Pink text on a photograph of Judas Priest

Founded in 1969, Judas Priest is a heavy metal rock band from the UK comprised of five members: Richie Faulkner, Rob Halford, Ian Hill, Glenn Tipton, and Scott Travis; all of whom are not the founding members. The founding members were Al Atkins (lead vocalist), John Patridge (drummer), John Perry (guitar), and Bruno Stapenhill (bass). Their mix of heavy metal rock and blues is what made their popularity grow. The 1980 release of their sixth studio album British Steel is what gave heavy metal its defining sound which encouraged MTV to give them the title as one of the most legendary heavy metal bands in music history. 

Illustration from Journey's album Dparture

This button features the cover art by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse for the American rock band Journey's sixth studio album, entitled Departure. In 1967, Kelley and Mouse, along with several other artists, founded Berkeley Bonaparte, a company that created and marketed psychedelic posters. Kelley and Mouse are credited with creating the wings and beetles illustrations on all Journey album covers in addition to the skull and roses image associated with the Grateful Dead. 

Departure, released in 1980, was the last album featuring founding band member Gregg Rolie. The album reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 charts, and the first track on the album, "Any Way You Want It" became a top 25 single. Departure was reissued in 1986 on compact disc, and remastered in 1996 and 2006. 

Illustration from the Journey album Captured

The image on this button is the cover art for the rock band Journey's first live album, Captured. The art is by Stanley Mouse, an American artist known for his "psychedelic rock" designs for posters and album covers for Journey and the Grateful Dead. The album was recorded during the band's 1980 Departure tour and featured tracks from performances in Montreal, Tokyo and Detroit. It also included one studio track, "The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)". Captured was dedicated to Bon Scott, the lead singer of AC/DC, who had passed away in 1980. The album sold  two million copies and reached number 9 on the Billboard albums chart. 

Illustration of a winged tiger over a photograph of Jimi Hendrix on a red and orange background

Arguably one of the greatest rock musicians of all-time, Jimi Hendrix set the bar for true artistry of the sixties by being a triple threat: a vocalist, instrumentalist, and songwriter. He learned how to play guitar at 15, but his talents were not publicly recognized until 1962 when he was honorably discharged from the military and began performing on the Chitlin' Circuit. From that recognition, he later created some of the world's most legendary rock songs such as "Purple Haze," "Hey Joe," and "The Wind Cries Mary." Unfortunately, Hendrix's music career was short-lived due to an accidental overdose from a drug addiction.         

Photograph of Jimi Hendrix with his guitar on fire

The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was held from June 16-18, 1967 and was the first major American appearance for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Jimi Hendrix began playing the guitar when he was only a young boy. Hendrix served in the United States Army as a paratrooper but was honorably discharged after an injury. He played backup for such notables as B.B. King, Sam Cooke, and the Isley Brothers. Hendrix found great success as a musician after he moved to London. While there he released his first single, “Hey Joe”, which displayed both his innovative sound and guitar playing skills. At the end of his performance of ‘Wild Thing” at the Monterey Music Festival, Jimi set his guitar on fire and smashed it on the stage before throwing it into the crowd. Hendrix made a name for himself in the United States at the festival with his technique, style, and stage presence.

Photograph of Jim Morrison in a white shirt

James Douglas Morrison (1943-1971), better known as Jim Morrison, was an American songwriter and singer who was best known as the lead singer of the rock group, the Doors. Morrison was notable for his wild personality, poetic lyrics, and life experiences. To this day he is considered one of the most iconic frontmen in rock history. 

Photograph of the band with a white outer edge with a film edge and white text on a black stripe

The J. Geils Band released their twelfth rock album, Freeze-Frame, in 1981. The band's only album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 Chart, Freeze-Frame included the hit singles "Freeze-Frame" and "Centerfold." Music videos for both singles were played regularly on MTV, which launched the same year that the album was released. 

Illustration of the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are a British rock band that have been releasing albums and touring since they formed in 1962. Their 12th British and 14th American studio album was released with the title It’s Only Rock and Roll in 1974. The cover art for the album was created by Belgian painter Guy Peellaert. The band was painted descending down a temple staircase being worshipped by young girls and women in Grecian clothing. It reached number one in the United States and number two in the UK.

Illustration that is the album cover for run for the hills

The British heavy metal band Iron Maiden released their third album, The Number of the Beast, in 1982. The album's first single, "Run to the Hills," explored the conflict between Native American tribes and European settlers. It continues to be one of the band's most popular songs, ranking fourteenth on VH1's list of the Greatest Hard Rock Songs. The illustrated cover for the single, featured on this button, showcases British artist Derek Rigg's depiction of the band's well-known mascot Eddie using a tomahawk to battle Satan.

Illustration from the album cover for Iron Maiden.

The illustrated character on this button is known as "Eddie" and is visible on the cover of every Iron Maiden studio album. Properly named "Edward the Head", he was created by artist Derek Riggs, based on a mask that was used in the backdrop and would squirt fake blood during live shows. This initial version of Eddie appeared on Iron Maiden's 1980 debut studio album, entitled Iron Maiden. Riggs was solely responsible for the artistic renditions of Eddie until 1992, when the band began also using numerous other artists, including artist Melvyn Grant. Along with t-shirts, posters and other band-related merchandise, Eddie is also featured in the band's video game and role-playing game. Eddie received the Icon Award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2008. 

Iron Maiden, a heavy metal band, was formed in 1975 in London. Still active as of 2016, the band's discography has grown to include thirty-eight albums, and the group is considered to be one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history.