The 50 all-time best heavy metal albums are shown below. The list represents the combined opinion of numerous heavy metal fans: the points used to develop the rankings are derived from more than 70 heavy metal lists shown here.
Links are provided to the review pages for albums reviewed on The Ace Black Blog. The reviews are the independent opinion of the Blog and do not always agree with combined popular opinion of metal fans. The Ace Black Blog's ranked list of all-time best metal album is here.
When the points for two or more albums are equal, the tie breakers in order are (1) the number of lists that the album appeared on (higher is better); (2) highest position achieved on any list; and (3) earliest release date.
Separate Top 25 lists are also provided by decade, for the Seventies, Eighties, Nineties, and Noughties.
Check out also the list of All-Time Best Selling Heavy Metal Albums.
And here is the list of All-Time Best Selling Heavy Metal Bands.
The 50 All-Time Best Heavy Metal Albums
Rank 50
Motley Crue
Too Fast For Love (1981)
65 points
Rank 49
Scorpions
Blackout (1982)
66 points
Rank 48
Alice In Chains
Dirt (1992)
68 points
Rank 47
Megadeth
Countdown To Extinction (1992)
69 points
Rank 46
Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
69 points
Rank 45
Iron Maiden
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988)
69 points
Rank 44
Pantera
Cowboys From Hell (1990)
69 points
Rank 43
Kreator
Enemy Of God (2005)
72 points
Rank 42
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin (1969)
73 points
Rank 41
Mercyful Fate
Melissa (1983)
75 points
Rank 40
Rainbow
Rising (1976)
79 points
Rank 39
Judas Priest
Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976)
86 points
Rank 38
Aerosmith
Rocks (1976)
94 points
Rank 37
Judas Priest
Painkiller (1990)
95 points
Rank 36
Electric Wizard
Dopethrone (2000)
100 points
Rank 35
AC/DC
Highway To Hell (1979)
101 points
Rank 34
Megadeth
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? (1986)
103 points
Rank 33
Slayer
Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
104 points
Rank 32
Anthrax
Among The Living (1987)
105 points
Rank 31
Opeth
Blackwater Park (2001)
105 points
Rank 30
Motley Crue
Shout At The Devil (1983)
107 points
Rank 29
Metallica
...And Justice For All (1988)
108 points
Rank 28
Dream Theater
Images And Words (1992)
112 points
Rank 27
Deep Purple
In Rock (1970)
113 points
Rank 26
Judas Priest
British Steel (1980)
121 points
Rank 25
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II (1969)
124 points
Rank 24
Metallica
Kill'Em All (1983)
125 points
Rank 23
Motorhead
Ace Of Spades (1980)
132 points
Rank 22
Led Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti (1975)
133 points
Rank 21
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
133 points
Rank 20
Iron Maiden
Powerslave (1984)
142 points
Rank 19
Deep Purple
Machine Head (1972)
143 points
Rank 18
Metallica
Metallica (1991)
144 points
Rank 17
Dio
Holy Diver (1983)
146 points
Rank 16
Judas Priest
Screaming For Vengeance (1982)
152 points
Rank 15
Iron Maiden
Piece Of Mind (1983)
173 points
Rank 14
Black Sabbath
Master Of Reality (1971)
184 points
Rank 13
Van Halen
Van Halen (1978)
195 points
Rank 12
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath (1970)
231 points
Rank 11
Pantera
Vulgar Display Of Power (1992)
233 points
Rank 10
Queensryche
Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
234 points
1. I Remember Now
2. Anarchy - X
3. Revolution Calling
4. Operation: Mindcrime
5. Speak
6. Spreading The Disease
7. The Mission
8. Suite Sister Mary
9. The Needle Lies
10. Electric Requiem
11. Breaking The Silence
12. I Don't Believe In Love
13. Waiting For 22
14. My Empty Room
15. Eyes Of A Stranger
Rank 9
Ozzy Osbourne
Blizzard Of Ozz (1980)
238 points
1. I Don't Know
2. Crazy Train
3. Goodbye To Romance
4. Dee
5. Suicide Solution
6. Mr. Crowley
7. No Bone Movies
8. Revelation (Mother Earth)
9. Steal Away (The Night)
Rank 8
Megadeth
Rust In Peace (1990)
302 points
1. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
2. Hangar 18
3. Take No Prisoners
4. Five Magics
5. Poison Was The Cure
6. Lucretia
7. Tornado Of Souls
8. Dawn Patrol
9. Rust In Peace...Polaris
Rank 7
Guns N' Roses
Appetite For Destruction (1987)
319 points
1. Welcome To The Jungle
2. It's So Easy
3. Nightrain
4. Out Ta Get Me
5. Mr. Brownstone
6. Paradise City
7. My Michelle
8. Think About You
9. Sweet Child O' Mine
10. You're Crazy
11. Anything Goes
12. Rocket Queen
Rank 6
Iron Maiden
The Number Of The Beast (1982)
380 points
1. Invaders
2. Children Of The Damned
3. The Perisoner
4. 22 Acacia Avenue
5. The Number Of The Beast
6. Run To The Hills
7. Gangland
8. Hallowed Be Thy Name
Rank 5
Metallica
Ride The Lightning (1984)
381 points
1. Fight Fire With Fire
2. Ride The Lightning
3. For Whom The Bell Tolls
4. Fade To Black
5. Trapped Under Ice
6. Escape
7. Creeping Death
8. The Call Of Ktulu
Rank 4
Slayer
Reign In Blood (1986)
415 points
1. Angel Of Death
2. Piece By Piece
3. Necrophobic
4. Altar Of Sacrifice
5. Jesus Saves
6. Criminally Insane
7. Reborn
8. Epidemic
9. Postmortem
10. Raining Blood
Rank 3
AC/DC
Back In Black (1980)
436 points
1. Hells Bells
2. Shoot To Thrill
3. What Do You Do For Money Honey
4. Given The Dog A Bone
5. Let Me Put My Love Into You
6. Back In Black
7. You Shook Me All Night Long
8. Have A Drink On Me
9. Shake A Leg
10. Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
Rank 2
Black Sabbath
Paranoid (1970)
535 points
1. War Pigs
2. Paranoid
3. Planet Caravan
4. Iron Man
5. Electric Funeral
6. Hand Of Doom
7. Rat Salad
8. Fairies Wear Boots
Rank 1
Metallica
Master Of Puppets (1986)
808 points
1. Battery
2. Master Of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.
