First heavy metal song?

[Texas King]

In your opinion what was the first heavy metal song?

I would say this one:

 

[Needs More Cowbell]

Or maybe 1968's Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf which used the term Heavy Metal Thunder in the lyrics

 

[That 70s Guy]

Or maybe 1968's Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf which used the term Heavy Metal Thunder in the lyrics

This.

 

[joe]

 

[Jake T]

Fire - The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

 

[Dave78]

I know Blue Cheer and The MC5 are both frequently mentioned retrospectively for perhaps being Metal before Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zep were recognized as being Metal, but I'm going to go a year earlier to 1967 and nominate Jimi Hendrix with "Purple Haze" (but even "Foxy Lady" could be another "first metal song"). I don't think there was anything as heavy earlier than Jimi. Fresh Cream from 1966 isn't as heavy, imo, so still Jimi.

 

[Needs More Cowbell]

One of the earliest influences, particularly the shock-value, devil worship, insane screaming vocal...
From 1956
'Screaming" Jay Hawkins
A performance that must have given adults heart attacks

 

[Hydrazoic Acid]

First heavy-metal song - Sabbath's "Paranoid", first doom-metal song - "Black Sabbath". These guys were much more metal'ish, than Purple, Heep and Zeppelin. That's my opinion.

P.S. But yet, pure, 100% heavy-metal appeared along with Priest's albums in the end of 70's (particularly, such a songs like "Exciter" and "Stained Class") and with NWOBHM (Diamond Head, Saxon, Iron Maiden). It was a time, when the style finally formed, I think. More earlier samples of the genre were "hard'n'heavy", but not pure "metal".

 

[joe]

One of the earliest influences, particularly the shock-value, devil worship, insane screaming vocal...
From 1956
'Screaming" Jay Hawkins
A performance that must have given adults heart attacks

Wow. I've never seen the floor this lowered before.

 

[nedkelly]

I seriously believe it to be this one.