Better Time Span 1980 or March 1986-March 1987?

[LordFozz]

I am part of the younger generation of metal fans, and I was curious if people who are older and possibly were alive during the time period would have an opinion on this question.

I have heard that 1980 is metal golden year, mainly because of the albums that were released that year. British Steel, Ace of Spades, Back in Black (if you considered AC/DC a metal band), and Blizzard of Ozz among others.

But when I look at the time span between March 1986 to March 1987 many albums came out that, to me, are the best the bands have released. Master of Puppets, Among the Living, Reign in Blood, Peace Sells.

All 8 albums are amazing albums, I have an opinion, but I was curious if people had their own opinions and if anyone had ever thought of this.

 

[baldyboy]

for me,deffo 86-87...classic time for metal imho,but then i was 15-16 then,so the right time for me to get really into it.....
cant fault any of the albums listed mind you.i just think the latter date is the best of the two.

 

[ElectricWiz]

There are really too many good years to mention once you get into the thick of it, but for my money it's hard to beat 1982/84:

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Powerslave
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith
Scorpions - Blackout
Accept - Restless and Wild, Balls to the Wall
Venom - Black Metal
Motorhead - Iron Fist
Dio Holy - Holy Diver
Metallica - Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning
Mercyful Fate - Melissa, Don't Break the Oath
Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
Slayer - Show no Mercy, Haunting the Chapel

...metal really started to take off in those 3 years, and some absolute classics were released. Of course, there are a MILLION other good years...and it seems silly to not be able to include albums like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or Master of Puppets there. Only that the shyte really started to hit the fan at that point. I remember 82 very well, and getting NOTB, Blackout, and Screaming for Vengeance in one year was like heaven for a metal fan.
Not to mention bands were releasing (usually) one record a year. With bands like Maiden, who were on a roll, it was a great, great time. NOTB, Piece of Mind, and Powerslave came out in a three year span. That kind of thing will never happen again, and those are three genre defining albums. We sort of took it for granted back then - the industry has changed so much. Even a band like, say, Nevermore now only releases an album every few years. There are still some amazing things happening musically, there always will be, but the watershed years are hard to beat.

 

[poundingmetal74]

86 was a damn fine year for metal: Puppets, Reign, Rage for Order, Somewhere in Time, Peace Sells, Sword's Metalized, The Ultimate Sin, Crimson Glory, Awaken the Guardian, The Dark, etc.

 

[Wyvern]

83 was a superb year IMO. Basically everything between 1980-1985 was astounding, besides NWOBHM, bands like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Heavy Load, Baron Rojo, Sortilege, H-Bomb, Blaspheme, Obus, Panzer, V8, Loudness, all across the globe releases came to form indeed a golden age (at least for me)

 

[wdiv]

Stretch it out a couple more months into '87 and pick up Appetite for Destruction & Hysteria.

 

[poundingmetal74]

83 was a year many of my favorite bands made their first releases, which were good, but signs of more amazing things to come: Metallica, Ryche, Jovi, Shy, Slayer, Exciter, Savatage, Great White, Sortilege, Pantera, Dio, Ratt, Dokken, Armored Saint, and many more I'm no doubt forgetting.

 

[kuier]

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Powerslave
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith
Scorpions - Blackout
Accept - Restless and Wild, Balls to the Wall
Motorhead - Iron Fist
Dio Holy - Holy Diver
Metallica - Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning

Nuf zed. +1

Add to that:

Armored Saint - March Of The Saint
Black N Blue & Great White - S/T
Dokken - Tooth & nail
Autograph - Sign In Please
MSG - Built To Destroy
Ratt - Invasion of your privacy
Savatage - Sirens
Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
Anhrax - Fistfull of Metal

 

[razoredge]

1958 thru 2010 werent too bad

 

[SoundMaster]

As others have stated, there have been multiple "best year ever" candidates, but I dont see how any one year will ever top 1980.

1980 gave us these FLAWLESS albums:
Heaven & Hell
Iron Maiden
Blizzard of Oz
British Steel
Wheels of Steel AND Long Arm of the Law
Back in Black
Ready 'N Willin' (Whitesnake)
Women & Children First
Animal Magnetism
Ace of Spades
Lightning to the Nations
No Place to Run (UFO)
Michael Schenker Group (debut)

I'm probably forgetting one or two others!

 

[Hawk]

I'm probably forgetting one or two others!

Iron Maiden - s/t
Vardis - 100 Mph

 

[Pelata]

Stretch it out a couple more months into '87 and pick up Appetite for Destruction & Hysteria.

...and Hall Of The Mountain King...

 

[TribunalRecords]

i would just generally go with the 80's ruled for metal. it's really a tough decade to top honestly. i mean some of the death metal albums from the early 90's could be added, but you pretty much have everything you need in the 80's.

 

[Wyvern]

1958 thru 2010 werent too bad

 

[Platinum Maze]

I'll take '86 on this one, mainly because I was only 12 in 1980. The only ones mentioned from 1980 that I really worship are Women and Children First, Iron Maiden, Heaven and Hell, and Animal Magnetism. I was never an over-the-top fan of AC/DC, Ozzy, or Priest, and was NEVER into Saxon or Motorhead (and still ain't).

A couple that haven't been mentioned from '86 that I like a lot are Yngwie's Trilogy, Loudness - Lightning Strikes, King Diamond - Fatal Potrait, DLR - Eat 'em and Smile, and of course Flotsam's Doomsday for the Deceiver.

Overall '86 was great but as mentioned '83 and '84 would give it some huge competition, as would maybe even '87 and '88 IMO.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

1986>1980

 

[SickBoy]

Maybe I'm too nostalgic, but I'd take any year from 80s decade over the last 20 years of music...
When I think how many great and new stuff appeared regularly back then... *sigh*

 

[Assault_Attack]

1958 thru 2010 werent too bad

LOL

 

[Hawk]

1958 thru 2010 werent too bad

I can testify to that!

 

[razoredge]