The Best Heavy Metal Music of 1973
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Looking for the best heavy metal music of 1973? Look no further than this blog post, which highlights some of the greatest metal tunes from that year. From Black Sabbath to Led Zeppelin, there’s something for everyone here.
1973 in Review
The year in music
It was a big year for music in 1973, with a number of different genres and subgenres reaching new heights of popularity. Disco was on the rise, and so were a number of other dance-oriented styles. Classical music also saw a resurgence, thanks in part to the phenomenon of “switched-on Bach.”
But it was also a big year for heavy metal. A number of bands released debut albums that would go on to become classics, and several established acts delivered records that would cement their legacy. Here are some of the best heavy metal albums of 1973.
Deep Purple – Machine Head
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Aerosmith – Aerosmith
Blue Oyster Cult – Tyranny and Mutation
The year in politics
On January 20, 1973, Richard Nixon was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States. The Vietnam War continued to rage on, with no end in sight. In the Middle East, the Yom Kippur War broke out, pitting Israel against a coalition of Arab nations. At home, the Watergate scandal continued to dominate the headlines.
It was against this backdrop of political turmoil and social unrest that heavy metal music began to take shape. Bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple were creating a new sound that was louder and more aggressive than anything that had come before. This new sound had a dark edge to it that reflected the anxieties of the times.
In 1973, Black Sabbath released their fourth album, “Vol. 4.” The album featured the band’s biggest hit to date, “Paranoid.” The song was an instant classic, and it helped to cement Black Sabbath’s reputation as one of the premier heavy metal bands of all time.
Led Zeppelin also released a new album in 1973, “Houses of the Holy.” The album featured the hit single “Over the Hills and Far Away.” “Houses of the Holy” was another commercial and critical success for Led Zeppelin.
Deep Purple also released a new album in 1973, “Who Do We Think We Are?” The album featured the hit single “Woman from Tokyo.” ” Who Do We Think We Are?” was another commercial and critical success for Deep Purple.
This was a banner year for heavy metal music. These three albums helped to define what heavy metal would become. They laid the foundation for a new genre of music that would go on to dominate popular culture in the years to come.
The year in culture
1973 was a banner year for heavy metal, with many of the genre’s classic and defining albums released. Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, Black Sabbath’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Deep Purple’s Who Do We Think We Are and Kiss’ debut album all hit shelves, while Alice Cooper released his breakthrough album Billion Dollar Babies.
That said, it wasn’t all good news for metal in 1973. The genre was still fighting for legitimacy in the eyes of both the mainstream music industry and the general public, and it would be a few more years before metal would truly break through into the mainstream consciousness. Still, there were plenty of great metal albums released in 1973, so let’s take a look at some of the best.
The Best Heavy Metal Music of 1973
There are many great heavy metal bands that formed in 1973, but only a few released albums that are truly considered classics. These are the bands that set the standard for heavy metal music and are still influencing bands today. If you’re a fan of heavy metal, then you need to check out these albums.
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1973 was a great year for heavy metal music, with many groundbreaking albums being released by some of the genre’s most influential bands. Black Sabbath’s fifth studio album, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, is widely considered to be one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. The album features some of the band’s most popular and enduring songs, such as “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and “A National Acrobat”.
Deep Purple – Who Do We Think We Are
Released in late 1973, “Who Do We Think We Are” is the seventh studio album by British rock band Deep Purple. It was the last album recorded with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover before their exit from the band, and marks a shift in the group’s sound towards a more hard rock/heavy metal direction. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #228 on their list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and it has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 28 March 1973 by Atlantic Records. It was recorded between February and October 1972 at venues across North America and Europe, including Olympic Studios, London, and Headley Grange, Hampshire.
The album artwork was designed by the group’s collaborator Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis and features images of children on a beach at Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. It made extensive use of background vocals, keyboards and electrical effects and represents a change in direction from their fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV (1971).
Houses of the Holy topped record charts in both the UK and US for Jimmy Page’s guitar work and John Bonham’s drumming on songs like “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “The Song Remains the Same”. The album has been certified 11-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making it Led Zeppelin’s second best-selling album in the United States after their untitled fourth album. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 149 on their list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Rainbow – Rising
Rainbow’s debut album is full of the exuberance and technical wizardry that would become the band’s signature style. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and singer Ronnie James Dio waste no time in announcing their presence with authority, delivering one of the all-time great metal albums in the process. If you’re looking for classic heavy metal at its finest, look no further than Rainbow’s Rising.
UFO – Phenomenon
UFO’s Phenomenon is one of the best heavy metal albums of 1973. It was released by Chrysalis Records and was produced by Leo Lyons, Andy Parker, and Bernie Marsden. The album contains some of UFO’s most popular songs such as “Doctor Doctor,” “Rock Bottom,” and “Shoot Shoot.”
