The Top 20 headbanging songs by non-headbangers
This list from Martin Popoff brings back memories of those fierce songs you discovered by bands who rarely rocked out. It was always fairly amusing, although sometimes a disaster, because you took your allowance money and went and bought the album and the rest of it was kinda wimpy, right? Or that’s usually what the metal kids would think. — Pat Prince
Thanks, boss. That definitely happened to me more than a few times back in the ‘70s, although with most of these I feel like I was able to suss out that the heavy song was going to be an aberration. In any event, let’s re-live some of the most famous examples of this phenomenon, with the emphasis on famous, because there’s all manner of examples I’ve heard cited over the years which, when I check them out, fall pretty flat and thus are sort of more personal picks, especially given that they weren’t hits. —Martin Popoff
By Martin Popoff
Here are the Top 20 headbanging songs by non-headbangers...
20. REO Speedwagon – “Heavy on Your Love”
I often joke about how heavy this very generalist Midwest rock band’s albums looked and yet how they were always fairly tepid. But I remember seeing Nine Lives at Koo’s TV in Trial, BC, and thinking, “This might be the one.” It wasn’t, but “Heavy on Your Love” rocked appreciably, with KREM-FM radio playing it a fair bit out of Spokane, Washington. But it’s a conservative heartland band’s idea of heavy metal, with vocals that don’t quite rise to the challenge in terms of fry, and the production sounding a bit southern rock.
19. Focus – “Hocus Pocus”
Focus were a ponderous prog band, and Dutch to boot, which is worse than being American, when we all know every proper prog band has to come from the U.K. In any event, “Hocus Pocus” was a sensation, due mostly due to its laugh-out-loud yodelling, but also because the song’s surprise riff was better than most Black Sabbath and Deep Purple riffs, and the tone on Jan Akkerman’s guitar was like an electric drill to the head. What emerged, in early 1973 in North America, was an extreme case of one-hit-wonder, because nothing ever crept even remotely above total obscurity before it or after. Still, as with most songs on this list, the lesson learned is that heavy metal is exciting music, and more people are drawn to it than one would think, even if it’s perhaps subconsciously.
18. Frank Zappa – “Valley Girl”
The rest of Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch is typical top-shelf Frank Zappa, but this surprise novelty hit was a doomy, raucous heavy metal song, topped with Frank’s daughter Moon Unit nattering on about her “val” concerns in heavy valley girl accent and argot. Frank’s been heavy in other spots, but this is his most pure and intentioned expression of metal riffing.
17. Dire Straits – “Money for Nothing”
OK, I think this song is crap and also not that heavy, but I always use it as an example of how anybody can crank out a bit of a dopey riff with some distortion on it and out comes people’s inner metalhead. At my end, I love Dire Straits to death, but it’s for the expected reason, namely all of those albums full of beautiful guitar from Mark Knopfler that sounds like a cross between flamenco and David Gilmour, plus his mumbly Bob Dylan voice.
16. Jefferson Starship – “Jane”
This had to be on the list, because I totally remember consuming it in the spirit of this exercise, namely quite liking it and knowing or caring nothing about Jefferson Starship. It was quietly famous among hard rock fans, given its on-the-nose power chords, although even that portion, at the verse, is a little close to heartland or Midwest rock, you know, sort of Sammy Hagar on Standing Hampton or Three Lock Box. But yet again, a generalist rock band walks on the wild side and is rewarded for it, with “Jane” (from 1979’s Freedom at Point Zero) getting to No. 14 on the Billboard charts, and No. 13 here in Canada, where it lives on across classic rock airwaves to this day. Eight certifying albums in a row for these guys. Pretty impressive.
15. Brownsville Station – “Smokin’ in the Boys Room”
Like other tracks here, a heavy metal band picked up on this song and covered it, namely Mötley Crüe. But I can tell ya from experience, as a kid, I was always disappointed with those heavy-looking Brownsville Station album covers (in particular the one at hand, Yeah!) and their more retro-rock insides. Still, Cub Koda and Co. managed to rock out on this transgressive number, turning it into a bit of a hit in 1973, projecting the naughty words with significant vocal fry and menacing chords, BTO boogie rock chorus notwithstanding.
