The Best Heavy Metal Albums Of The 1980s

Numbers 1 - 10
The eighties were a fantastic decade for heavy metal. Some of the best metal albums ever were released in that decade. The 1980s saw the explosion of metal into the mainstream, with tons of bands getting radio and MTV airplay. It also saw the birth and rise of more extreme genres of metal. Throughout the past several months I published lists of the best metal albums of each year of the 1980s. This collection of the best albums of the decade is taken from those lists.

1) Metallica - Master Of Puppets (1986)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

2) Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986)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.

3) Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast (1982)After losing their lead singer, 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.

4) Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)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."

5) Guns 'N Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)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.

6) Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime (1988)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.

7) Dio - Holy Diver (1983)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.

8) ]AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)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.

9) Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying (1986)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.

10) Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness (1989)If this had been written back in 1989 this album probably wouldn't have been number one for that year. But with the passing of time it became obvious just how important Morbid Angel and this release were. It was a brutal slab of death metal with ferocious vocals from David Vincent. Trey Azagthoth and Richard Brunelle's riffs and solos are just sick, and Pete Sandoval is one of the best drummers in metal. Altars Of Madness is a groundbreaking album that all death metal fans should own.

11) Metallica - Kill 'Em All (1983)Metallica didn't invent thrash, but they certainly brought it to the masses, and this album is the one that started it all. Their debut album was groundbreaking, packed with raw power and blazing fast riffs that they would polish and perfect over the years. Dave Mustaine co-wrote several songs on this album, although he was no longer a member of the band by this time. Highlights include "Whiplash," "No Remorse" and "Seek and Destroy."

12) Metallica - And Justice For All (1988)Metallica's fourth studio album is the one that launched them into the mainstream.The video for the song "One" received extensive airplay on MTV. One of my all time favorite Metallica songs, "Blackened," is also on this album. And Justice For All was one of their most musically complex albums, utilizing unusual time signatures, orchestration and epic compositions.

13) Exodus - Bonded By Blood (1985)Exodus' debut album was their commercial and critical pinnacle. Even though they've had a long and successful career, they never matched the success of thrash counterparts like Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. This album, though, is spectacular. It's a thrash classic with music played at breakneck speed with a barrage of killer riffs and solos. And even though it's a whirlwind of intensity, the songs are still very catchy and memorable.

14) Judas Priest - British Steel (1980)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."

15) Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz (1980)After leaving Black Sabbath to embark on a solo career, Ozzy hooked up with guitarist Randy Rhoads, and the result was a fantastic album. It was more technical and modern than Sabbath, thanks to Rhoads and his guitar virtuosity. There are some great songs on this album, including "Crazy Train" and the controversial "Suicide Solution."

16) Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love (1981)Even though it's probably not good enough to have made it to number one in any other year of the '80s, the Crue's sleazy debut album was very influential. The songs are raw, and there are some classics like "Live Wire" and the title track. They would become more polished and evolve more toward the hair band genre as time went on, but this album had more of an edge, both in attitude and production value.

17) Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance (1982)After having my number 2 album of 1980, Priest claims the same spot for 1982. The best known song from this album is "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," but there are several other great songs including the title track, "Electric Eye" and "Bloodstone." Halford sounds great as usual, and this is their second best album of the 1980s.

18) Slayer - Hell Awaits (1985)Their masterpiece would come one year later, but this is also a fantastic album. It was their second full-length, and showed an exponential growth in their songwriting ability. The songs on this album are complex, the guitar work is flawless, and Dave Lombardo's drumming is simply insane. In 1985 this was as extreme as it got, both musically and lyrically.

19) Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)Powerslave was a great album that was the complete package. It had the catchy radio and MTV friendly singles like "Aces High" and "2 Minutes To Midnight," but also had an instrumental and long, complex songs. "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" clocked in at an astonishing 13 minutes long. Great songwriting and musicianship make this album one of their best.

20) Anthrax - Among The Living (1987)Anthrax is a group I've come to appreciate more and more as the years go by, and Among The Living was their best album. The songs had a message and were catchy yet still very intense and aggressive. "Caught In A Mosh" is the highlight of this album, along with other great songs such as "Indians," "I Am The Law" and the title track. Anthrax have always been a band with a sense of humor that is also willing to address serious subjects, which is a great combination.

Here's my year by year rankings of the best heavy metal albums of the 1980's:
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1980
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1981
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1982
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1983
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1984
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1985
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1986
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1987
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1988
Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1989