THE TOP 100 METAL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

Metal isn’t just music. It’s a culture. A lineage. A living, screaming testament to riffs, rebellion, and raw power.

I’ve spent decades immersed in it—digging through vinyl bins, blasting demos at ungodly volumes, sweating it out in mosh pits, and witnessing legends live. I don’t just listen to metal—I live it. I know what belongs on a definitive list and what doesn’t.

What follows is the ultimate, unimpeachable, genre-spanning ranking of the 100 greatest metal albums of all time. It’s not based on hype or algorithms. It’s based on taste—my taste—the kind forged in record shops, dive bars, and late nights with blown-out headphones.

This list will make some of you nod in agreement. It’ll make others furious. Good. Metal was never meant to be safe.

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100. Altars of Madness – Morbid Angel (1989)
99. Welcome to Hell – Venom (1981)
98. The Somberlain – Dissection (1993)
97. Leprosy – Death (1988)
96. Ride the Lightning – Metallica (1984)
95. Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? – Megadeth (1986)
94. South of Heaven – Slayer (1988)
93. Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden (1982)
92. Melissa – Mercyful Fate (1983)
91. Tales from the Thousand Lakes – Amorphis (1994)
90. Rust in Peace – Megadeth (1990)
89. Blackwater Park – Opeth (2001)
88. To Mega Therion – Celtic Frost (1985)
87. Bonded by Blood – Exodus (1985)
86. Don’t Break the Oath – Mercyful Fate (1984)
85. The Gallery – Dark Tranquillity (1995)
84. Epicus Doomicus Metallicus – Candlemass (1986)
83. Powerslave – Iron Maiden (1984)
82. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas – Mayhem (1994)
81. Screaming for Vengeance – Judas Priest (1982)
80. Human – Death (1991)
79. Heaven and Hell – Black Sabbath (1980)
78. Storm of the Light’s Bane – Dissection (1995)
77. Holy Diver – Dio (1983)
76. Somewhere Far Beyond – Blind Guardian (1992)
75. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son – Iron Maiden (1988)
74. Heartwork – Carcass (1993)
73. Tomb of the Mutilated – Cannibal Corpse (1992)
72. Painkiller – Judas Priest (1990)
71. Reign in Blood – Slayer (1986)
70. Black Metal – Venom (1982)
69. The Satanist – Behemoth (2014)
68. Reroute to Remain – In Flames (2002)
67. Images and Words – Dream Theater (1992)
66. Twilight of the Thunder God – Amon Amarth (2008)
65. Ashes of the Wake – Lamb of God (2004)
64. At the Heart of Winter – Immortal (1999)
63. Vulgar Display of Power – Pantera (1992)
62. Stormblåst – Dimmu Borgir (1996)
61. Nightfall in Middle-Earth – Blind Guardian (1998)
60. Slaughter of the Soul – At the Gates (1995)
59. Destroy Erase Improve – Meshuggah (1995)
58. Master of Reality – Black Sabbath (1971)
57. Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1980)
56. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk – Emperor (1997)
55. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)
54. Kill ‘Em All – Metallica (1983)
53. Symbolic – Death (1995)
52. None So Vile – Cryptopsy (1996)
51. Sabotage – Black Sabbath (1975)
50. ObZen – Meshuggah (2008)
49. City – Strapping Young Lad (1997)
48. Ghost Reveries – Opeth (2005)
47. Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer (1990)
46. Somewhere in Time – Iron Maiden (1986)
45. Toxicity – System of a Down (2001)
44. The Blackening – Machine Head (2007)
43. Demanufacture – Fear Factory (1995)
42. Cowboys from Hell – Pantera (1990)
41. Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) – Slipknot (2004)
40. The End of Heartache – Killswitch Engage (2004)
39. Fallen – Evanescence (2003)
38. Korn – Korn (1994)
37. ReLoad – Metallica (1997)
36. Deliverance – Opeth (2002)
35. Roots – Sepultura (1996)
34. Follow the Leader – Korn (1998)
33. L.D. 50 – Mudvayne (2000)
32. Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park (2000)
31. Tales of the Inexpressible – Shpongle (2001)
30. St. Anger – Metallica (2003)
29. Chinese Democracy – Guns N’ Roses (2008)
28. Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water – Limp Bizkit (2000)
27. Load – Metallica (1996)
26. Meteora – Linkin Park (2003)
25. The Burning Red – Machine Head (1999)
24. The Wall – Pink Floyd (1979)
23. Lulu – Metallica & Lou Reed (2011)
22. S&M2 – Metallica & San Francisco Symphony (2020)
21. The Best of Nickelback, Vol. 1 – Nickelback (2013)
20. Reign in Blood – Slayer (1986)
19. Master of Puppets – Metallica (1986)
18. Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden (1982)
17. Paranoid – Black Sabbath (1970)
16. Blackwater Park – Opeth (2001)
15. Painkiller – Judas Priest (1990)
14. St. Anger – Metallica (2003)
13. Toxicity – System of a Down (2001)
12. Ride the Lightning – Metallica (1984)
11. Master of Puppets – Metallica (1986)
10. American Idiot – Green Day (2004)
9. Winger – Winger (1988)
8. The Black Album – Metallica (1991)
7. Meteora – Linkin Park (2003)
6. Lulu – Metallica & Lou Reed (2011)
5. Toxicity – System of a Down (2001)
4. St. Anger – Metallica (2003)
3. Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park (2000)
2. Load – Metallica (1996)
1. Crazy Hits – Crazy Frog (2005)

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And there you have it: one hundred albums that define, distort, and ultimately transcend metal itself—if you disagree, that’s fine, but history will prove me right.