Why Does Metal Have the Most Loyal Fans?

With some genres, artists' fans come and go. But with metal, fans seem to stick with their bands (ie:Iron Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, etc). Why is that?

I'm not sure they do. Look at Phish, the Dead, etc. etc.

not sure they do. Slayer still gets sh*t, as does any band with a rabid following. fans are fans. they are going to support the band till the end. Genres do not matter. that goes for metal, country, rap, etc.

XYZ wrote:

With some genres, artists' fans come and go. But with metal, fans seem to stick with their bands (ie:Iron Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, etc). Why is that?

I think outside of the Top 40 stuff, most fans of music tend to stick with the artists. Look at all the classic rock bands that havent released anything new in decades but still draw thousands...

I think that music is tied to emotion and for a lot of people the stuff you listen to in your formative years (and the music you turn to when things get $hitty) is the stuff you always will listen to and have a sentimental response to it. Peace.

I was talking to my friend about something like this today, how the cd age is pretty much dying,but a lot of the metal people still buy them. Where as a lot of other genres I think most people just look for that one hit song they heard on the radio. Yes all genres have their fans of course but it always seemed to me like the metal fans are more loyal for their music. I have no idea why that is.

One reason is that, in a way, being a Metal fan is it's own lifestyle. Metal fans WANT the music...they WANT hard-copy (CD, vinyl, etc)...they WANT the T-Shirt...they WANT the torn ticket stub...they WANT the patches/stickers/pins/etc...it's a badge of honor in some ways to call one's self a Metal Fan. They want their prizes displayed for all to see because they are proud. Pride breeds loyalty.

Metal fans are true music lovers. They are not fair weather music fans that only listen to what's hip and new. As evidenced by this webiste, metal fans are music fans and many (not all) have a wide range of musical interests. Metal and rock in general is swarming with great (and mediocre, let's be fair) musicians unlike "characters" who just sit and look pretty like pop or who can talk and rhyme real fast, wear their pants past they're a$$, and have criminal records like rap (not all, but what image comes to mind when you hear rap?).

I'm not loyal to metal at all. I started liking it when I was in my teens, and I'm 36 now. My loyalty will last no longer than another 50 or 60 years. Guess I'm a poseur.

stevegarveyfan wrote:

I'm not loyal to metal at all. I started liking it when I was in my teens, and I'm 36 now. My loyalty will last no longer than another 50 or 60 years. Guess I'm a poseur.

I guess if you buy the KISS Kasket, your loyalty will last a lot longer.

exact33 wrote:

XYZ wrote:

With some genres, artists' fans come and go. But with metal, fans seem to stick with their bands (ie:Iron Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, etc). Why is that?

I think outside of the Top 40 stuff, most fans of music tend to stick with the artists. Look at all the classic rock bands that havent released anything new in decades but still draw thousands...

Yea, I'm not sure that it's just relevant to the metal genre. Fans of jazz or blues can be hardcore as well. Pop music/Top 40 on the other hand wasn't meant to be enjoyed for the long term. It's specifically made for the here-and-now. It's disposable.

I like to look at pop music as fast food. It seems fine at the moment and in very small doses, but once it's done, you don't relish it and it passes right through you. You can't survive on it.

Heavy metal is a full meal you can sink your teeth into and enjoy long after it's done.

Now I'm hungry.

I believe it was Iron Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, who summed up Maiden's enduring popularity (and metal's endurance in general) by saying "Pop music fans buy songs. Metal fans buy bands."

MetalGuy71 wrote:

exact33 wrote:

XYZ wrote:

With some genres, artists' fans come and go. But with metal, fans seem to stick with their bands (ie:Iron Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, etc). Why is that?

I think outside of the Top 40 stuff, most fans of music tend to stick with the artists. Look at all the classic rock bands that havent released anything new in decades but still draw thousands...

Yea, I'm not sure that it's just relevant to the metal genre. Fans of jazz or blues can be hardcore as well. Pop music/Top 40 on the other hand wasn't meant to be enjoyed for the long term. It's specifically made for the here-and-now. It's disposable.

Fans of Bluegrass/Americana are pretty hardcore as well...

I think any genre of music that's marginalized is going to be defined largely by unwavering hardcore fans. As a genre gets more popular, it tends to attract more of those pop fans that are just into that one song or album and regard it as a fad, and then when it recedes those fans drop away and it goes back to the core fanbase. We saw this with metal in the 80s, all those people who were into a few bands for a few years and then dropped all of it in favor of the next big fad, and those are the people that go around today saying, "Hey, remember metal? Wasn't that fun that one time? Too bad it died..." which is laughable to serious metal fans, same as saying "jazz is dead" is ridiculous for real jazz fans.

