steps Behind,” “Photograph,” and “Let’s Get Rocked.”

• Scorpions. Some of their best songs include “Wind of Change,” “Still Loving You,” “Always Somewhere,” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”

• W.A.S.P. Some of their best songs include “Wild Child,” “I Wanna Be Somebody,” “Sleeping,” and “Animal.”

• Motley Crue. Some of their best songs include “Home Sweet Home,” “Wild Side,” “Live Wire,” and “Kickstart My Heart.”

• Queensryche. Some of their best songs include “Eyes of a Stranger,” “I Don’t Believe in Love,” “Queen of the Reich,” and “Silent Lucidity.”

• Ozzy Osbourne. Some of their best songs include “Mr. Crowley,” “Crazy Train,” “Over the Mountain,” and “No More Tears.”

• Manowar. Some of their best songs include “Warriors of the World,” “Kings of Metal,” “Fighting the World,” and “Defender.”

• Poison. Some of their best songs include “Fallen Angel,” “Every Rose Has its Thorn,” “Something to Believe In,” and “Life Goes On.”

• Megadeth. Some of their best songs include “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due,” “Hangar 18,” and “Tornado of Souls.”

• Ratt. Some of their best songs include “Body Talk,” “City to City,” “Back for More,” and “You’re in Love.”

• Dokken. Some of their best songs include “Alone Again,” “Just Got Lucky,” “The Hunter,” and “Dream Warriors.”

• Accept. Some of their best songs include “Burning,” “Restless and Wild,” “I’m a Rebel,” and “Breaker.”

• Twisted Sister. Some of their best songs include “I Wanna Rock,” “The Price,” and “I Am.”