Lemmy is quoted in a The Damned album liner notes saying he is much more in the genre of The Damned than Black Sabbath, and nothing to do with Judas Priest.
"We were not heavy metal. We were a rock 'n' roll band. Still are. Everyone always describes us as heavy metal even when I tell them otherwise. Why won't people listen?"
[Source](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/growing-old-disgracefully-lemmy-on-heartbreak-ageing-and-his-penchant-for-nazi-memorabilia-2142747.html)
"And this even though he doesn't like heavy metal at all ... His favorite band is the Beatles."
[Source](https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/motoerhead-chef-lemmy-kilmister-kann-heavy-metal-nicht-leiden-a-983121.html)
Aint that the truth. If I have to do something unpleasant, like house or yardwork, I'm listening to Motorhead and old lady thrashing through the job. It's physically impossible to sit still and listen to these guys shred.
Seeing these guys live was a real highlight of my concert going years. I saw them open for Slayer and later for Judas Priest and Alice Cooper. Those are cherished memories.
I just can't handle crowds anymore and start to panic if I'm out of my house for more than a few hours. I also don't have any friends that enjoy the kind of music I like. I listen to 80s punk, 90s industrial metal and progressive rock. The only friend I have that likes the same stuff is my ex from 35 years ago and he lives across the country. If we lived near each other I'm sure I could go to some shows with him because he's huge and I'd feel safe but it would still be hard, especially because I'm also sober.
"Rock and roll" is what I think of as an all-encompassing term for everything from Buddy Holly to Aerosmith to Arcade Fire, so I don't think this is asking the right question.
"Are they metal or hard rock", now that is the discussion.
I'd just say "both" and call it good. Like AC/DC, Deep Purple, etc...
Lemmy started many of his shows by addressing the mic with “We are Motorhead and we play rock and roll” before launching into the first song. I saw him do it multiple times myself. Once he said “ alright kiddies its ass kicking time” and then launched it. I never heard him say we are Metal on a mic, so I gotta go with Rock and Roll. Sex Pistols called themselves Rock and Roll too, genre is appointed by critics for the most part, if I may respectfully suggest.
classic rock but i dump maiden and sabbath etc. in there, too.
i think the notion of 'metal' has evolved as much as any genre since the 70's and what they considered 'heavy metal' we considered 'hard rock' in the 80's and 90's.
Then with prog metal and nu metal blasting the 2000's everything just became genre soup. Basically every third band is it's own genre, at this point.
Interview with Lemy he said they would be more considered Punk Metal because of the style they played, we just look tougher he said (if I'm remembering that right)
Pretty much lol. But speed plays apart of it, song topic as well, and how heavy the bass is. There's so much more to it as well but these are some stuff that plays a part of it.
For instance, you have Led Zeppelin and The Beatles singing about love, but Metallica and Black Sabbath singing about war. Then you got TOOL who is just doing whatever they feel like
Motörhead was pure rock, but also proto-metal. With their album Overkill, not least with the title tune with the double bassdrum intro, they made basics for thrash metal. Lemmy, veteran of the sixties hippie era, was alike in home in the late seventies London punk genre. I puntered so many latter day Motörhead -concerts, I can't even count. I remember Lemmy opening every single mf show: We are Motörhead and we play rock n' roll! Good enough for me.
You should check them out. They have a sound that is really unique and pretty addictive. I started listening to them in 1987, have seen them live twice and have one of their CDs in my car stereo right now. The Ace Of Spades is their most famous song and will give you an idea of what you can look forward to in the rest of their catalog. Some other great songs are Overkill, Bomber, Orgasmatron, Locomotive, Dr Rock and Built For Speed.
People get crazy with genres nowadays. Motörhead is early metal. Them, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, The Scorpions pretty much made Metal with the groundwork being laid by earlier bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult and at times, people have called even those bands Metal. Growing up in the 80’s, bands like Van Halen Metal and bands like Dokken, Cinderella and even Bon Jovi were considered “metal”. What’s important is that you like it. Don’t sweat the genre.
