Headbangers Ball was MTV’s heavy metal video show. It premiered on April 18, 1987, and ran until MTV canceled it in early 1995. Kevin Seal was the original host, followed by Adam Curry and then Riki Rachtman. By Rachtman’s account, Slayer was the show’s most-requested band. In April 1989 the show’s package tour brought Anthrax and Helloween to San Antonio’s Freeman Coliseum.
The Short Version
- Premiere: April 18, 1987, on MTV, with Motörhead’s Lemmy and Phil Taylor co-hosting.
- Hosts: Kevin Seal (1987–88), Adam Curry (1988–90), Riki Rachtman (1990–95).
- Ended: canceled in early 1995 and replaced by Superock on February 18, 1995. MTV2 revived it on May 10, 2003.
- 1989 tour: Anthrax, Exodus and Helloween. The confirmed Texas night is San Antonio on April 13; the itinerary also lists Dallas and Houston.
What Was MTV’s Headbangers Ball?
MTV’s Headbangers Ball was a late-night block of metal videos, interviews and in-studio guests. Annie Zaleski’s 2017 history for Ultimate Classic Rock says it launched as a 90-minute program and later grew to two hours.
The first episode set the tone. Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor co-hosted it, and Lemmy introduced himself as “Jacques Cousteau from Motorhead.” Per the same piece, later episodes had a Wendy O. Williams segment and interstitials from King Diamond. Ronnie James Dio, Ace Frehley, and Blackie Lawless and Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. took turns as host. King Diamond’s own Texas story is in our piece on King Diamond in Dallas.
Motörhead
Formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy Kilmister, and ended after his death in December 2015. Start with Ace of Spades (1980).
Before the Ball: Heavy Metal Mania and MTV’s 1985 Pullback
MTV had cooled on metal before it built a show around it. In February 1985, CEO Bob Pittman told Billboard the channel had “pulled way back on heavy metal,” according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
The compromise was a test show. That October MTV began a weekly program, Heavy Metal Mania, mostly hosted by Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider. By May 1986 it had gone monthly, and in April 1987 MTV launched the 90-minute Headbangers Ball.
Who Hosted Headbangers Ball?
The original host of Headbangers Ball was Kevin Seal, who ran the show from 1987 to 1988, per Wikipedia’s history of the show. Adam Curry took over from 1988 to 1990. Riki Rachtman, the host most fans picture, ran it from 1990 until the end in 1995.
Rachtman came in sideways. He filled in as a guest VJ in 1989 while Curry was still the main host, and his Wikipedia biography says that “despite having no TV experience, he got the job and eventually replaced Curry.” He also owned The Cathouse, a nightclub the same page calls a showcase for many of the show’s bands.
Outside the U.S., Vanessa Warwick hosted MTV Europe’s version until it ended in 1997.
Thrash on MTV: Slayer, Megadeth and the Request Line
For metal labels, the show was a reliable video outlet. In February 1995, Billboard reported that Tom Gates, who oversaw video promotion at Roadrunner Records in New York, called the show a haven for Roadrunner clips from its start. The same report says Type O Negative’s “Black No. 1” and “Christian Woman” had been mainstays there.
Rachtman is clear about which band viewers wanted most. Talking to Greg Prato of Songfacts in 2019, he said:
“There was not a band that was requested more on Headbangers Ball than Slayer.”
He also called Slayer “the epitome of the Headbangers Ball band.” His pick for their best ’90s video was “Seasons in the Abyss,” filmed at Egypt’s Giza Plateau in December 1990, weeks before Operation Desert Storm began. Our Slayer history covers the record it came from.
Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” is No. 1 on his top ten, which also includes Megadeth’s “Sweating Bullets,” Suicidal Tendencies’ “You Can’t Bring Me Down,” Sepultura’s “Roots Bloody Roots” and Pantera’s “Walk.” The Megadeth link was personal too. Rachtman told Ed Condran of The Gazette in July 2026 that Dave Mustaine teased him about his haircuts, and that he stood in Mustaine’s wedding party. Our Megadeth history has the band’s side.
Megadeth
Formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by Dave Mustaine after Metallica fired him. Start with Rust in Peace (1990), then Countdown to Extinction (1992).
The Texas band on that list is Pantera, and Rachtman ranked “Walk” third. “It was hard for me to pick a Pantera video,” he told Songfacts. He chose “Walk” because it shows the whole band at work, not just Dimebag Darrell or Phil Anselmo: “it just shows what a dynamic band that was.” The song comes from Vulgar Display of Power, covered in our album history.
Wikipedia counts Pantera among the show’s 1990s metal mainstays. The tie outlasted the original run: the MTV2 version’s June 23, 2007, episode covered Darrell Abbott’s induction into Hollywood’s RockWalk. See also Pantera and the Dallas Stars and our Cowboys From Hell story.
