The Best Heavy Metal Albums Of The 1980s

Metallica's third album is their best. It doesn't have the radio singles and MTV videos as some of their later releases, but is a musical tour de force. From the trademark thrash of "Battery" to the instrumental stylings of "Orion," it's a sound of a band on top of their game. The songs are diverse and the musicianship is simply incredible.

This is one of the top 3 thrash metal albums and one of the top 10 metal albums ever. Many publications have named it the best metal album ever. This is speed metal at its finest, with compact songs jam packed with riffs and head banging intensity. The lyrics are also filled with dark and disturbing images. Slayer released several fantastic albums, and this is their masterpiece.

After losing their lead singer, Iron Maiden found Bruce Dickinson and rebounded with their best album and one that is a true heavy metal classic. "Run To The Hills" and the title track are among the best singles you'll ever hear, and there is not a bit of filler on this album. It features spectacular and diverse songwriting, great vocals from Dickinson and is one of the best metal albums ever.

Metallica's first album was groundbreaking, and Ride The Lightning, their second release, was another big step forward. Their songwriting improved dramatically, and they also expanded their musical horizons and the result was a much more diverse effort. Some of the classics on this album include "Creeping Death," "Fade To Black" and "For Whom The Bell Tolls."

With their third album Queensryche brought together a great concept and great songs. Operation Mindcrime tells a story filled with political intrigue and romance. The songs are complex, yet catchy, and Geoff Tate's vocals never sounded better. Highlights include "Eyes Of A Stranger" and "I Don't Believe In Love." As a political statement of what was happening at the end of the Reagan era it is very effective. As a musical statement it's even more effective.

Axl Rose and company exploded upon the scene with a heavy and diverse album. It had radio friendly ballads like "Sweet Child 'O Mine," hit singles like "Welcome The Jungle" and "Paradise City" along with harder edged songs like "Night Train." Slash and Izzy Stradlin's bluesy guitar work was outstanding, and the entire album had an air of danger and edginess that metal really needed at the time. Guns 'N Roses eventually imploded, but for a brief time they were at the top of the heap.

Megadeth really hit their stride on this, their second album. It's a speed metal classic with great songs like "Wake Up Dead," "Devil's Island" and "Peace Sells." The band's songwriting improved quite a bit from their debut album and 20 years later it still holds up extremely well.

After fronting Rainbow and Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio formed his own group. He did a great job selecting his bandmates. Vivian Campbell is an outstanding guitarist and Vinny Appice a rock solid drummer. Their debut is a heavy metal classic. Dio has one of the best voices in metal, and some put him at the top. All 9 songs on the album are excellent, including the hits "Rainbow In The Dark" and the title track. "Stand Up And Shout" is also a very memorable song.

After the huge success of 1979's Highway To Hell, things looked really promising for AC/DC. Then in February 1980 the band's lead singer Bon Scott died. They immediately hired Brian Johnson and released this album just a few months later. From the opening notes of "Hells Bells" through the end of "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution," this album is a classic. Every song is memorable, and "You Shook Me All Night Long" and the title track are among the best metal songs ever.

After releasing several good albums in the 1970's, this is the one that sent Judas Priest to the stratosphere. It is widely considered to be their best album. By this time Priest had refined and perfected their sound and focused on writing catchy arena rock anthems, and they hit home runs with "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight."