10 Iconic Times Metal Music Took Over Mainstream News

Metal music is more than just loud guitars and growling vocals — it’s a culture that has broken into the mainstream in ways that can be downright shocking, hilarious, or inspiring. Over the decades, metal has bulldozed its way into the headlines, leaving a lasting impact that spans from surreal TV moments to historic award wins. In this article, we’ll revisit 10 iconic times when metal music made its way into the mainstream news and left a serious mark on pop culture.

10: Ozzy Bites the Head Off a Bat

When it comes to iconic metal moments, there’s no bigger headline than Ozzy Osbourne’s infamous bat-biting incident. In 1982, during a live show in Des Moines, Iowa, the Prince of Darkness took a bite out of what he thought was a rubber bat thrown on stage. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t rubber.

Ozzy’s bold snack became an instant media sensation, with news outlets around the world covering the bizarre act. Parents were horrified, but Ozzy embraced the infamy. This incident solidified his image as the ultimate metal wild man and at the time, furthered metal’s reputation as music that terrified the mainstream.

9: Metallica is the first Metal band to win a Grammy

In the world of heavy metal, few moments felt as vindicating as Metallica winning the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1990 for their song “One.” This was a huge milestone, as it marked the first time metal was officially recognized by the Recording Academy. Metallica’s victory signaled the genre’s growing legitimacy in the eyes of mainstream media and critics.

Of course, it wasn’t without its controversies. Metallica didn’t win the award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1989, which instead went to Jethro Tull, causing metal fans to question the categorization. However, the following year Metallica's Grammy win felt like poetic justice and earned metal its own category in the Grammy's from then on.

8: Lorna Shore at Lollapalooza 2022

In a major departure from the pop and indie-dominated lineups of Lollapalooza, deathcore band Lorna Shore made headlines in 2022 for their ferocious performance at the legendary festival. Lollapalooza is not typically the place you’d expect to see pig squeals, blast beats, and aggressive moshpits, but Lorna Shore proved that heavy music has a place at mainstream pop festivals.

What made this moment particularly iconic was the audience's reaction. Lollapalooza’s mainstream crowd was blown away by the intensity, and videos of their performance went viral, sparking conversations about the evolving landscape of music festivals.

7: Woodstock '99

Woodstock '99 was supposed to be a celebration of peace, love, and music, but what unfolded was more akin to chaos, destruction, and a reminder of how powerful (and unruly) metal fans can be. Metal bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Rage Against The Machine were among the headliners of this festival, and their high-octane performances helped ignite a powder keg of rowdy behavior.

While the entire festival is remembered for its disastrous ending—riots, fires, and rampant destruction—it also put metal at the center of the controversy. Footage of the bands playing, while chaos unfolded, became etched in the minds of the public, cementing metal’s wild reputation in mainstream news for years to come.

6: Knocked Loose at Coachella 2023

Metal’s infiltration of mainstream music festivals continues, and nothing demonstrated this more clearly than Knocked Loose’s jaw-dropping performance at Coachella 2023. Typically a haven for indie, hip-hop, and electronic acts, Coachella witnessed the raw power of hardcore and metalcore as Knocked Loose took the stage.

The performance was explosive, complete with some of the most energetic mosh pits to be captured on camera. Social media blew up with reactions, and Knocked Loose trended on Twitter for all the right reasons. Huge pop stars like Billie Eilish were watching sidestage and Knocked Loose's performance was an iconic example of metal blowing away a traditionally non-metal festival.

5: Cannibal Corpse in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

In one of the strangest yet most beloved moments for metal in mainstream film, death metal legends Cannibal Corpse made an appearance in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Starring Jim Carrey, the movie sees the eccentric pet detective stumble into a Cannibal Corpse concert, where the band is performing their song "Hammer Smashed Face."

For many metalheads, seeing a band as extreme as Cannibal Corpse in a major Hollywood movie was surreal. The cameo introduced death metal to a whole new audience, giving metal a memorable foothold in pop culture.

4: Sleep Token Signs to RCA Records & Sells Out Arenas in Record Times

Mysterious UK-based metal act Sleep Token has been rapidly gaining traction in the music world, and their signing to RCA Records (alongside major mainstream artists like Shakira, SZA, Britney Spears, and many more) in 2023 made serious waves in both the metal and mainstream music communities. Known for their genre-defying sound and masked persona, Sleep Token represents the future of heavy music’s crossover appeal.

Sleep Token also has made headlines for their 10-15,000 capacity arena shows that sell out in under 10 minutes. This phenomenon is a testament to metal's growing influence in the mainstream, proving that the genre is capable of attracting massive crowds—and mystifying the music industry in the process.

3: Linkin Park's Return

Linkin Park has always held a special place in the hearts of fans across genres, and their return to the spotlight in 2024–7 years after Chester Bennington's death– made headlines on nearly every major news outlet. The band's 2 latest singles "The Emptiness Machine" and "Heavy Is The Crown" have both been in the Global Top 50 since their release. Linkin Park is also the 30th most popular artist in the world by Spotify monthly listeners, showing that hard rock and heavy metal can hold their own in the top global tracks.

2: Metallica Featured in Stranger Things (2022)

If there’s one band that knows how to break into mainstream pop culture, it’s Metallica. In 2022, their classic song “Master of Puppets” was featured in a key scene of the wildly popular Netflix series Stranger Things. The song’s inclusion, performed by the character Eddie Munson during a climactic moment, reintroduced Metallica to a new generation of fans.

The scene quickly went viral, and Metallica’s streams and sales skyrocketed. The band’s reaction to the newfound attention was overwhelmingly positive, and the moment showed how timeless and impactful metal can be when presented to a wide audience.

1: Gojira At The Paris Olympics

In July of 2024, Gojira made history as the first metal band to play at the Olympics. The band's epic performance broke the internet, an unexpectedly awesome crossover that stunned metalheads and mainstream music fans alike.

Gojira performed a metal version of the classic French Revolution song "Ah, Ça Ira!" (which translates to "It'll Be Fine") while atop the French castle Conciergerie as bursts of pyro and blood (red streamers) were launched around them. With beheaded opera singers and a brutal depiction of Marie Antoinette, Gojira's performance was a gruesome yet incredible homage to French history–all while creating metal history.

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