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

[Baker, John]

According to New York State online records at the Division of Corporations, Heavy Metal Music Corp. was formed as a New York corporation on August 17, 1966.  That's probably the same as the "Heavy Metal Music Inc." referenced below.  In any case, that pushes the antedating back to 1966.


John Baker


From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Shapiro, Fred
Sent: Friday, May 8, 2020 10:02 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Antedating of "Heavy Metal" (Music)

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Very interesting, Larry. I think many of the names for genres of popular music had a prehistory where they were used in very general senses or in reference to music different from what we now associate with the term. This may be true of rock and roll, punk rock, heavy metal, gospel music, rhythm and blues, and others.

Fred Shapiro


________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>> on behalf of Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU<mailto:laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>>
Sent: Friday, May 8, 2020 8:50 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
Subject: Re: Antedating of "Heavy Metal" (Music)

> On May 8, 2020, at 7:59 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU<mailto: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://nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRX0N4uCeOww&data=02%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40yale.edu%7Cf009b3f30d094ce5d29808d7f34e75a0%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637245390617851760&sdata=80S5GgLGjchUdvL5uxDpk1olFbXmvmfpZp4Zf4L5EyE%3D&reserved=0<https://nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRX0N4uCeOww&data=02%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40yale.edu%7Cf009b3f30d094ce5d29808d7f34e75a0%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637245390617851760&sdata=80S5GgLGjchUdvL5uxDpk1olFbXmvmfpZp4Zf4L5EyE%3D&reserved=0>

(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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