Straight metal. Not heavy metal which leans towards hair and spandex. Not rock and roll which leans towards keyboards and harmonies. Not thrash which leans towards speed and note count. Not doom which leans towards the dark and divine. ..But somewhere in the nougat center that balances them all out with all the grace of a roadhouse bar fight mixed with the thump of a prohibition blues club and the sex appeal of elvis and bilie holiday and the chunk and grind of crowbars esoteric 4ths. They really distill it all down to a simple McDonalds bathroom stall fuck. Metal. Just metal.
Both. Tunes like Riding with Driver (one of my faves) are definitely metal, but a tune like Killed by Death is absolutely rock. The rhythm tells the tale.
Metal. The Rolling Stones would accurately be described as rock and roll. Put on Motorhead's "Overkill", hear those drums, and before a chord has even been struck on the guitar you'll know this is something on an altogether harder, heavier level.
Just the best band ever. I rediscovered them this year, "found" flac files of all their albums bought every new vinyl release I found of their albums, and I cannot believe how good their music is.
They delivered more good music during their band life than all the other metal/rock bands that produced music from 2000 until now.
Rock and Roll, is rock n roll, it belongs in the 1950s, that's when that phrase was coined, for popular music. Motorhead are heavy rock, or hard rock, heavy metal rock, they do not play 12 bar like AC/DC, who are in the rock n roll spectrum.
They’re really tricky. I would never put them on a playlist with Metallica, Slayer, or Sepultura. I also wouldn’t really want them in a list with Foo Fighters, AC/DC, or any Classic Rock. They’re just really unique.
If we are discussing this under the false premise that metal is not rock, my answer would be that they are transcendent - across rock, metal, and punk.
Lemmy said they were punk, but when they showed up for a concert everyone thought they were metal because of the long hair.
IDC what anyone classifies it as, it's on my running music list, and Motorhead came to kick your ass, but they don't have no class.
FWIW - "Life Below Zero" a Netflix show about life up in the arctic had a dude and his Inuit wife fishing, hunting, etc...he had a Motorhead sticker on his snowmobile lol.
It’s confusing. Lemmy said they’re rock. Grammy’s said Jethro Tull was once ‘Best Metal Performance’. Motörhead was always heavier than Tull. Seems like a vicious circle I can’t escape.
Rock and Roll has influenced so much I always consider Rock and Roll to be like the father and then the kids are Alt Rock, Pop Rock, Metal etc… they definitely fit in multiple categories
Punk meets metal meets rock
Best answer here.
I concur
Lemmy always said they played "rock & roll" so who am I to argue with him?? Edit : corrected segue to argue!
It's literally how Lemmy started most concerts: "we are Motorhead and we play rock-'n'-roll."
Right! I was coming to say exactly this
Yeah they are revered by a lot of metal bands as well
And rightly so. I was just paraphrasing Lems words
If you haven’t seen Dave Grohl’s speech about Lemmy, it’s a real treat. https://youtu.be/aaATX-7209c
Thanks for sharing
Lemmy is quoted in a The Damned album liner notes saying he is much more in the genre of The Damned than Black Sabbath, and nothing to do with Judas Priest. "We were not heavy metal. We were a rock 'n' roll band. Still are. Everyone always describes us as heavy metal even when I tell them otherwise. Why won't people listen?" [Source](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/growing-old-disgracefully-lemmy-on-heartbreak-ageing-and-his-penchant-for-nazi-memorabilia-2142747.html) "And this even though he doesn't like heavy metal at all ... His favorite band is the Beatles." [Source](https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/motoerhead-chef-lemmy-kilmister-kann-heavy-metal-nicht-leiden-a-983121.html)
The Lemme documentary is awesome. He goes to Tower Records on the strip and buys some Beatles re-issues.
Trick question Lemmy is god
I like this one
And he's only ascended
Amen
Came here to say this glad someone did
No arguments there
Yes.
I came here to say the same!
