Motörhead in the context of "Ace of Spades (Motörhead album)"

Play Trivia Questions online!

 or

Skip to study material about Motörhead in the context of "Ace of Spades (Motörhead album)"

⭐ Core Definition: Motörhead

Motörhead (/moʊtəhɛd/ mo-TAH-head) were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles featured drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. From 1995 until the band's break-up in 2015, the group consisted of Kilmister, guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee.

Motörhead released 22 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber (both 1979), Ace of Spades (1980) and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981) cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band. The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 2016, the staff of Loudwire named them the eighth-best metal band of all time. As of 2025, the band have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.

↓ Menu

In this Dossier

Motörhead in the context of Heavy metal music

Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness.

In 1968, three of the genre's most famous pioneers – British bands Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple – were founded. Though they came to attract wide audiences, they were often derided by critics. Several American bands modified heavy metal into more accessible forms during the 1970s: the raw, sleazy sound and shock rock of Alice Cooper and Kiss; the blues-rooted rock of Aerosmith; and the flashy guitar leads and party rock of Van Halen. During the mid-1970s, Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence, while Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Beginning in the late 1970s, bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein. By the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads" or "headbangers". The lyrics of some metal genres became associated with aggression and machismo, an issue that has at times led to accusations of misogyny.

↑ Return to Menu
LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Heavy metal music
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Rock music → London → Lemmy Kilmister → Larry Wallis → Lucas Fox → New wave of British heavy metal → Heavy metal music → Phil Taylor (musician) → "Fast" Eddie Clarke → Phil Campbell (musician) → Mikkey Dee → Power trio → UK Singles Chart → Overkill (Motörhead album) → Bomber (album) → Ace of Spades (Motörhead album) → No Sleep 'til Hammersmith → VH1 → Loudwire →