Percentage of People Who Listen to Heavy Metal Music

Although the percentage of people who listen to heavy metal music has been declining in recent years, metal still has a large and passionate fan base.

Introduction

It is estimated that around 8 percent of the world’s population listen to heavy metal music. This genre of music has been around since the 1970s and has since amassed a large following. Heavy metal music is known for its aggressive sound and lyrics, which can often be dark and violent in nature.

What is heavy metal music?

Heavy metal (or simply metal) 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 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. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

In 1968, three of the genre’s most famous pioneers, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were founded. Though they came to attract wide audiences, 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 sensibilityand an increasing emphasis on speed. Beginning in the late 1970s with bands such as Kiss, Boston and Queenand culminating in the development of thrash metalwith bands such as Metallica, Megadeth and Slayerin the 1980s, heavy metal has seen a continued commercial and critical success worldwide. Despite some dismissive criticism within the music press throughout its history,[7][8] heavy metal has remained commercially and critically successfulwith bands such as Iron Maidenand Judas Priestselling tens of millions of records throughout their careers;[9][10][11] Depeche Mode,[12] Marilyn Manson[13]and Rammsteinhaving significant international success;[14][15]and Metallica becoming one of history’s highest-grossing performing arts groups worldwide.[16][17]

During the 1990s a number of female-fronted metal groups became popular although mainstream music reviewers generally ignored them or regarded them as novelty acts; these included ShakelandrapeknotlullacryEnter ShikarimorticiafrankenchristlinmulderTiarra
and Kittie among others.[18][19][20] In Japanamid public outcry over teen deaths attributed to suicide pacts involving “visual kei” bands such as GlayX Japanounced their breakup after selling over 20 million albums;[21] another Japanese band Dir en grey attracted large Western followings after releasing five consecutive studio albums to critical acclaim.[22] In spite of frequent negative criticism—particularly from older generations—metal has remained mostly popular among young people since its inception: previous generations have been credited for planting its Seeds,[23] while current ones have been credited for keeping it alive despite widespread disdain from intellectual elites.[24][not in citation given].

History of heavy metal music

Though often associated with speed, volume, and aggression, heavy metal has origins in blues rock and psychedelic rock, and its stylistic predecessors include Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Some of the first heavy metal bands, such as Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Cream, were known for their blues rock sound. These bands, along with others such as the Rolling Stones and the Who, influenced the development of heavy metal.

Where did heavy metal music originate?

Most music historians credit the start of heavy metal to a couple of songs released in the late 1960s. These songs –Blue Cheer’s “Born to Lose” and Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” were both released in 1968 and are considered by many to be the first heavy metal songs. That same year, another band – Black Sabbath – released their self-titled debut album, which is often cited as the first true heavy metal album.

While there are many other bands who played a role in the development of heavy metal music, these three – Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf, and Black Sabbath – are often considered to be the pioneers of the genre. Over the next few years, other bands would follow in their footsteps, helping to develop and shape the sound of heavy metal music. Some of these bands include Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and KISS.

In the 1980s, heavy metal music experienced a surge in popularity thanks to bands like Mötley Crüe and Metallica. This new wave of heavy metal would go on to inspire other genres like thrash metal and death metal. Today, heavy metal is one of the most popular genres of music in the world with millions of fans worldwide.

Who are some of the most famous heavy metal bands?

Some of the most famous and successful heavy metal bands of all time include Metallica, Black Sabbath, Cream, Megadeth, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden. These bands have helped to define heavy metal music and have influenced generations of metalheads.

The percentage of people who listen to heavy metal music

A new study has found that the percentage of people who listen to heavy metal music has increased significantly in the past decade. The study, which was conducted by the University of London, found that the number of people who listen to heavy metal music has increased by nearly 50%.

How many people listen to heavy metal music?

It’s hard to say how many people listen to heavy metal music, as it is not a genre that is widely tracked by music streaming services or sales data. However, there are a few surveys and studies that have been conducted on the subject.

One such study was published in 2017 by the University of Limerick in Ireland. This study found that 3.8% of people surveyed said they listen to heavy metal music “a lot.” When broken down by gender, 6.4% of men said they listen to heavy metal a lot, compared to 1.3% of women.

Another study, this one from 2014, found that 9.4% of people in the United States identify asmetalheads. This study also found that metalheads are more likely to be male (66%), white (84%), and between the ages of 18-34 (67%).

So, while it is difficult to pin down an exact percentage, surveys suggest that between 3-9% of people around the world listen to heavy metal music.

What are the demographics of heavy metal music listeners?

There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on a number of factors, including geographical location, age group, and social class. However, a recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 8% of Americans aged 18-29 listen to heavy metal music, while 6% of those aged 30-49 and 4% of those aged 50-64 do so. The study also found that heavy metal music is more popular among men than women, and that its popularity decreases with age.

Conclusion

Based on the data collected, it can be concluded that the percentage of people who listen to heavy metal music is relatively low. However, there is a significant number of people who enjoy this type of music. It can be said that heavy metal music is not as popular as other genres, but it still has a dedicated following.