The Best Heavy Metal Music Albums of All Time
A list of the best heavy metal music albums of all time according to critics and fans.
Best Heavy Metal Albums of All Time
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by aggressive, power-driven sound, distorted guitars, and complex song structures. If you’re a fan of metal music, then you’ve certainly come to the right place. In this article, we’ll be counting down the best heavy metal albums of all time.
Metallica- “Master of Puppets”
“Master of Puppets” is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records. The album was recorded at Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen. It was the band’s last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident in Sweden during the album’s promotional tour.
The album peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was certified 6× platinum in 2003 and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Critical response to “Master of Puppets” was overwhelmingly positive. Critics praised its longitudes, its consistent songwriting, performers’ musicianship performances and arrangement, and Rasmussen’s production. It is included in several publications’ best-of lists; it ranked as one of Kerrang! magazine’s “100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time” and ranked 35th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards,.
Slayer- “Reign in Blood”
Released in 1986, Slayer’s Reign in Blood is often hailed as one of the best and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and featured Slayer’s trademark fast, aggressive style of thrash metal. With songs like “Raining Blood” and “Angel of Death”, the album is considered a benchmark in the genre.
Megadeth- “Rust in Peace”
Topping our list of the best Megadeth albums is their 1990 release, Rust in Peace. The album was a return to form for the band after the mixed reception of previous album So Far, So Good… So What! It was also the first album to feature guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, who would go on to become one of the most beloved lineups in Megadeth history.
Rust in Peace is considered a thrash metal classic, and rightfully so. It contains some of Megadeth’s best-known and most popular songs, including “Hangar 18” and “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”. If you’re looking for a perfect example of why Megadeth are one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, look no further than Rust in Peace.
Anthrax- “Among the Living”
Released in 1987, Anthrax’s third studio album, Among the Living, is considered one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. The album was produced by Eddie Kramer, who has previously worked with Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. Among the Living features fast-paced riffs andsolos, as well as double bass drumming. The album’s lyrical themes include terrorism, poverty, and injustice.
Iron Maiden- “The Number of the Beast”
“The Number of the Beast” is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in 1982. It was the band’s first release to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson and their last with drummer Clive Burr.
The album was their first to enter the US Billboard 200 chart, where it peaked at number 11, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping one million copies there. In 1989, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. In 2000, readers of Metal Hammer magazine voted “The Number of the Beast” the third-greatest heavy metal album of all time. In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked it at number 65 on its list of the “100 Best Albums of the 1980s”, describing it as “one of heavy metal’s all-time great concept albums”.
Honorable Mentions
While there are many great heavy metal albums, there are only a handful that have truly stood the test of time. This list will cover some of the best heavy metal albums of all time, as well as some honorable mentions.
Judas Priest- “Screaming for Vengeance”
“Screaming for Vengeance” is the eighth studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 17 July 1982. It is their most commercially successful album, reaching No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 17 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The album includes “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, which became one of the band’s signature songs and one of the most influential songs in heavy metal history.
In 2000, Q magazine placed “Screaming for Vengeance” at No. 73 in its list of the 100 Greatest British albums ever. In 1989, it was ranked No. 41 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the ’80s. In 2005, Classic Rock ranked it No. 19 in its survey of The 50 Greatest Albums of 1982—when it was first released—and in 2012 it was ranked at No. 458 in their countdown of “The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time”.
Motorhead- “Ace of Spades”
Motorhead’s eighth studio album, released in November 1980, was their most successful, reaching No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and remaining in the top 100 for 33 weeks, while it peaked at No. 24 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was preceded by the title track, which was released as a single in October and reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, giving the band their first Top 20 hit. The album was certified Gold in both the UK and US.
Pantera- “Vulgar Display of Power”
“Vulgar Display of Power” is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on February 25, 1992 through Atco Records. The album was the band’s major label debut after signing with Atco earlier that year. It is considered one of the most influential metal albums of the 1990s.
The album is often cited as an exemplar of groove metal, a subgenre thatPantera helped pioneer. The riffs are distinctive and fairly simple, making them easy to headbang to. Dimebag Darrell’s guitar playing on this album is considered some of his best work; his solos are particularly memorable. The production values are excellent, giving the instruments enough room to breathe without sounding too clean or polished.
Vocals are delivered in a hardcore punk style by Phil Anselmo. His lyrics deal with controversial topics such as drug abuse (“Mouth for War”), religion (“Domination”), and racism (“This Love”). Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the overall tone of the album is positive and empowering.
The musicianship on “Vulgar Display of Power” is top-notch, and the songwriting is surprisingly catchy for a metal album. This is one of those rare albums that truly deserves its place in heavy metal history.
Black Sabbath- “Paranoid”
Black Sabbath’s second album, “Paranoid” was released in September of 1970. The album was an instant success, due in part to the success of the single “Paranoid”. The album would go on to be one of the most influential metal albums of all time, spawning countless imitators and helping to define the genre.
Exodus- “Bonded by Blood”
Released in 1985, “Bonded by Blood” is the debut album from American thrash metal band Exodus. The album is considered a classic of the thrash metal genre, and is credited with helping to pioneer the Bay Area thrash metal scene. The album was ranked # 294 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list, and was named one of the “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time” by Kerrang! magazine.
