When asked what the albums were the most influential for him, Yoshiki named "Led Zeppelin IV" by Led Zeppelin, "Alive!" by Kiss and "Killers" by Iron Maiden. Yoshiki stated he loved "the punkish elements" of the albums by Iron Maiden and that their work got him into punk rock. He was into punk rock bands from the United Kingdom and Japan such as The Exploited, Chaos UK, Discharge, GISM, and Gauze around 1984. He also cited the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and G.B.H. as his favorite bands.