Former UFO and Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker pushed back against Iron Maiden’s claim of inventing the heavy metal gallop, in a track-by-track interview published by Guitar World.
Schenker was discussing his new album with Michael Schenker Group, Don’t Sell Your Soul, when he pointed to the gallop rhythm featured in the track “Surrender” and addressed Iron Maiden’s long-standing claim about the technique’s origins.
“There’s a gallop in that song [‘Surrender’ from new Michael Schenker Group album, ‘Don’t Sell Your Soul’],” Schenker said. “It’s funny because I once read one of the guys in Iron Maiden say they invented the gallop. First of all, the gallop was already there if you look at TV shows like Bonanza.”
Schenker went on to trace the rhythm’s roots further back in rock history, pointing to his own earlier work as evidence.
“Also, the gallop was done a long time ago in rock; I played it in [UFO on] Lights Out,” he continued. “It’s just something I’ve always liked to do. It has this adventurous kind of sound that works well sometimes. It’s in my blood, and it’s the beat that never resolves, so you can’t really dance to it.”
Schenker’s comments come alongside the release of Don’t Sell Your Soul, the latest album from Michael Schenker Group.
Schenker’s reference to Lights Out carries real historical weight. UFO released Lights Out in 1977, years before Iron Maiden rose to prominence in the early 1980s, as noted by Wikipedia. That timeline alone places Schenker’s use of the gallop rhythm well ahead of the era in which Maiden is often credited with popularizing it.
Iron Maiden’s association with the gallop is undeniable, however. The rhythm — created by playing an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes — became a defining feature of the band’s sound, as Wikipedia reported. It was most notably present in tracks such as “The Trooper,” “Run to the Hills,” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” These songs helped cement the gallop as a signature element of classic heavy metal.
Yet the debate over who truly invented the technique extends beyond Schenker’s comments. Iron Maiden’s gallop rhythm first appeared in their song “Killers,” but music historians have pointed to even earlier examples in rock and beyond, as Ultimate Guitar reported. The rhythm’s roots have been traced back to folk and classical music. Rossini’s William Tell Overture is frequently cited as one of the earliest well-known examples of the galloping pattern.
Schenker’s broader point — that the gallop is a rhythm with a long and varied history — appears to be well supported. The technique predates heavy metal entirely, having traveled through classical compositions, Western television themes, and hard rock before finding its most famous home in the genre. His remarks serve as a reminder that few musical innovations emerge in a vacuum. Credit for a rhythm as old and widespread as the gallop is difficult to assign to any single artist or band.
