forged in darkness · from Birmingham to the whole wide world
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The Metal 100

forged in darkness · from Birmingham to the whole wide world

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Genres
Decades
Status
Country
Paranoid — Black Sabbath
No. 2
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
1970🇬🇧Heavy metal
Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath
No. 6
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
1970🇬🇧Birth of metal
Master of Reality — Black Sabbath
No. 10
Master of Reality
Black Sabbath
1971🇬🇧Proto-doom
Rising — Rainbow
No. 23
Rising
Rainbow
1976🇬🇧Proto-power
British Steel — Judas Priest
No. 12
British Steel
Judas Priest
1980🇬🇧Heavy metal
Ace of Spades — Motörhead
No. 13
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
1980🇬🇧Speed rock
Blizzard of Ozz — Ozzy Osbourne
No. 14
Blizzard of Ozz
Ozzy Osbourne
1980🇬🇧Heavy metal
Lightning to the Nations — Diamond Head
No. 30
Lightning to the Nations
Diamond Head
1980🇬🇧NWOBHM
The Number of the Beast — Iron Maiden
No. 3
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden
1982🇬🇧NWOBHM
Screaming for Vengeance — Judas Priest
No. 21
Screaming for Vengeance
Judas Priest
1982🇬🇧Heavy metal
Kill 'Em All — Metallica
No. 15
Kill 'Em All
Metallica
1983🇺🇸Thrash
Holy Diver — Dio
No. 16
Holy Diver
Dio
1983🇺🇸Heavy metal
Piece of Mind — Iron Maiden
No. 18
Piece of Mind
Iron Maiden
1983🇬🇧NWOBHM
Ride the Lightning — Metallica
No. 5
Ride the Lightning
Metallica
1984🇺🇸Thrash
Powerslave — Iron Maiden
No. 8
Powerslave
Iron Maiden
1984🇬🇧NWOBHM
Don't Break the Oath — Mercyful Fate
No. 24
Don't Break the Oath
Mercyful Fate
1984🇩🇰Occult metal
To Mega Therion — Celtic Frost
No. 25
To Mega Therion
Celtic Frost
1985🇨🇭Proto-extreme
Master of Puppets — Metallica
No. 1
Master of Puppets
Metallica
1986🇺🇸Thrash metal
Reign in Blood — Slayer
No. 4
Reign in Blood
Slayer
1986🇺🇸Thrash
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? — Megadeth
No. 17
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?
Megadeth
1986🇺🇸Thrash
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus — Candlemass
No. 26
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Candlemass
1986🇸🇪Epic doom
Pleasure to Kill — Kreator
No. 29
Pleasure to Kill
Kreator
1986🇩🇪Teutonic thrash
Born Too Late — Saint Vitus
No. 86
Born Too Late
Saint Vitus
1986🇺🇸Doom
Among the Living — Anthrax
No. 22
Among the Living
Anthrax
1987🇺🇸Thrash
South of Heaven — Slayer
No. 19
South of Heaven
Slayer
1988🇺🇸Thrash
Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. II — Helloween
No. 27
Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. II
Helloween
1988🇩🇪Power metal
Blood Fire Death — Bathory
No. 28
Blood Fire Death
Bathory
1988🇸🇪Viking black
Operation: Mindcrime — Queensrÿche
No. 45
Operation: Mindcrime
Queensrÿche
1988🇺🇸Metal opera
Beneath the Remains — Sepultura
No. 31
Beneath the Remains
Sepultura
1989🇧🇷Death thrash
Altars of Madness — Morbid Angel
No. 33
Altars of Madness
Morbid Angel
1989🇺🇸Death metal
Nothingface — Voivod
No. 47
Nothingface
Voivod
1989🇨🇦Sci-fi prog
Rust in Peace — Megadeth
No. 7
Rust in Peace
Megadeth
1990🇺🇸Technical thrash
Painkiller — Judas Priest
No. 9
Painkiller
Judas Priest
1990🇬🇧Speed metal
Cowboys from Hell — Pantera
No. 20
Cowboys from Hell
Pantera
1990🇺🇸Groove metal
Left Hand Path — Entombed
No. 34
Left Hand Path
Entombed
1990🇸🇪Swedish death
Hammerheart — Bathory
No. 43
Hammerheart
Bathory
1990🇸🇪Viking metal
Human — Death
No. 35
Human
Death
1991🇺🇸Progressive death
Vulgar Display of Power — Pantera
No. 11
Vulgar Display of Power
Pantera
1992🇺🇸Groove metal
Images and Words — Dream Theater
No. 46
Images and Words
Dream Theater
1992🇺🇸Prog metal
Angel Dust — Faith No More
No. 59
Angel Dust
Faith No More
1992🇺🇸Avant alt-metal
Dirt — Alice in Chains
No. 60
Dirt
Alice in Chains
1992🇺🇸Grunge metal
Psalm 69 — Ministry
No. 64
Psalm 69
Ministry
1992🇺🇸Industrial
Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine
No. 70
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
1992🇺🇸Rap metal
Chaos A.D. — Sepultura
No. 32
Chaos A.D.
