3 Epic Heavy Metal Riffs From 1980 Guaranteed To Make You Throw the Horns

Heavy metal is no stranger to songs about evil, the devil, the occult, and so on. These topics caused such a fuss for years that censoring or outright banning of albums became a regular topic of conversation in the 1980s. And like any attempt to ban things, all the pearl-clutching only made the music more popular.

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Speaking of the devil, the “devil horns,” or “horns,” remains the universal symbol of rock and heavy metal. It’s like saying something you like is “sick,” or, speaking of the 80s, “bad.” So here are three epic heavy metal riffs from 1980 guaranteed to make you throw the horns. Don’t be shy now, throw ’em up!

“Fools” by Van Halen

Woman And Children First is Van Halen’s third studio album and the first one with a title. Van Halen I and II introduced the world to Eddie Van Halen, the most influential guitarist of his generation. “Fools” showcases Eddie’s muscular boogie and athletic shredding. And thanks to the pummeling rhythms of his brother Alex, this number swings hard. If you’re not throwing horns after hearing this riff, check to make sure your fingers still work.

“Heaven And Hell” by Black Sabbath

By the end of the 1970s, Ozzy Osbourne had been fired from Black Sabbath, and the band was stuck in a commercial and drug-fueled slump. Enter ex-Rainbow frontman, Ronnie James Dio. Now, look at Dio’s stage name, Italian for “god.” Plus, Dio is often credited with popularizing the devilish gesture. And his first album with Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell, resituated the band’s career. While throwing horns and howling, he lived up to the worthy reputation of a rock god. And Dio’s the kind of god who throws horns from the stage.

“I Don’t Know” by Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne’s former group may have moved on with a new singer, but the Prince of Darkness was far from done. Osbourne returned with a groundbreaking solo album that introduced a young guitar virtuoso named Randy Rhoads. “Crazy Train” became Osbourne and Rhoads’s signature tune. But “I Don’t Know” opens Blizzard Of Ozz with a high-speed combination of heavy metal and neo-classical shredding. Osbourne sings the hook, “I don’t know,” however, judging by his post-Black Sabbath career, I think he did know. Osbourne often threw the peace sign, but this kind of riff (and the spooky album artwork) makes one compelled to answer with the horns.

Photo by PG Brunelli/BMG