See the list
Rolling Stone today published a list of the 100 best Heavy Metal albums of all time. The publication explains before the list:
“When Rolling Stone started choosing the 100 best Heavy Metal albums, we had to have some rules. Although the genre's predecessors in the 60s and 70s – not just giants like Cream, Zeppelin and Deep Purple but even smaller bands like Mountain, Captain Beyond and Sir Lord Baltimore – created undeniably Metal moments, their LPs were generally closer to Folk, to Blues, and distant from what really defines the genre, so we left them out.”
We did the same with bands that specialize in hard rock and roll like AC/DC and Guns N' Roses, who lack the X factor that separates them from metal. Similarly, some bands that Rolling Stone considered metal in the 70s and that made classic albums like Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Grand Funk Railroad, now in retrospect seem more genuinely hard rock and aren't on the list. Lastly, because we were looking for albums that were more consistently metal, landmarks like Skid Row, Testament's *Practice What You Preach*, and even Quiet Riot's first metal album to reach the top of the Billboard charts, *Metal Health*, didn't make the list because their tracklists are shorter compared to their hits, and that opened up space for more LPs (we realized that 100 is a small number)
Check out the selection:
100. Avenged Sevenfold, 'City of Evil' (2005)
99. Evanescence, 'Fallen' (2003)
98. Sunn O))), 'Monoliths & Dimensions' (2009)
97. Gojira, 'From Mars to Sirius' (2005)
96. Kvelertak, 'Meir' (2013)
95. Dream Theater, 'Images and Words' (1992)
94. Deafheaven, 'Sunbather' (2013)
93. White Zombie, 'La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One' (1992)
92. Eyehategod, 'Take as Needed for Pain' (1993)
91. Naked City, 'Torture Garden' (1990)
90. Body Count, 'Body Count' (1992)
89. Nightwish, 'Once' (2004)
88. Pig Destroyer, 'Terrifyer' (2004)
87. Manowar, 'Hail to England' (1984)
86. Lamb of God, 'As the Palaces Burn' (2003)
85. Darkthrone, 'Transilvanian Hunger' (1994)
84. High on Fire, 'Blessed Black Wings' (2005)
83. Baroness, 'The Red Album' (2007)
82. Entombed, 'Left Hand Path' (1990)
81. Bathory, 'Under the Sign of the Black Mark' (1987)
80. Ministry, 'Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs' (1992)
79. At the Gates, 'Slaughter of the Soul' (1995)
78. Voivod, 'Dimension Hatröss' (1988)
77. Meshuggah, 'Destroy Erase Improve' (1995)
76. Twisted Sister, 'Stay Hungry' (1984)
75. Morbid Angel, 'Covenant' (1993)
74. Venom, 'Welcome to Hell' (1981)
73. Scorpions, 'Blackout' (1982)
72. Isis, 'Oceanic' (2002)
71. Living Colour, 'Vivid' (1988)
70. Death, 'Human' (1991)
69. Soundgarden, 'Louder Than Love' (1989)
68. Marilyn Manson, 'Portrait of an American Family' (1994)
67. Queensrÿche, 'Operation: Mindcrime' (1988)
66. Deftones, 'White Pony' (2000)
65. Faith No More, 'Angel Dust' (1992)
64. Godflesh, 'Streetcleaner' (1989)
63. Sodom, 'Agent Orange' (1989)
62. Sleep, 'Jerusalem' (1999)
61. Converge, 'Jane Doe' (2001)
60. Melvins, 'Bullhead' (1991)
59. Napalm Death, 'From Enslavement to Obliteration' (1988)
58. Life of Agony, 'River Runs Red' (1993)
57. Emperor, 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk' (1997)
56. The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'Calculating Infinity' (1999)
55. Opeth, 'Blackwater Park' (2001)
54. Helmet, 'Meantime' (1992)
53. Type O Negative, 'Bloody Kisses' (1993)
52. Def Leppard, 'Pyromania' (1983)
51. Carcass, 'Heartwork' (1993)
50. Slipknot, 'Iowa' (2001)
49. Neurosis, 'Through Silver in Blood' (1996)
48. Rainbow, 'Rising' (1976)
47. Slayer, 'South of Heaven' (1988)
46. Mastodon, 'Leviathan' (2004)
45. Exodus, 'Bonded by Blood' (1985)
44. Mötley Crüe, 'Shout at the Devil' (1983)
43. Judas Priest, 'Stained Class' (1978)
42. Diamond Head, 'Lightning to the Nations' (1980)
41. Kyuss, 'Blues for the Red Sun' (1992)
40. Mayhem, 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' (1994)
39. Pantera, 'Far Beyond Driven' (1994)
38. Iron Maiden, 'Powerslave' (1984)
37. Black Sabbath, 'Heaven and Hell' (1980)
36. Van Halen, 'Women and Children First' (1980)
35. Metallica, 'Kill 'Em All' (1983)
34. Black Sabbath, 'Master of Reality' (1971)
33. Megadeth, 'Countdown to Extinction' (1992)
32. Black Sabbath, 'Sabotage' (1975)
31. Slayer, 'Seasons in the Abyss' (1990)
30. Korn, 'Korn' (1994)
29. Sepultura, 'Chaos AD' (1993)
28. Celtic Frost, 'Morbid Tales' (1984)
27. System of a Down, 'Toxicity' (2001)
26. Alice in Chains, 'Dirt' (1992)
25. Metallica, 'Metallica' (1991)
24. Rage Against the Machine, 'Rage Against the Machine' (1992)
23. Danzig, 'Danzig' (1988)
22. Mötley Crüe, 'Too Fast for Love' (1981)
21. Metallica, '…And Justice for All' (1988)
20. Anthrax, 'Among the Living' (1987)
19. Megadeth, 'Rust in Peace' (1990)
18. Tool, 'Ænima' (1996)
17. Mercyful Fate, 'Melissa' (1983)
16. Dio, 'Holy Diver' (1983)
15. Ozzy Osbourne, 'Diary of a Madman' (1981)
14. Black Sabbath, 'Vol. 4' (1972)
13. Iron Maiden, 'Iron Maiden' (1980)
12. Judas Priest, 'Screaming for Vengeance' (1982)
11. Metallica, 'Ride the Lightning' (1984)
10. Pantera, 'Vulgar Display of Power' (1992)
9. Ozzy Osbourne, 'Blizzard of Ozz' (1980)
8. Megadeth, 'Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?' (1986)
7. Motörhead, 'No Remorse' (1984)
6. Slayer, 'Reign in Blood' (1986)
5. Black Sabbath, 'Black Sabbath' (1970)
4. Iron Maiden, 'The Number of the Beast' (1982)
3. Judas Priest, 'British Steel' (1980)
2. Metallica, 'Master of Puppets' (1986)
1. Black Sabbath, 'Paranoid' (1970)