One thing I notice about metal fans is how they advertise more. And when I walk by someone with a Metallica shirt and I have my Maiden shirt or whatever on you give that little recognition. Doesn't matter age or income or anything.

TheNazgul wrote:

One thing I notice about metal fans is how they advertise more. And when I walk by someone with a Metallica shirt and I have my Maiden shirt or whatever on you give that little recognition. Doesn't matter age or income or anything.

I've been in Walmart wearing my WHITESNAKE T-Shirt and had people come up to me just to say how awesome the shirt was and throw the horns.

Yeah, it does seem that metal fans are the most into the art, whether it's on the album or merchandise. It's nice to have something cool to display beyond the "black and white photo of musician" that's so commonly seen

I agree, a metal head is its own lifestyle. A metal fan is usually a walking billboard either because of the shirt, or the denim vest with patches, or even now days down to the shoes! Metal has a certain feeling that only a fan will ever understand. There is merchandise galore out there for metal fans much more than any other genre of music.

The easiest one is to recognize a SLAYER!!!! fan. (Albeit the one below has a PanterA shirt on!)




You're walking down the street, you're wearing your chemical warfare nazi skull helmet Slayer shirt, then you see some other dude wearing a shirt with a skull bleeding from the eyes with a gigantic cross lodged in the cranium with a burning church in the background

The second both of you notice that yall have the same kind of shirt on...a SLAYER!!!!!! shirt...

this will occur! (note: they dont have the same shirts on)



You cannot even say the word Slayer normally. You must scream it at the top of your lungs as if ripping into somebodies body to tear out their eyeballs.

(This is how to properly say the word Slayer)

At shows here, 'Slayer!' sounds just like 'Skynyrd!', and then the band doesn't know what to do.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe it was Iron Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, who summed up Maiden's enduring popularity (and metal's endurance in general) by saying "Pop music fans buy songs. Metal fans buy bands."

Great observation by the man who has managed so many of the greats.

sheets wrote:

I think any genre of music that's marginalized is going to be defined largely by unwavering hardcore fans. As a genre gets more popular, it tends to attract more of those pop fans that are just into that one song or album and regard it as a fad, and then when it recedes those fans drop away and it goes back to the core fanbase. We saw this with metal in the 80s, all those people who were into a few bands for a few years and then dropped all of it in favor of the next big fad, and those are the people that go around today saying, "Hey, remember metal? Wasn't that fun that one time? Too bad it died..." which is laughable to serious metal fans, same as saying "jazz is dead" is ridiculous for real jazz fans.

Definitely. Metal is probably the least accepted of all the subcultures attached to music, so whilst you get 'real music' fans in the majority of genres (who will follow bands becuase they like/relate to/appreciate the music... whether it's 'popular' or not), metal is probably still the 'ugly sister' for music fans.

One other facet would be that metal fans are more likely to sit down and pore over album covers/lyrics/shirts than most, whereas the pop listener just wants something catchy for the background... for a while... and will download the mp3. There's no real attachment to the music, whereas it's more overt for the metal fan.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

exact33 wrote:

XYZ wrote:

With some genres, artists' fans come and go. But with metal, fans seem to stick with their bands (ie:Iron Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, etc). Why is that?

I think outside of the Top 40 stuff, most fans of music tend to stick with the artists. Look at all the classic rock bands that havent released anything new in decades but still draw thousands...

Yea, I'm not sure that it's just relevant to the metal genre. Fans of jazz or blues can be hardcore as well. Pop music/Top 40 on the other hand wasn't meant to be enjoyed for the long term. It's specifically made for the here-and-now. It's disposable.

Fans of Bluegrass/Americana are pretty hardcore as well...

I wanted to add Prog Rock fans as well...those fans are rabid...

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

exact33 wrote:

XYZ wrote:

With some genres, artists' fans come and go. But with metal, fans seem to stick with their bands (ie:Iron Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, etc). Why is that?

I think outside of the Top 40 stuff, most fans of music tend to stick with the artists. Look at all the classic rock bands that havent released anything new in decades but still draw thousands...

Yea, I'm not sure that it's just relevant to the metal genre. Fans of jazz or blues can be hardcore as well. Pop music/Top 40 on the other hand wasn't meant to be enjoyed for the long term. It's specifically made for the here-and-now. It's disposable.

Fans of Bluegrass/Americana are pretty hardcore as well...

I wanted to add Prog Rock fans as well...those fans are rabid...

Yep. I dont think metal is all that exclusive of a club when it comes to rabid fans. I think we think of it moreso because its the music we listen to...

Some of us are loyal but many have not been loyal to metal. Where are most of the people that follow metal in the 80s??? some stayed loyal (a couple of those guys are on this forum, you know who you are) but many many just listen to metal for some years and then gave up. Sad but true.