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1
Paranoid (1970)
Released
Tony Iommi's sludgy, down-tuned guitar riffs and Geezer Butler's driving bass lines invented heavy metal out of Birmingham industrial blues. From the driving velocity of the title track to the crushing doom of Iron Man and War Pigs, Ozzy Osbourne's distinctive melodic vocals keep every track instantly memorable.
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British Steel (1980)
Released
Judas Priest stripped away prog-rock complexity to forge the definitive template for New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Dual-guitar masters Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing provide razor-sharp rhythm riffs while Rob Halford delivers anthemic, fist-pumping choruses on Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight.
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The Number of the Beast (1982)
Released
The arrival of Bruce Dickinson's operatic, air-raid siren vocals propelled Iron Maiden into global superstardom. Propelled by Steve Harris's galloping basslines and dramatic narrative songwriting on Hallowed Be Thy Name and Run to the Hills, the album is a masterclass in melodic heavy metal theatre.
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Metallica (1991)
Released
Teaming up with producer Bob Rock, Metallica pared back thrash-metal speed in favour of immense sonic weight, mid-tempo grooves and James Hetfield's soulful, accessible singing. Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven and Sad But True became timeless stadium rock radio staples.
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Ace of Spades (1980)
Released
Motörhead bridged the gap between punk velocity and heavy metal power. Lemmy Kilmister's overdriven Rickenbacker bass chug, Fast Eddie Clarke's bluesy guitar licks and Philthy Animal Taylor's runaway drumming deliver three-minute bursts of unfiltered rock-and-roll adrenaline.
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Holy Diver (1983)
Released
Ronnie James Dio's solo debut is a tour de force of melodic power metal. Anchored by Vivian Campbell's muscular guitar riffs and Dio's peerless, soaring vocal delivery, anthems like Rainbow in the Dark and the immortal title track turn fantasy imagery into irresistible hard rock hooks.
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Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
Released
Following his departure from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne teamed up with neoclassical guitar prodigy Randy Rhoads. Rhoads's blistering technique, European classical scales and infectious riff-writing on Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley revitalised heavy rock for the 1980s.
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Meliora (2015)
Released
Swedish theatrical rock outfit Ghost combine Blue Oyster Cult-style vintage hard rock riffs with soaring ABBA-esque pop choruses. Tobias Forge's velvety clean vocals and shimmering church organ arrangements on Cirice and He Is make heavy rock feel wonderfully theatrical and melodic.
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Toxicity (2001)
Released
Produced by Rick Rubin, System of a Down merged ferocious alternative metal rhythms with Armenian folk scales, frantic tempo shifts and biting socio-political satire. Serj Tankian's vocal acrobatics turn frenzied heaviness into unforgettable, infectious singalongs on Chop Suey! and Aerials.
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Crack the Skye (2009)
Released
Atlanta quartet Mastodon moved past abrasive sludge metal to craft an expansive, Floydian progressive metal masterpiece. Soaring vocal harmonies by Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor combine with majestic classic rock guitar solos on Oblivion and The Czar.
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Purple (2015)
Released
Following a harrowing tour bus crash, Baroness rebounded with a triumph of melodic hard rock and sludge metal optimism. Produced by Dave Fridmann, John Baizley's rich vocals, triumphant dual-guitar harmonies and kinetic drumming on Shock Me and Chlorine burst with emotional resilience.
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Fortitude (2021)
Released
French metal giants Gojira refined their tectonic death metal grooves into arena-sized, uplifting hard rock anthems. Powered by Mario Duplantier's incredible polyrhythmic drumming and Joe Duplantier's chant-along environmental lyrics, tracks like Born for One Thing and Amazonia hit with primal, accessible force.
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