Claim: Led Zeppelin were a musical group.

Heavy metal -LRB- or simply metal -RRB- is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s , largely in the United Kingdom and the United States . With roots in blues rock and psychedelic/acid rock , the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick , massive sound , characterized by highly amplified distortion , extended guitar solos , emphatic beats , and overall loudness . Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo .   In 1968 , the first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences , though they were often derided by critics . During the mid-1970s , Judas Priest helped spur the genre 's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence ; Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed . Beginning in the late 1970s , bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein . Before the end of the decade , heavy metal fans became known as `` metalheads '' or `` headbangers '' .   During the 1980s , glam metal became popular with groups such as Mötley Crüe and Poison . Underground scenes produced an array of more aggressive styles : thrash metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica , Megadeth , Slayer , and Anthrax , while other extreme subgenres of metal such as death metal and black metal remain subcultural phenomena . Since the mid-1990s popular styles have further expanded the definition of the genre . These include groove metal -LRB- with bands such as Pantera , Sepultura , and Lamb of God -RRB- and nu metal -LRB- with bands such as Korn , Slipknot , and Linkin Park -RRB- , the latter of which often incorporates elements of grunge and hip hop .