Sepultura
1993🇧🇷Groove metal
Heartwork — Carcass
No. 37
Heartwork
Carcass
1993🇬🇧Melodic death
Focus — Cynic
No. 48
Focus
Cynic
1993🇺🇸Jazz death
Turn Loose the Swans — My Dying Bride
No. 56
Turn Loose the Swans
My Dying Bride
1993🇬🇧Death doom
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas — Mayhem
No. 39
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Mayhem
1994🇳🇴Black metal
In the Nightside Eclipse — Emperor
No. 40
In the Nightside Eclipse
Emperor
1994🇳🇴Symphonic black
Transilvanian Hunger — Darkthrone
No. 41
Transilvanian Hunger
Darkthrone
1994🇳🇴Black metal
Tales from the Thousand Lakes — Amorphis
No. 54
Tales from the Thousand Lakes
Amorphis
1994🇫🇮Melancholic death
Welcome to Sky Valley — Kyuss
No. 61
Welcome to Sky Valley
Kyuss
1994🇺🇸Stoner
Burn My Eyes — Machine Head
No. 62
Burn My Eyes
Machine Head
1994🇺🇸Groove metal
Korn — Korn
No. 65
Korn
Korn
1994🇺🇸Nu metal
Symbolic — Death
No. 36
Symbolic
Death
1995🇺🇸Progressive death
Slaughter of the Soul — At the Gates
No. 38
Slaughter of the Soul
At the Gates
1995🇸🇪Melodic death
Storm of the Light's Bane — Dissection
No. 42
Storm of the Light's Bane
Dissection
1995🇸🇪Melodic black
Bergtatt — Ulver
No. 51
Bergtatt
Ulver
1995🇳🇴Folk black
Draconian Times — Paradise Lost
No. 55
Draconian Times
Paradise Lost
1995🇬🇧Gothic metal
NOLA — Down
No. 58
NOLA
Down
1995🇺🇸Sludge
Demanufacture — Fear Factory
No. 63
Demanufacture
Fear Factory
1995🇺🇸Cyber metal
None So Vile — Cryptopsy
No. 50
None So Vile
Cryptopsy
1996🇨🇦Brutal death
The Jester Race — In Flames
No. 52
The Jester Race
In Flames
1996🇸🇪Melodic death
October Rust — Type O Negative
No. 57
October Rust
Type O Negative
1996🇺🇸Gothic doom
Ænima — Tool
No. 74
Ænima
Tool
1996🇺🇸Alt prog
Through Silver in Blood — Neurosis
No. 79
Through Silver in Blood
Neurosis
1996🇺🇸Post-metal
City — Strapping Young Lad
No. 87
City
Strapping Young Lad
1997🇨🇦Industrial extreme
Obscura — Gorguts
No. 49
Obscura
Gorguts
1998🇨🇦Avant death
Hatebreeder — Children of Bodom
No. 53
Hatebreeder
Children of Bodom
1999🇫🇮Melodic speed
Calculating Infinity — The Dillinger Escape Plan
No. 72
Calculating Infinity
The Dillinger Escape Plan
1999🇺🇸Mathcore
We Are the Romans — Botch
No. 73
We Are the Romans
Botch
1999🇺🇸Mathcore
Still Life — Opeth
No. 77
Still Life
Opeth
1999🇸🇪Prog death
White Pony — Deftones
No. 66
White Pony
Deftones
2000🇺🇸Dream metal
Hybrid Theory — Linkin Park
No. 68
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
2000🇺🇸Nu metal
Dopethrone — Electric Wizard
No. 85
Dopethrone
Electric Wizard
2000🇬🇧Stoner doom
Iowa — Slipknot
No. 67
Iowa
Slipknot
2001🇺🇸Nu metal
Toxicity — System of a Down
