Motorhead

Motorhead formed in London in 1975, founded by bassist and vocalist Lemmy Kilmister following his dismissal from Hawkwind. The classic trio of Lemmy, guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke, and drummer Phil Philthy Animal Taylor defined the band's sound on Overkill (1979), Bomber (1979), and Ace of Spades (1980) — records that bridged punk and heavy metal before either genre had fully crystallized. Too fast for metal and too heavy for punk, Motorhead occupied a genre of their own. Lemmy's distorted, midrange-heavy Rickenbacker bass through a Marshall Super Bass nicknamed Murder One became one of the most recognizable sounds in rock. The band influenced Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and virtually every thrash and speed metal act that followed. Lemmy died on December 28, 2015, four days after his 70th birthday. Clarke died in 2018. Taylor died in November 2015.