Ep.7 Helter Skelter by The Beatles

A History Of Heavy Metal In 100 Songs

13-09-2022 • 17 mins

What does Charles Manson and Roland Barthes have in common? Helter Skelter was the first heavy metal song to be released. Whilst it may not have been the most popular Beatles song in its time, it did become a blueprint for the bands that followed showing them how to dig the sonic depths of distortion and noise. It's also been used as a blueprint for creating an apocalyptic race war and justifying murder by a white supremacist.