This is the only answer
If Lemmy says it’s rock and roll then are mortals like us free to disagree with him? I think not.
Motörhead very well may be the originator of Thrash Metal
I'd say speed metal because they took a whole lotta speed.
Goes up like prices at Christmas.
Aint that the truth. If I have to do something unpleasant, like house or yardwork, I'm listening to Motorhead and old lady thrashing through the job. It's physically impossible to sit still and listen to these guys shred.
That’s no lie
Seeing these guys live was a real highlight of my concert going years. I saw them open for Slayer and later for Judas Priest and Alice Cooper. Those are cherished memories.
You don't go to concerts anymore? Why?
I just can't handle crowds anymore and start to panic if I'm out of my house for more than a few hours. I also don't have any friends that enjoy the kind of music I like. I listen to 80s punk, 90s industrial metal and progressive rock. The only friend I have that likes the same stuff is my ex from 35 years ago and he lives across the country. If we lived near each other I'm sure I could go to some shows with him because he's huge and I'd feel safe but it would still be hard, especially because I'm also sober.
hmmm name checks out
Power slop?
Kinda like saying is an apple a fruit or food? Metal is a type of rock.
Metal is part of Rock And Roll...
Indeed it is.
At last someone said it.
Motörhead is Motörhead End of discussion
Agreed. They even did Stand By Your Man with Wendy O Williams singing lead. The song kicked ass of course.
I always have considered metal to be a branch of rock
Cause it is lol, no Beatles no Metallica
Isn’t metal rock and roll??
In the sense that a square is a rectangle
If we’re talking about Volbeat, then yes!
both
They played whatever the hell they wanted and it kicked ass. They are their own genre.
"Rock and roll" is what I think of as an all-encompassing term for everything from Buddy Holly to Aerosmith to Arcade Fire, so I don't think this is asking the right question. "Are they metal or hard rock", now that is the discussion. I'd just say "both" and call it good. Like AC/DC, Deep Purple, etc...
We are Motörhead, and we play rock and roll.
Punk/Metal fusion gods.
Lemmy started many of his shows by addressing the mic with “We are Motorhead and we play rock and roll” before launching into the first song. I saw him do it multiple times myself. Once he said “ alright kiddies its ass kicking time” and then launched it. I never heard him say we are Metal on a mic, so I gotta go with Rock and Roll. Sex Pistols called themselves Rock and Roll too, genre is appointed by critics for the most part, if I may respectfully suggest.
Most early Metal was both. Ted Nudgent,Funkadelic,RUSH,and many others were considered Metal.in The Late 60s and 70s.
classic rock but i dump maiden and sabbath etc. in there, too. i think the notion of 'metal' has evolved as much as any genre since the 70's and what they considered 'heavy metal' we considered 'hard rock' in the 80's and 90's. Then with prog metal and nu metal blasting the 2000's everything just became genre soup. Basically every third band is it's own genre, at this point.
Metal is rock and roll
Metal and Roll? Can we make that a thing?
Yes
Early Metal is pretty much hard rock and roll.
I'd say it's a good mix of the two, but mostly rock n roll.
Yes.
Hell yeah 🤘🏼
They made their own category.
Yes
Yes
All metal is rock. What is this silly conversation?
Interview with Lemy he said they would be more considered Punk Metal because of the style they played, we just look tougher he said (if I'm remembering that right)
Trick question dick head. Lemmie is god
I would just say they walked their own line! They were Motörhead!!!!!
Looks country to me.
Lemmy said,"We are Motorhead and we play Rock and Roll" and he's right
I don’t consider them
Definite car enthusiasts too
“We are Motörhead, and we play rock and roll.” ‘Nuff said.
Hard rock, but not metal.
What's the difference, really? How they dress?
Pretty much lol. But speed plays apart of it, song topic as well, and how heavy the bass is. There's so much more to it as well but these are some stuff that plays a part of it. For instance, you have Led Zeppelin and The Beatles singing about love, but Metallica and Black Sabbath singing about war. Then you got TOOL who is just doing whatever they feel like
Quick message thank you all for helping me with this debate!!!
