Big 4

With so many waves and decades behind the music, crowning the genre's kings isn't easy.

It's ironic to apply the thrash metal designation to a subgenre that a young Metallica or Slayer would have openly abhorred.

A solid foundation is absolutely crucial.

Teamwork can really pay off.

These four guitarists have had the most influence on the evolution of rock music.

One of them basically invented the genre. Another opened the door for its pop transformation.

Defining folk rock is a paradoxical task, to say the least.

The label originated as a pejorative, but the subgenre still has its undisputed tentpole bands.

See which artists shaped the subgenres as we know them. These are the big four bands of 27 different rock and metal subgenres.