Lets talk about some influential Heavy Metal Bands. My personal favourites.

AC/DC

AC/DC

This Australian band was formed by brothers Angus Young and Malcolm Young, and the band's current line up includes Cliff Williams on the Bass Guitar along with Backing Vocals, Brian Johnson bringing in the Lead vocals, Phil Rudd Drumming it up and brothers Angus and Malcolm with Lead Guitar and Rhythm Guitar+Backing Vocals receptively.
Young Brothers' sister, Margaret Young saw "AC/DC" written on a sewing machine, and given the band's raw energy and AC/DC meaning "alternating current/direct current, the band took it up, and thus the name AC/DC. The band almost decided to quit playing after the death of former Vocalist, Bon Scott, but after taking into consideration a lot of Vocalists, they finalised on Brian Johnson, and thus began the era of the AC/DC as we know it today.
With hits like HIGHWAY TO HELL, BACK IN BLACK, LET THERE BE ROCK, YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG, TNT, the band has made its name, so much so, that there's a bronze statue of the deceased band member, Bon Scott, induction into the ROCK AND ROLL Hall of Fame, streets being named after the band in Australia, and Spain, and Butt-head, of the famous Beavis and Butt-head duo, is known to wear a grey shirt with AC/DC written on it. So, Its A Rock And Roll Damnation, if you ask me!
The band features twice on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal songs, with Back in Black, and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap at #4 and #24 respectively.



Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

You think about Black Sabbath and what's the first thing that comes into your mind? Yes, you got it! Its our man Ozzy Osbourne. 
English heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, was found by Osbourne on Lead Vocals, Tony Iommi on the Guitar, Geezer Butler bringing in the Bass and Bill Ward with the Drums. 
While the band has been through a line up overhaul, with Iommi being the only constant member. 
Starting off with heavy blues-rock band named Earth, the band renamed itself and incorporated horror inspired lyrics, while composing songs touching issues such as dangers of drug abuse, social instability, apocalyptic prophecies of the horrors of war, political corruption, to name a few. 
The band, also known as the one of the pioneers of heavy metal are second on "VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list. 
Smelting out hits such as N.I.B, War Pigs, Iron Man, Paranoid, Sabbra Cadabra and the likes, the band has etched its name into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was inducted by none other than Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield, from Metallica.
The band features twice on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal songs, with Iron Man, and Paranoid at #1 and #34 respectively.



Deep Purple

Deep Purple

The English rock band, once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being "the globe's loudest band" was ranked #22 on "VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list.

The band's commercially most successful line-up, which was also their second comprised of Ian Gillian being the Vocalist, Roger Glover on the Bass, Jon Lord on the Keyboards, Ian Paice with the Drums and Ritchie Blackmore on the Guitar. The current line-up has Steve Morse replacing Blackmore and Don Airey replacing Jon Lord.
Smoke on the Water, #37 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal songs, that most famous song on every metal head's mind, is a Deep Purple baby, along with Hush, Woman from Tokyo, Any Fule Kno That, Perfect Strangers, Ted the Mechanic..



Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

The English heavy metal band was formed by the band's Bassist and primary songwriter, Steve Harris. Also known as the pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they have charted US and UK platinum gold albums such as "The Number of the Beast", "Piece of Mind", "Powerslave", "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", "Somewhere in Time", as well as the live album "Live After Death".
The band's current line-up has Steve Harris, Dave Murray, guitars, Adrian Smith, guitars and backing vocals, Bruce Dickinson with the lead vocals, Nicko McBrain, the percussionist, and Janick Gers, also on guitar.
Bruce, the band's lead vocalist, also a pilot by profession, captained the Flight 666, also known as the Ed Force One-the Boeing 757-200, with Ed being Eddie the Head, the band's mascot, for the band's "Somewhere Back In Time World Tour"
Chart toppers such as The Wicker Man, Paschendale, Different World, The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg, Blood Brothers, Fear of the Dark, Aces High, The Trooper, Dance of Death, When The Wild Wind Blows etc., the band has been an influence to various bands and other popular media, such as video game characters and given music to various other media.
The band features twice on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal songs, with The Number of the Beast, and Run To The Hills at #7 and #27 respectively.



Metallica

Metallica

The American Heavy Metal giants are what one could consider the Gods of heavy metal. Influenced by bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Queen, AC/DC, Scorpions as well as the Ramones, Sex Pistols etc, now the band itself is an influence to many new age metal bands.
Formed by the band's current drummer, Lars Ulrich, and later joined by James Hetfield as the Lead vocalist and rhythm guitar. Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, who joined as the Lead guitarist and backing vocalist, was later voted out by the band due to violent behaviour and substance abuse issues. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett, the band's current guitar front man and and backing vocalist. Cliff Burton joined the band but while travelling for the band's tour, their bus flipped over several times, as a result of which Burton was pinned under the bus and killed, while the other band members got minor injuries.
Burton was replaced by Jason Newsted, who was later replaced by the current bassist, Robert Trujillo. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the band is credited as one of the "BIG FOUR OF THRASH METAL", while the other three being Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
MASTER OF PUPPETS, ENTER SANDMAN, THE FOUR HORSEMEN, THE CALL OF THE KTULU, FADE TO BLACK, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, THE UNFORGIVEN I, II, III, ONE, THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES, are amongst the best songs by the band. The band features twice on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal songs, with Master of Puppets, and Enter Sandman at #3 and #22 respectively.



Scorpions

The Scorpions

The German heavy metal band, formed by the band's guitarist Rudolf Schenker-the band's only constant member, boasts of a line-up where all the members provide backing vocals, with the names such as Klaus Meine, the Lead vocalist for all their studio albums to date, Matthias Jabs with the lead and rhythm guitars, James Kottak on the drums and Pawel Maciwoda with the bass.
After announcing retirement, the band came back, literally, with an album called Comeblack, which featured the band's own hits like Rhythm of Love, No One Like You, The Zoo, Rock You Like A Hurricane, Blackout, Still Loving You, Wind of Change, and tributes to various artists like Gloria Jones (TAINTED LOVE), T. Rex (CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION), the iconic Beatles (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), the Rolling Stones (RUBY TUESDAY) among others..
Ranked #46 on "VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock", the band's known for the 80s rock anthem "ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE" and also many other singles like NO ONE LIKE YOU, BLACKOUT, WINDS OF CHANGE, YOU AND I. ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE has been ranked #31 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs of all times.