Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Paranoid (1970)Paranoid (1970)Released 1 Jan 1970Tony Iommi's heavy, sludgy riffs and Geezer Butler's driving bass lines turned Birmingham blues rock into something darker and heavier, and much of metal grew from here. The title track is the fast, punchy way in; Iron Man and War Pigs show the slow, crushing side. Ozzy Osbourne's distinctive,…0
  2. 2British Steel (1980)British Steel (1980)Released 1 Jan 1980Judas Priest trim the longer, more elaborate songs of their 1970s records into tight, punchy metal anthems. Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's twin guitars lock into sharp, simple riffs while Rob Halford delivers fist-in-the-air choruses on Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight. The most direct…0
  3. 3The Number of the Beast (1982)The Number of the Beast (1982)Released 1 Jan 1982The 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.0
  4. 4Metallica (1991)Metallica (1991)Released 1 Jan 1991Teaming 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.0
  5. 5Ace of Spades (1980)Ace of Spades (1980)Released 1 Jan 1980Motörhead 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.0
  6. 6Holy Diver (1983)Holy Diver (1983)Released 1 Jan 1983Ronnie 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.0
  7. 7Blizzard of Ozz (1980)Blizzard of Ozz (1980)Released 1 Jan 1980Following 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.0
  8. 8Meliora (2015)Meliora (2015)Released 1 Jan 2015Swedish theatrical rock band Ghost combine Blue Öyster Cult-style vintage riffs with big, ABBA-sweet pop choruses. Tobias Forge's smooth clean vocals and church-organ colour on Cirice and He Is make heavy music sound theatrical and melodic rather than brutal. Ideal for hard-rock fans who want drama…0
  9. 9Toxicity (2001)Toxicity (2001)Released 1 Jan 2001Produced 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.0
  10. 10Crack the Skye (2009)Crack the Skye (2009)Released 1 Jan 2009Atlanta 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.0