14. The Cars – “Candy-O”
The smash debut was recorded heavier, and indeed it was more guitar-y overall, but the comparatively sparse and minimal Candy-O sported this title track that featured a sort of Ritchie Blackmore Egypto-metal riff, and we loved it. It’s spooky, mysterious, and unlike anything else in the catalog. But like I say, I recall being somewhat on board with the sort of heft and action of much of the self-titled debut more so, despite it being power pop.
13. The Smiths – “How Soon is Now?”
Kind of an odd choice, but again, I’m amused at how one of the top three most famous Smiths songs has nothing to do with their much-lauded mandate and identity. “How Soon Is Now?,” originally just a B-side, is sort of the band’s “Bullet the Blue Sky,” with a thumping rhythm and atmospheric, noisy and famously throbbing electric guitars, as opposed to Johnny Marr’s usual acoustic strumming or jangly, clean electric playing.
12. Edgar Winter Group – “Frankenstein”
Sure, part of it is pretty much fusion with synths, but the main riff is very Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord circa Machine Head, plus the title is pretty darned metal. From They Only Come Out at Night, “Frankenstein” actually shot to No, 1 on the Billboard charts, albeit for a single week, in May 1973. Still, it became and remains a classic rock radio staple, again, because of its marauding heavy metal riff as well as its early use of fresh and futuristic synthesizers.
11. Stampeders – “Wild Eyes”
Growing up, this was the brother track to “Crazy Horses,” so squarely a rockin’ song from a goofy band, in fact, one of those bands where you struggle to understand what the point was, given their April Wine-lite meets Dr. Hook mien and disposition. But at “Wild Eyes,” a degree of extreme vocal and evil woman lyrics meet up with some Jimi Hendrix chords and even a bit of a doom riff. As kids, we were transfixed… but never by one of their albums. From Calgary, Alberta, and good for about 10 records in the ‘70s, some of them gold in Canada.
10. Neil Young – “Rockin’ in the Free World”
The crusty Rust Never Sleep songs have more of an extreme and electrocuted sound, but 1989’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” is built more like a metal rocker, with the riff and the chug and the pace. Again, it doesn’t have to rely on those ridiculous blown woofer garage guitars of “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” to make the point. I suppose it’s less of a surprise that Neil’s done this now — there’s also the Reactor album and the stuff he did with Pearl Jam — but let’s not forget that his main job across dozens and dozens of songs and albums has been as a folkie. See also “Sedan Delivery” and “Welfare Mothers.”
9. Eagles – “Victim of Love”
The Long Run also had a few turned-up guitars on it, but surprisingly “Victim of Love,” from 1976’s Hotel California, is more forceful than your “Teenage Jail” or “In the City” or “Disco Strangler,” to the point of being the only Eagles song me an’ my buddies could abide by as angry young metalheads. Even the chorus, which finds Joe Walsh playing arpeggiated patterns (or a combination of arpeggiated with slide and a bunch of other weaving tracks), sounds blustery enough, due to the dramatic, somewhat mournful melody. But yes, this one’s a triumph of big banged chords and pregnant pauses.
8. U2 – “Bullet the Blue Sky”
“New Year’s Day” rocked out enough to the point where our bar band in the ‘80s, Torque, covered it, but it’s really “Bullet the Blue Sky” from 1987’s The Joshua Tree album that lives on as U2’s loudest, most brutish track. But it’s all about the drum groove, with its hiccup snare augmentation and punctuation, plus the riff, which is played on bass. Then The Edge does a bunch of divebombing and other full-on distortion-laden noises, making the direction clear. Eyebrows were definitely raised, with this track turning out to be one of the most beloved from this hits-packed record.