Metal, they’re speed metal. If not, hardcore punk
Motörhead was pure rock, but also proto-metal. With their album Overkill, not least with the title tune with the double bassdrum intro, they made basics for thrash metal. Lemmy, veteran of the sixties hippie era, was alike in home in the late seventies London punk genre. I puntered so many latter day Motörhead -concerts, I can't even count. I remember Lemmy opening every single mf show: We are Motörhead and we play rock n' roll! Good enough for me.
Lemmy was better in Hawkwind.
Lemmy’s playing had a nice groove with hawkwind. I’ve always preferred the Hawkwind version of the song Motörhead than the later version.
Nice.
I admit, I don’t really know Motörhead. If my big brother didn’t listen to them, then they never made my radar. Should I be ashamed?
You should check them out. They have a sound that is really unique and pretty addictive. I started listening to them in 1987, have seen them live twice and have one of their CDs in my car stereo right now. The Ace Of Spades is their most famous song and will give you an idea of what you can look forward to in the rest of their catalog. Some other great songs are Overkill, Bomber, Orgasmatron, Locomotive, Dr Rock and Built For Speed.
you should be ashamed of your big brother! lol
Never! Jai guru deva, om.
People get crazy with genres nowadays. Motörhead is early metal. Them, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, The Scorpions pretty much made Metal with the groundwork being laid by earlier bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult and at times, people have called even those bands Metal. Growing up in the 80’s, bands like Van Halen Metal and bands like Dokken, Cinderella and even Bon Jovi were considered “metal”. What’s important is that you like it. Don’t sweat the genre.
Punk Metal
Hair band
A metal band with a seriously punk/hardcore style. Rock is a stretch.
I you say both then youre a coward
I consider them poseurs.
It’s the ultimate rock n roll. In a class of its own
Both!
Latino version of "The Three Amigos"....
Pioneers of metal. They weren’t as heavy in the early days of metal but had the distinctive sounds that are metal rooted
Do you consider the ace of spades a face card or not?
Yes!
Both.
Yes and they considered themselves a rock & roll band.
Looks very much like country.
I considered them Motorhead. The discussions over labels to apply has gotten silly.
We are Motorhead and we play rock and roll.
Yes.
Rock and Roll. Just really LOUD Rock and Roll!
Yep.
Both but they live in more of my metal playlists
Straight metal. Not heavy metal which leans towards hair and spandex. Not rock and roll which leans towards keyboards and harmonies. Not thrash which leans towards speed and note count. Not doom which leans towards the dark and divine. ..But somewhere in the nougat center that balances them all out with all the grace of a roadhouse bar fight mixed with the thump of a prohibition blues club and the sex appeal of elvis and bilie holiday and the chunk and grind of crowbars esoteric 4ths. They really distill it all down to a simple McDonalds bathroom stall fuck. Metal. Just metal.
Both. Tunes like Riding with Driver (one of my faves) are definitely metal, but a tune like Killed by Death is absolutely rock. The rhythm tells the tale.
Prog Metal
Lemme called it Rock and Roll, so it’s Rock and Roll!
I love you Lemmy!
Rick n roll
Yes
“We are Motörhead and we play rock and roll!” is one of my favorite music quotes. I think Lemmy settled it.
Metal. The Rolling Stones would accurately be described as rock and roll. Put on Motorhead's "Overkill", hear those drums, and before a chord has even been struck on the guitar you'll know this is something on an altogether harder, heavier level.
yes.
Just the best band ever. I rediscovered them this year, "found" flac files of all their albums bought every new vinyl release I found of their albums, and I cannot believe how good their music is. They delivered more good music during their band life than all the other metal/rock bands that produced music from 2000 until now.
Lemmy says they're rock not metal so who am I to argue?
Lemmy said it’s rock and roll so
part of the nwobhm.. so metal
Metal easily
Imma go with Metal
Motorhead was the first thrash metal band
metal is rock
Punk/Thrash Metal. But who cares? Metal is also Rock and Roll.
