The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of all Time

[ABQShredHead]

I'm not a Devin fan either, but I liked Sex & Religion, mostly because it had some good "fuck you" music after my buddy and I were dumped by girls at the same time. But I liked Passion & Warfare better than Sex & Religion.

 

[Beelzebub]

I would have been surprised until I found a few Symphony X albums at a chain bookstore, although that may have been courtesy of the guy behind the counter with the Opeth shirt...

Was this at Borders? Their CD collection is impressive.

 

[Metal-X]

Guys, we could debate this for years. Everyone has their opinions of who made the greatest albums. The thing is there are lots of influential metal albums. Let me just say too that there are 14 Black Sabbath albums listed, 9 AC/DC, 7 Deep Purple, 10 Iron Maiden, 13 Judas Priest, 6 Megadeth, 6 Metallica, 6 Ozzy, 4 Rainbow, 7 Scorpions, 7 Slayer, 6 Testament, 7 Van Halen. Those are some important bands in metal. Also, like someone said, this covers all subgenres black, death, thrash, glam, etc. I for one am open to all metal, with some guidelines.
A side note, not to offend any Kiss or Motorhead fans, but Kiss is listed 11 times and Motorhead 10. I am not a big fan of either.
I think a better book would have less albums by each band in order to include more bands. Also, I was thinking this probably would have been a cooler book if the poll was taken in the early nineties.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Guys, we could debate this for years. Everyone has their opinions of who made the greatest albums. The thing is there are lots of influential metal albums. Let me just say too that there are 14 Black Sabbath albums listed, 9 AC/DC, 7 Deep Purple, 10 Iron Maiden, 13 Judas Priest, 6 Megadeth, 6 Metallica, 6 Ozzy, 4 Rainbow, 7 Scorpions, 7 Slayer, 6 Testament, 7 Van Halen. Those are some important bands in metal. Also, like someone said, this covers all subgenres black, death, thrash, glam, etc. I for one am open to all metal, with some guidelines.
A side note, not to offend any Kiss or Motorhead fans, but Kiss is listed 11 times and Motorhead 10. I am not a big fan of either.
I think a better book would have less albums by each band in order to include more bands. Also, I was thinking this probably would have been a cooler book if the poll was taken in the early nineties.

Debate for decades, even.

The results are also indicative of the sample pool. Judging from the older bands and the number of their albums listed, I would guess a large number of those polled were in the 30-50 age group. The Kiss albums were a big thing back in the '70's and rightly deserve recognition, though the music is "simple" compared to that of today.

 

[dargormudshark]

The debate for the greatest album ever is'nt hard. Everyone knows that Rainbow-Rising is the best :Spin:

 

[Metal-X]

You're probably right about the voters being older. Oh, and Rainbow "Rising" #39.

 

[TotenMitMacht]

Oh well

 

[Androz]

No Racer X???

 

[Beelzebub]

this probably would have been a cooler book if the poll was taken in the early nineties.

If the poll was done in the early nineties, Divine Wings wouldn't have made the list!

 

[Metal-X]

That is true Beelzebub. I would have voted for The Odyssey or V which was in the early 2000's. I'm a big 80's metal fan though and I just said that because then bands like Racer X, Jason Becker, or Helstar would've been included.

 

[Beelzebub]

Point taken. I would've voted for V, too; I think it's a stronger album.

 

[Taliwakker]

Oh, and Rainbow "Rising" #39.

A classic....Stargazer is one of my all time fave songs.

 

[TekChef]

I NEVER agree with any of those lists. Master of Puppets is NOT the greatest metal album of all time.

That would be Black Sabbath-Paraniod

Figuring that is the album where metal CAME FROM-it has to be it.

Also, Sad Wings of Destiny by Priest is NEVER in the top 10 of those list-another blunder. Speed it up, add some more grind, and you get modern metal.

 

[Metal-X]

"Paranoid" was #6 on the poll, and "Sad Wings of Destiny" ranked #34. People voted "Screaming for Vengeance", "British Steel", and "Painkiller" above it (12, 21, and 26 respectively).

 

[dargormudshark]

I love sad wings of destiny. I consider that the first metal album.

 

[Malinká]

Perhaps you should ask to be included in the voting for the next book, Toten.

IMHO I think all these books cannot be taken seriously, since the guy who writes it will have his/her favs, and since he/she is the one who is writting , so he/she has the chance write and say whatever he/she wants, since it is HIS/HER book!! So don't feel offended anyone who doesn't have his/her group in the list

 

[Macy]

Any QUEENSRYCHE on the list??? Just gotta ask..

 

[Androz]

operation mindcrime must be in there

 

[G-Master]

I'd be interested in thumbing through the pages while standing in the bookstore until it closed that evening, rather than purchasing a book like that. In my opinion, I think these books should not even be published, they're pointless. I could care less if people voted, like someone said above, the author still has the capability of ranking their own personal albums at the spot they choose.
Regardless, it could still be interesting. Though I will put in my own two cents by saying that Metallica's "Master of Puppets" is highly overrated. I certainly do enjoy the album, it is a true thrash classic(my first ), though how it surpasses all the other great albums produced in these last two decades of metal is beyond me. You can't necessarily claim which is the best, for most people's opinions will differ from yours.

"Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying" and "Rust In Peace" surpass anything Metallica has ever put out. I don't say this because it's the trend these days to hate on Metallica(though they've earned every bit of it), there are far better bands. "Symbolic" was a true metal classic. "Number of the Beast", "Seasons In the Abyss", "Focus" ... those are just a few.
Anyhow, that's just my opinion on the matter.

Seemed like a decent list ... but, people need to get their head out of their ass and just realize how blessed we truly have been with so much great metal through the years. Stop debating and appreciate.

 

[theodyssey]

But we are all master debators. I spend all of my time master debating. All my free time anyway. In fact, sometimes on my break at work I master debate.