Pantera
Formed in Arlington, Texas, in 1981. Start with Cowboys From Hell (1990), then Vulgar Display of Power (1992) for “Walk.”
Slayer
Huntington Park, California, 1981, and by Rachtman’s account the most-requested band on the show. Start with Reign in Blood (1986), then Seasons in the Abyss (1990).
The Headbangers Ball Tours, From 1987 to Texas in 1989
MTV put the show’s name on a package tour in its first year. Wikipedia says the first of three North American Headbangers Ball tours came in 1987, with Helloween, Armored Saint and Grim Reaper. John Moore’s 2020 flashback for NYS Music calls the same triple bill the “Hell on Wheels” tour.
At the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on October 1, 1987, Moore saw Helloween open on its first U.S. tour. Armored Saint played the middle slot behind Raising Fear, and Grim Reaper headlined. Our Armored Saint history has more on the band.
The tour also became TV. On Halloween 1987, per Ultimate Classic Rock, the show “took the form of a special show featuring concert footage of Helloween, Armored Saint and Grim Reaper.” We found no confirmed Texas date for the 1987 bill.
Grim Reaper
Formed in Droitwich, England, in 1979, and the 1987 tour’s headliner. Start with See You in Hell (1983); Rock You to Hell came out in 1987.
Armored Saint
Los Angeles heavy metal since 1982, in the middle slot in 1987 with Raising Fear (Chrysalis, 1987). Start with Symbol of Salvation (1991).
MTV brought the tour back in the spring of 1989. The Headbangers Ball Tour ran 30 shows from April 3 in Seattle to May 12 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Anthrax headlined on State of Euphoria, with Exodus on Fabulous Disaster and Helloween on Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2.
The one Texas night we can confirm is San Antonio, on April 13, 1989. Mike McMahan’s 2023 interview with Scott Ian in the San Antonio Current says rain moved the show at the last minute from the outdoor Sunken Garden to Freeman Coliseum. McMahan adds that Exodus canceled that night because of illness.
Earlier that day, Ian and Charlie Benante signed LPs at Sound Warehouse, per a photo the Current ran. Recalling Anthrax’s 1986 and 1987 San Antonio shows, he said, “We quickly realized that San Antonio was like a metal mecca.” Our guide to San Antonio as a heavy metal capital explains why.
Freeman Coliseum Open
The arena took Anthrax’s April 13, 1989, Headbangers Ball date when rain pushed it out of the Sunken Garden. Open since 1949, per the venue, it still books concerts, expos and college graduations.
Photo: Brownings, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wikipedia’s itinerary, the only full one we found, puts Dallas at the State Fair Coliseum on April 14 and Houston at The Coliseum on April 15. With no ticket or newspaper ad found for either night, treat both as planned, not confirmed. For Dallas rooms hosting metal today, see our Dallas metal venues guide.
Per the tour page, Anthrax had Joey Belladonna singing and Charlie Benante drumming, Exodus had Steve “Zetro” Souza and Gary Holt, and Helloween had Michael Kiske out front.
Anthrax
Queens, New York, 1981, and the 1989 tour’s headliner. Start with Among the Living (1987), then State of Euphoria (1988).
Exodus
Bay Area thrash, on the 1989 bill with Fabulous Disaster. Start with Bonded by Blood (1985); our Bonded by Blood piece has the story.
Helloween
Hamburg, Germany, and the power metal band on a thrash bill. Start with Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II (1988), the album they toured that spring.
Wikipedia counts three North American tours under the show’s name, and the 1992 edition paired Megadeth with Suicidal Tendencies, as mxdwn also notes. We found no Texas date for that tour. The 1991 Clash of the Titans tour, which opened its North American leg in Dallas, picks up there.
When Did Headbangers Ball End?
MTV canceled the U.S. Headbangers Ball in early 1995. The February 11, 1995, issue of Billboard called it “the recently canceled ‘Headbangers’ Ball,’” and said it was being replaced by “the edgy alternative showcase ‘Superock’” on February 18. Rachtman’s run ended with it.
The MTV2 Revival and the European Tours
The name came back on MTV2 at 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2003, with Metallica hosting the first episode. Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta was the regular host until 2007. From January 13, 2007, the show was a block of metal videos rather than a hosted program. In July 2011 it became a web-only show hosted by Jose Mangin. MTV ended it in September 2012, Blabbermouth reported.
In Europe, the name became a touring bill every year from 2016 to 2019 and again in 2022, usually late November into December; Wikipedia says the pandemic ruled out 2020 and 2021. The 2017 bill put New Jersey’s Overkill behind Max and Iggor Cavalera playing Roots. Nuclear Blast announced the 2018 edition with Exodus headlining over Sodom, Death Angel and Suicidal Angels, across 17 cities in nine countries. We have full histories of Sodom and Death Angel.