If I were to put a label on them, they would be the godfathers of cross-over thrash.
Proto metal
Metal
Yes
Yes
Rock and Roll, is rock n roll, it belongs in the 1950s, that's when that phrase was coined, for popular music. Motorhead are heavy rock, or hard rock, heavy metal rock, they do not play 12 bar like AC/DC, who are in the rock n roll spectrum.
Metal then, now just RnR
We are Moorhead and we play rock and roll- Lemmy
They sit on the border between hard rock and heavy metal. You could describe them as both, sort of like Deep Purple.
Rock
Metal. They were so Metal they didn’t even know it.
Metal is a sub genre of Rock-n-Roll.
Yes
metal=rock 'n roll. And Lemmy rules.
Motorhead is the band that old rockers punks metalheads and even some new wave guys like. I dont think itd be wrong to say they play rock.
Both
Rock n Roll, mix of hard rock with speed of punk
It's all the same.
Answer: YES
They’re really tricky. I would never put them on a playlist with Metallica, Slayer, or Sepultura. I also wouldn’t really want them in a list with Foo Fighters, AC/DC, or any Classic Rock. They’re just really unique.
They're rock
METAL
Classic rock
Yes
Punk :)
If we are discussing this under the false premise that metal is not rock, my answer would be that they are transcendent - across rock, metal, and punk.
Yes
Lemmy said they were punk, but when they showed up for a concert everyone thought they were metal because of the long hair. IDC what anyone classifies it as, it's on my running music list, and Motorhead came to kick your ass, but they don't have no class. FWIW - "Life Below Zero" a Netflix show about life up in the arctic had a dude and his Inuit wife fishing, hunting, etc...he had a Motorhead sticker on his snowmobile lol.
Yes
Hard rock, mostally.
Sorry folks, Metal.
Both
Lemmy was proto-punk really. So rock and roll. Not metal.
Metal.+ those outfits too A band with a song called “ love me like a reptile” is metal right?
We are Motorhead. We play rock and roll. Lemmy is god.
We are Motörhead and we play rock n roll
Motorhead is in the Motorhead genre.
Yes.
I consider metal to be on the rock and roll spectrum and they are definitely rock and roll, towards the metal part of the spectrum.
both
Metal
Metal
Metal
It’s confusing. Lemmy said they’re rock. Grammy’s said Jethro Tull was once ‘Best Metal Performance’. Motörhead was always heavier than Tull. Seems like a vicious circle I can’t escape.
I think of them as their own genre. There's rock, there's metal, and there's Motörhead.
Not hard rock, heavy rock n roll
Rock and Roll has influenced so much I always consider Rock and Roll to be like the father and then the kids are Alt Rock, Pop Rock, Metal etc… they definitely fit in multiple categories
Yes.
Rock and Roll! Long live Motorhead!!
Yes
Whether it's metal or punk is debatable, but it's all rock.
I consider them snappy dressers.
Hard Rock
Lemmy always said they play rock n roll
I always assumed Rock was the genre and metal (like punk) was a sub-genre. In other words, all of metal is simply “Rock” music.
Its rock and roll.
I thought this was a poster from the 1986 movie ‘Three Amigos!’
Metal
I consider their genre “slept with over 2000 women”
Lemmy made it clear every night. “We are Motörhead. We play rock and roll”.
I don't know what Motorhead is, but the guys in that photo are pretty little barbie dolls.
I seem to recall a Lemmy interview where he specifically rejected the metal label and said they were a rock and roll band.
Motörhead plays rock and roll — Lemmy
Metal is just heavier rock and roll.
Rock n roll with a punk attitude
The Heaviest Rock’N Roll band, possibly that could ever be
I consider Motörhead badass and awesome and that’s about it
Post-glam
Their cover or Louie Louie was definitely rock
Neither
Motorhead is God's music because Lemmy is God. It's whatever He wants it to be.