Headbangers Ball(1987)

Headbangers Ball is a music television series that aired heavy metal and hard rock videos on MTV starting April 18, 1987. Broadcasting late at night, the show featured both established and underground artists, offering a stark contrast to the mainstream pop videos dominating daytime MTV. The program became a cultural touchstone for metal fans seeking an alternative to Top 40 radio. As grunge, alternative rock, and rap dominated the 1990s, Headbangers Ball lost relevance and was canceled in 1995. The series returned on MTV2 over eight years later as new metal subgenres gained commercial traction. Though no longer broadcast on television, the show has maintained a presence online. Many videos from the original run eventually found a home on MTV Classic's Metal Mayhem.