Where to Hear It Live
Two bands from the show’s old bills play Texas in March 2027. Armored Saint, the 1987 tour’s middle act, and Overkill are on Hell’s Heroes IX at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, March 18 to 20. Armored Saint and Metal Church also play Come and Take It Live in Austin on Friday, March 19, an all-ages show at 7 p.m.
As of November 2026, no Headbangers Ball-branded tour is announced. Anthrax’s official site lists no upcoming dates. Helloween’s 2027 dates are European festivals, per helloween.org.
In Texas, Rotting Corpse plays the Haltom Theater in Haltom City with Iron Jaw on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Then comes Spam’s Bar and Lounge in San Angelo on Saturday, December 5, 2026. The band cut its second and third demos at Pantego Sound, with Vinnie Paul engineering, in the show’s first two years; the band history and timeline have that story.
Start with “Emotional Scars” (1988)
It opens the 1988 Pantego Sound tape the band cut with Vinnie Paul engineering, the same year Adam Curry took over the show; the lyrics and discography have the details.
Sources
- Ultimate Classic Rock: 30 Years Ago: MTV’s Headbangers Ball Premieres With Motorhead Mirth (Annie Zaleski, May 2, 2017)
- Wikipedia: Headbangers Ball
- Wikipedia: Headbangers Ball Tour
- Wikipedia: Riki Rachtman
- Songfacts: Riki Rachtman’s 10 Best Metal Videos of the ’90s (Greg Prato, July 9, 2019)
- The Gazette: ‘Headbangers Ball’ host Riki Rachtman looks back at career at Wildwood Saloon (Ed Condran, July 28, 2026)
- San Antonio Current: Armed and Dangerous: Anthrax’s Scott Ian on the thrash metal pioneers’ history with San Antonio (Mike McMahan, February 7, 2023)
- Billboard, February 11, 1995: MTV Play of Epitaph Acts Bodes Well for Indies (Deborah Russell, p. 95)
- mxdwn: Dave Lombardo to Play Drums for Suicidal Tendencies on Tour With Megadeth (Timothy White, February 22, 2016)
- NYS Music: Flashback: Grim Reaper, Armored Saint and Helloween Perform at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, October 1, 1987 (John Moore, October 1, 2020)
- Blabbermouth: MTV Pulling Plug on Web-Only Version of Headbangers Ball (September 13, 2012)
- Freeman Coliseum: About
- Metal Centre: Hell’s Heroes IX 2027 lineup
- Come and Take It Productions: Metal Church and Armored Saint, The Metal Saint Tour
- Wikipedia: Seasons in the Abyss
- BraveWords: Slayer Marks 35th Anniversary of Seasons in the Abyss
- Wikipedia: State of Euphoria
- Wikipedia: Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II
- Wikipedia: Grim Reaper (band)
- Wikipedia: Raising Fear
- Nuclear Blast: Overkill: MTV Headbangers Ball Tour 2017
- Nuclear Blast: Exodus: MTV Headbangers Ball Tour 2018
- Blabbermouth: Iced Earth to Headline MTV Headbangers Ball European Tour (April 22, 2016)
- BraveWords: Kataklysm to Headline MTV Headbangers Ball 2019 European Tour
- Metal Centre: MTV Headbangers Ball Tour 2022
- Helloween: official site, live dates
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Headbangers Ball start?
MTV premiered Headbangers Ball on April 18, 1987. Lemmy and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor of Motörhead co-hosted the first episode, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
Who was the original host of Headbangers Ball?
Kevin Seal hosted from 1987 to 1988. Adam Curry followed from 1988 to 1990, and Riki Rachtman hosted from 1990 until the show ended in 1995.
When did Headbangers Ball end?
MTV canceled it in early 1995. Billboard reported on February 11, 1995, that the show was being replaced by Superock on February 18. Wikipedia says the European version, hosted by Vanessa Warwick, ran until 1997, and MTV2 revived the name on May 10, 2003.
Who played the 1989 Headbangers Ball Tour?
Anthrax headlined, with Exodus and Helloween in support. The tour ran from April 3 to May 12, 1989. Its one confirmed Texas night was San Antonio’s Freeman Coliseum on April 13, which Exodus missed. The published itinerary also lists Dallas and Houston.
Is Headbangers Ball still on?
Not as a TV show. In July 2011 it became a web-only show hosted by Jose Mangin. MTV ended that web version in September 2012. The name lives on through MTV Headbangers Ball package tours in Europe, which ran every year from 2016 to 2019 and again in 2022.