No. 69
Toxicity
System of a Down
2001🇺🇸Alt metal
Jane Doe — Converge
No. 71
Jane Doe
Converge
2001🇺🇸Mathcore
Lateralus — Tool
No. 75
Lateralus
Tool
2001🇺🇸Alt prog
Blackwater Park — Opeth
No. 78
Blackwater Park
Opeth
2001🇸🇪Prog death
Oceanic — Isis
No. 80
Oceanic
Isis
2002🇺🇸Post-metal
The Mantle — Agalloch
No. 81
The Mantle
Agalloch
2002🇺🇸Dark folk metal
Below the Lights — Enslaved
No. 44
Below the Lights
Enslaved
2003🇳🇴Progressive black
Dopesmoker — Sleep
No. 84
Dopesmoker
Sleep
2003🇺🇸Stoner doom
Leviathan — Mastodon
No. 82
Leviathan
Mastodon
2004🇺🇸Sludge prog
From Mars to Sirius — Gojira
No. 91
From Mars to Sirius
Gojira
2005🇫🇷Whale metal
Pink — Boris
No. 92
Pink
Boris
2005🇯🇵Drone sludge
Two Hunters — Wolves in the Throne Room
No. 88
Two Hunters
Wolves in the Throne Room
2007🇺🇸Atmospheric black
ObZen — Meshuggah
No. 76
ObZen
Meshuggah
2008🇸🇪Djent origin
Crack the Skye — Mastodon
No. 83
Crack the Skye
Mastodon
2009🇺🇸Sludge prog
Blue Record — Baroness
No. 89
Blue Record
Baroness
2009🇺🇸Sludge prog
Sunbather — Deafheaven
No. 93
Sunbather
Deafheaven
2013🇺🇸Blackgaze
Clearing the Path to Ascend — YOB
No. 90
Clearing the Path to Ascend
YOB
2014🇺🇸Cosmic doom
The Satanist — Behemoth
No. 94
The Satanist
Behemoth
2014🇵🇱Blackened death
Meliora — Ghost
No. 95
Meliora
Ghost
2015🇸🇪Pop occult
Exercises in Futility — Mgła
No. 96
Exercises in Futility
Mgła
2015🇵🇱Black metal
Nightmare Logic — Power Trip
No. 97
Nightmare Logic
Power Trip
2017🇺🇸Modern thrash
Hidden History of the Human Race — Blood Incantation
No. 98
Hidden History of the Human Race
Blood Incantation
2019🇺🇸Cosmic death
God's Country — Chat Pile
No. 100
God's Country
Chat Pile
2022🇺🇸Noise sludge
You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To — Knocked Loose
No. 99
You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Knocked Loose
2024🇺🇸Modern metalcore

Curation notes

  • Crossed from Rolling Stone's 100 greatest metal albums, RateYourMusic charts and per-scene canons (heavy, thrash, death, black, doom, prog, nu, core, post), 1970–2024 — the first top to reach past 2022.
  • At most three albums per artist: Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest are at the cap.
  • Hard rock stays on the rock shelf (AC/DC, Van Halen, Deep Purple, Guns N' Roses); grunge too — except Dirt, heavy enough to live here.
  • One assumed exclusion: Burzum, whatever the canons say — the author.
  • Narrowly missed: …And Justice for All, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Heaven and Hell, Vol. 4, Arise, Far Beyond Driven, Ghost Reveries, Destroy Erase Improve, Absolute Elsewhere…