With origins in the Blues, Heavy Metal is characterized by heavily amplified, driving guitar. The earliest artist of this genre may be guitarist Link Wray with "Rumble" in 1958. Other early influences or "proto-metal bands" include Blue Cheer and Iron Butterfly. Heavy Metal developed in both the US and UK during the late 60s and early 70s, with notable representatives including Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. --rockrequiem8
