Blue Cheer: first heavy metal band?

If you have to pick one band, it's Black Sabbath. Blue Cheer while not entirely dissimilar to metal, sound more psychedelic than heavy. Blue Cheer were likely infuential though.

If you get a chance, watch the Metal Evolutuion TV series that is airing on VH1. It's quite good, and it traces Metal back to it's roots. Some of the episodes are on their website too.

http://www.vh1.com/shows/metal_evolution/series.jh...

Blue Cheer Band

Blue Cheer Youtube

This question can go on for ever . Theres Blue Cheer , MC5 , Iggy and the Stooges , Sabbath . I would say that Blue Cheer , MC5 were the first "heavy" bands . I would say Sabbath was the first heavy metal band . Sabbath brought a darkness (in the sound , in the lyrics and in the music) into it that the others didn't have .

What about the Sonics?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMtk5Lor_0E

or The Ventures (that heavy fuzz tone guitar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTwq7wll1Ao&feature...

Check out Yesterday s Children. My favorite track is "Hunter s Moon". Impressive and EARLY heavy stuff.

MC5 - 1964?

proto-metal

http://www.anus.com/metal/about/history.html#metal...