Metal Music

Heavy metal has long had a following of fans known as "metalheads" or "headbangers". Although early heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath attracted large audiences, they were critically reviled at the time. As the original wave of metal bands began to wane, the late 1970s brought the New Wave of British Heavy Metal,

Heavy metal became broadly popular during the 1980s, when many now-widespread subgenres first evolved. Variations more aggressive and extreme than metal music of the past were mostly restricted to an underground audience; others, including glam metal and, to a lesser extent, thrash metal went on to mainstream commercial success. In recent years, new styles such as nu metal have further expanded the definition of the genre.