These heavy guitar songs walked so that metal could run. Let’s look at 5 songs that were arguably ahead of their time and what they did for the proto-metal era.
5 Heavy Guitar Songs:
All About Proto-Metal:
- Heavy Metal didn’t just happen overnight. The brave artists of these songs were responsible for laying the foundations of what we know today.
- The attributes of heavy guitar songs were already there. Even in the 1960s, bands were pushing the capabilities of amplifiers, as well as what was acceptable over the ariwaves.
- Proto-metal combined rock, blues, and even early signs of punk. Bands following these trends helped push rock louder and faster to create metal as we know it today.
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
In our first look at heavy guitar songs before metal existed, we’re jumping back to 1964. I feel like I, amongst others, have spoken about this Kinks classic several times. Whether it’s the pioneering power chords or distinctive distortion on a budget, this song is so important.
Looking at You Really Got Me through 2026’s eyes, it’s not even remotely heavy. Contextually, you have to remember what was going on at the time. Mods and Rockers were seen as satanic groups by your mother, and Blue Suede Shoes was wildly erotic according to your grandmother.
Therefore, to go from clean open chords to crispy power chords was a bold move. Moreover, we know this song had legs; just think of Van Halen’s 1978 cover. But how did Dave Davies get his distorted guitar tone? Taking a razor blade to the speaker cone of an AC55 amplifier ought to do the trick.
Helter Skelter – The Beatles
Next up in our look at heavy guitar songs, we’ve got Helter Skelter by The Beatles. A slightly later release, rock was moving away from rock n’ roll, and psychedelia was moving in. However, there are still traces of metal in this White Album nuget.
On this occasion, it’s not that the guitar tone is particularly distorted; it’s the rate at which the Fab Four are playing their instruments. Essentially, they’re hitting as hard as they can! Just listen to the intro; the B and high E strings are ready to snap based on how hard they’re being hit for the intro riff across the 3rd, 2nd and 1st frets.
Rhythmically, Helter Skelter uses a lot of quavers, be that in the intro or the chorus. Quavers are played as one and two and three and four and within one bar. Having no gaps in the melody gives the track its heavy vibe. This is also a great example of where rock starts to shift, as the chorus is similar to an open blues in A, just scuffed up around the edges a little. Even Mötley Crüe had a go with this heavy guitar song in 1983.
A long way from Love Me Do, and I Wanna Hold Your Hand. George Harrison laid down some really cool parts during his time with The Beatles. However, Helter Skelter and I Want You were the heaviest, heavy guitar riffs that he dared to come up with. What’s even more impressive is that he was only 26 when the band split.
Kick Out The Jams – MC5
Sticking with the swinging sixties, we’re looking at a proto-metal song that channels the anger and rebellion that the genre became. Released in 1969 by MC5, Kick Out The Jams caused quite a stir.
You can’t really miss it, but this heavy guitar song features some profanities in the lyrics, which ultimately led to the band being dropped by their record label. Arguably, this is a punk track. However, the fuzzy guitar and bass tones are just evil compared to other tracks from the time.
I’ve included Kick Out The Jams in this list of heavy guitar songs before metal existed for two reasons. The track is a heavy song by sound, and also because of how much controversy was generated around its release. It fits the metal vibe so well.
Paranoid – Black Sabbath
From songs that could be considered heavy, to a legitimately heavy guitar song. Black Sabbath started it all. This has nothing on other tracks such as N.I.B. or War Pigs, but you have to remember, this was released in 1971. At the same time, Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep was a hit!
Aside from Ozzy’s timeless vocals, it’s Tony Iommi MBE’s guitar work that has inspired 50 years of guitar players. The recipe is so simple: *SG, *treble booster, and power chords.
What set Iommi’s tone apart was his use of The Woman Tone. Used by others such as Eric Clapton and Peter Green, this tone is achieved by rolling off the tone on your guitar. Played on the neck pickup through a cranked tube amp, you’ve got a pretty mean combination. We owe so much to Black Sabbath.
Race With The Devil – Gun
For our final look at heavy guitar songs before metal existed, we’re looking at Gun’s horror movie theme, Race With The Devil. When it comes to film and music genres coming together, horror and metal go hand in hand.
The fast 160bpm feel of this song aids with the metal feel. Moreover, the four-to-the-floor drum beat provides a constant driving beat that at the time would have felt very heavy indeed.
However, if you listen to the rhythm guitar behind the lead, you can hear 12-bar blues. It’s still swung, nodding to the blues and rock routes, but I would still call this a heavy guitar song. It manages to stay clear of the whole glam rock movement of the time too, with bands such as The Sweet and T.Rex becoming more mainstream and accepted. Gun were real rockers, striving for Metal. Inspiring Judas Priest and more.
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