Motorhead’s Role in Rock ‘n’ Roll

Motorhead was a great band that made immense contributions to Rock ‘n’ Roll as a genre and as a lifestyle. The band originated in England, and was created by the only constant member in the group – Lemmy Kilmister.

They paved the way for a brand new wave of British rock and heavy metal. They are often credited with the re-emergence of heavy metal back in the early 80’s. The band had many successful albums and songs, particularly during the golden age of Eddie Clark rocking out on guitar and Phil Taylor smashing the drums. This pair of rock legends were huge contributors to the over 15 million albums sold.

23 albums, 12 compilation albums and 5 EP’s later, the band recognized 40 years of success and a lengthy career. The peak of this success came in the early 1980’s when there was a re-emergence of hard rock. Motorhead had several number 1 hits during this time, mostlyin the UK.

Their style is a combination of heavy metal, punk and thrash metal. However, if you ask the band, they feel they play rock ‘n’roll, not thrash. Unfortunately their success came to a halt with the passing of Lemmy, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer as well as heart failure in 2016.

The following albums tipped the band into the top tier with the other elite bands mentioned on the site:

1) Overkill

2) Ace of Spades

3) No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith

Each of these albums featured songs that were both catchy and enjoyable but also had a deeper meaning for those who cared to look. Songs about war, good vs. evil, power and hierarchy, sex , abuse and gambling (hence the album name Ace of Spades).

Motorhead paved the way on the international scene, proving that Rock ‘n’ Roll was not and is not exclusive to the United States.