Revisiting America's Hard 100 (25-1)
One year ago we asked you, the fans, to help us decide the 100 greatest hard rock and heavy metal songs of all time. We compiled our list of classic rock and metal jams and asked people to vote on their favorites to help us determine where they landed on our countdown list which was then broadcast as America’s hard 100. Well you know, it turns out, you guys were wrong.
Well, no not exactly wrong, we were wrong, look, it’s doesn’t matter who was wrong but what we hadn’t counted on was that some bands, whose appeal is bigger than just those of us who are hard rock and heavy metal maniacs, would garner more votes than some of the biggest, most importance bands in rock history and when those aforementioned heavy metal maniacs saw the final ranking, man, were they pissed! Not that those bands are bad but you know, as we say here in New York City, what’s right is right.
So in honor of this year’s National Metal Day we’ve re-calculated votes, taken user comments from online and Facebook into account, and re-ranked America’s Hard 100. We’ll be rolling out 25 songs at a time all weekend leading up to National Metal Day this Monday November 11th and we’ll also be posting an important announcement about everyone’s favorite cable TV show about all things hard rock and heavy metal. We can’t say what the new is just yet nor can we say the show’s name but it rhymes with Fat Kettle Crow so see if you can figure it out and now please enjoy America’s Hard 100 Revisited (25 through 1).
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
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25. Poison “Talk Dirty To Me”
As blues great Howlin' Wolf said, "The men don't know, but the little girls understand."
24. Heart “Barracuda”
One of hard rock's greatest riffs powers this flanged out anthem from the uber-talented Wilson sisters and crew.
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23. Scorpions “Rock You Like A Hurricane”
German metal vets hit the main stream with this classic from 1984.
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22. Twisted Sister “I Wanna Rock”
One of the most unforgettable songs and videos of the 1980s metal revolution.
21. Alice Cooper “Eighteen”
A proto-metal classic of adolescent angst from the Godfather of shock rock.
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20. Bon Jovi “Living On A Prayer”
Bon Jovi are sort of like the Bruce Springsteen of glam metal, only cuter and harder rocking, as heard on this radio anthem.
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19. Alice In Chains “Man In The Box”
Giants hooks, loud guitars, amazing vocals, grunge moodiness and metal power combine in this AIC classic.
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18. Aerosmith “Dream On”
The metal power ballad circa ' 73.
17. Motley Crue “Dr. Feelgood”
L.A.'s consummate bad boys came back from the brink to issue the awesome track and album of the same name.
16. Deep Purple “Highway Star”
The band that initiated hard rock's love affair with speed were seldom more powerful than on this monster song.
15. Slayer “Raining Blood”
The evilest band in history defined their career with the title track from the greatest thrash album of all time.
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14. Pantera “Walk”
Texas tough guys kept metal alive in the '90s with hard assed riff monsters like this one.
13. Kiss “Rock And Roll All Night”
The song that turned these made up outcasts into superstars and one of the greatest rock n'roll songs of all time.
12. Van Halen “Hot For Teacher”
Some guys just want to have fun and it helps if you've got the greatest guitarist in the world in your band too.
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11. Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads “Crazy Train”
The ex-Sabbath singer snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when he unleashed this classic metal radio hit.
10. Def Leppard “Rock Of Ages”
Metal in the video age. When these pop-metal megalith's set their mind to rocking, rock they did.
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9. Guns N’ Roses “Paradise City”
They say grunge killed glam but really it was G'N'R. Or maybe they saved it and took it on down to Paradise City where it became rock n'roll.
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8. Judas Priest “Breaking The Law”
If Sabbath were the first heavy metal band, fellow Birminhammers Priest were the first "Heavy Metal" band and breaking the law is always metal.
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7. Dio “Rainbow In The Dark”
The signature song of one of the greatest singers, hard rock, metal or otherwise, of all time.
6. Led Zeppelin “Immigrant Song”
One of rock's greatest bands seldom rocked harder nor heavier than on this Viking tome.
5. Metallica “For Whom The Bell Tolls”
The biggest metal band in the world put the world on notice that change was coming with this rampaging number off their second album.
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4. AC/DC “Back In Black”
The title track from the biggest selling hard rock album of all time. 'Nuff said.
3. Motorhead “Ace Of Spades”
New wavers knew the jig was up when Lemmy and crew coughed out this fleet-footed classic. The sound of the future.
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2. Iron Maiden “The Trooper”
The band who made more metal heads than any other seldom got any better than this dual guitar military anthem.
1. Black Sabbath “Paranoid”
You could argue forever about what's the greatest hard rock or metal song of all time but consider this is the first hit song by the first true "heavy metal" band and besides it rocks to all high holy hell.