7. Robert Plant – “Slow Dancer”
He’s had a long and distinguished solo career, and there have been a fistful of rockers looking ahead (i.e. “Tall Cool One,” “Tie Dye on the Highway” and “Calling to You,”), but “Slow Dancer,” on Plant’s solo debut Pictures at Eleven, is the most flagrant and no-nonsense, as well as a throwback to Zeppelin. Otherwise, it’s been a fascinating journey through many rock styles. Some of them in the ‘80s were trendy, but on the back half Robert’s placed an emphasis on roots music and Americana. But yeah, pretty pointedly, “Smooth Dancer,” with the leaden foot of Cozy Powell thumping out the slow march of a beat, is Robert’s version of “Kashmir.”
6. Robert Palmer – “Jealous”
OK, this is a bit obscure and personal, but yeah, I remember working in a stereo store and having Robert Palmer’s 1979 Secrets album out as a test record and loving how straight between the eyes “Jealous” was. But it’s a valid entry because it was on radio a fair bit, too, which makes sense given how hooky that quick and pure chug on the song is. Great rhythm section on it, too. Look, I had to include it, because it’s pretty much in the top three that come to mind when this concept comes up — interesting how many examples there are from 1979, which is a weird year I’ve talked about in a History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff podcast episode recently, as the worst year career-wise for many of our hard rock heroes.
5. Pat Benatar – “Heartbreaker”
From the 1979 platinum-certifying album In the Heat of the Night, “Heartbreaker” comes on like the heaviest of metals pre-NWOBHM and pre-thrash, but then settles in at an intensity that is more tuneful but still quite eyebrow-raising at the time, especially given the baby doll vocals. Then there’s a leaden half-time part and a hard rock classic is born, with radio accepting the premise, no doubt due to the dichotomy of this music with those vocals. Also cool is that there’s also an equally guitar-charged cover of Sweet’s “No You Don’t” on the album as well.
4. Pink Floyd – “The Nile Song”
“Astronomy Domine” may be cooler, but “The Nile Song”, found on the band’s 1969 soundtrack album More, is heavier, and the heaviest song Pink Floyd ever did. David Gilmour sings it like a man possessed, ands the band modulate through six different keys as they bash about not particularly impressively, especially, again, compared to the song Voivod so awesomely covered.
3. Heart – “Barracuda”
Heart has a fair number of rocking songs, but once more, it’s testimony to the power of a good heavy metal riff — and a good Iron Maiden gallop — that the Wilson sisters’ most extreme song is also their most famous. But then again, it’s so well appointed, with the odd time signature and yet an effortless drum groove from Michael Derosier. Then there’s the tasty, atmospheric guitar bits and that great vocal melody and phrasing from Ann, along with the bright and vital production values courtesy of Mike Flicker. It’s the opening track on 1977’s Little Queen and by vaulting to No. 11 on the Billboard charts, it’s a big reason why that record has been certified at three times platinum.
2. The Osmonds – “Crazy Horses”
“Crazy Horses,” perhaps more so recently due to the nutty chicken-dancing video you can watch on YouTube, is pretty much everybody’s favorite example of this phenomenon, given how heavy it is and given that The Osmonds were a much-ridiculed boy band and TV show. And the song holds up, with Tank famously covering it on their Power of the Hunter album, where it fits right in with the rest of the band’s biker metal. Opening the 1972 Crazy Horses album is a song called “Hold Her Tight,” which is almost as rockin’ (at least at the verse), and very much a re-do of “Immigrant Song.”
1. The Beatles – “Helter Skelter”
“Helter Skelter” doesn’t really sit the same way as many of these do. Although, really, it’s the same situation, where a band veers into unfamiliar terrain. As Paul explained to me once (I still can’t believe I’m saying that), the song was basically an experiment to see how wild and heavy they could get, based on a response to a description of The Who’s “I Can See for Miles.” And he also articulated the narrative of this article, namely that plugging in and turning up like this is fun. Which begs the question why non-hard rock bands didn’t do it more often. But yes, “Helter Skelter” is pretty convincing for 1968, with its doominess, its chaos, its descending riff and its convincing extreme vocal courtesy of McCartney. But you knew The Beatles could likely pull off whatever they put their minds to, didn’t you?
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