[Ads-l] Antedating of "Heavy Metal" (Music)

[Laurence Horn]

> On May 8, 2020, at 7:59 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:
> 
> The OED's first citation for the term "heavy metal" referring to a type of music is dated 1973.  I have previously pointed out that Wikipedia's article on "heavy metal music" has an excellent discussion of early uses of "heavy metal," with the oldest mentioned occurrence in reference to a type of music being in Rolling Stone magazine, May 11, 1968.
> 
> The following citation reveals a 1967 usage:
> 
> 1971 _Journal of Popular Culture_ Winter 589 (ProQuest)  _Wet Dream_. Words and music by Ed Sanders. Copyright (c) 1967 by Heavy Metal Music Inc.

Some irony involved here, since the classic Fugs love ballad in question is about the farthest from heavy metal of any song this side of Schubert’s lieder.  Have a listen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX0N4uCeOww

(Note that the YouTube video appears under an incorrect title—the singular as above is correct, not the plural.)

LH
> 
> Interestingly, the earliest citation for the term "punk rock" in the OED is a 1970 Chicago Tribune article quoting Ed Sanders.
> 
> Fred Shapiro
> 
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