1980...The New Wave of Heavy Metal Invasion!

The heaviest IMHO is "Heaven and Hell"

My favorite is "Blizzard of Ozz"

Just vote on your favorite. Heaviest really doesn't mean much at this point.

I used to love that Krokus album, used to have on vinyl I am going to pick it up someday, had one of my fav tunes by them 'Bedside Radio' is a classic IMO.

I like Angel Witch, but IMO it now sounds very dated.

Iron Maiden and Def Leppard's debut albums kick ass and great start to both bands.

Van Halen rules and this was the first Van Halen album I owned and it is still one of my favorites.

Randy Rhoads was a class act on those Ozzy albums.

LOL Another poll and another time I do not agree with one of guys. I picked Blizzard over back in Black. Two classics indeed though.

I went with Motorhead here. I just love that album. It still stands as a monument to speed, rawness and grit in rock'n'roll!

To me this was the year heavy metal really started showing itself. When I relate to Heavy Metal, I relate it to this year in general. So many good albums that were definitive to the genre were released in 1980. This was a close one for me but because I have been a huge Sabbath fan for so long, my vote goes to Black Sabbath.

too many great albums to choose from. I gotta toss in my 2 cents for some of these:

AC/DC - Back in Black....who's list wouldnt include this. standard textbook knowledge: Back In Black rules.

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell.....My pick for the hardest and heaviest and possibly best.

Blackfoot - Tomcattin'....I recently got into Blackfoot and I love this album

Blue Öyster Cult - Cultösaurus Erectus....much heavier than Mirrors, this album throws BOC into the hard rock/heavy metal ring of greatness.
Def Leppard - On Through the Night....great album but they were a year away from super-greatness.

Iron Maiden -s/t......might be my pick for most awesomeness in a debut ever.

Joe Perry Project - Let the Music Do the Talking...I just found this on vinyl about 2 weeks ago, just wanted to add that

Judas Priest - British Steel....legendary album for JP in a year of great albums.

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz.....hard to pick against this one, any album that Randy Rhoads plays on is in the discussion of greatest ever.
Rush - Permanent Waves.....I love Rush but this list is tough, maybe in top 5 of 1980.

Saxon - Wheels of Steel
Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law....I cant choose between the two but one thing is for sure: Saxon Rules.

Scorpions - Animal Magnetism.....gotta show love for the Scorpions, so many great songs.

Ted Nugent - Scream Dream.....maybe his heaviest album from the late 70's era, lots 'o classic "Ted" songs (him singing and gettin' crazy).
Van Halen - Women and Children First....still young and hungry, they haddnt achieved stardom yet so they still had that edge.

Black Sabbath...... brilliant album

since most of these polls are for best in "heaviest/hardest" catagory, I went with Heaven & Hell, followed by Iron Maiden S/T. Good year for great heavy metal.

DIAMOND HEAD- LIGHTNING TO THE NATIONS

Not only is it perfect all the way through, but it's probably the most important album that came out that year.

This is definitely one that I cannot honestly vote in as my pick as to the best of the bunch from that year changes every time I look at the choices (plus others in that year).

I also attended my first arena show this year. It was Van Halen on the WACF tour.

Crap. I voted Scorpions but I missed Heaven & Hell. That would be my real vote.

I'm going with Back in Black...but Scorpions at 2nd place.

I actually can't stand that Back In Black album for multiple reasons. Starting with the fact that Hell's Bells and the title track are just absolutely played to death. Add to that that I'm a major Bon Scott fan and I basically hate Back In Black. I have it but NEVER play it.

tohostudios wrote:

I actually can't stand that Back In Black album for multiple reasons. Starting with the fact that Hell's Bells and the title track are just absolutely played to death. Add to that that I'm a major Bon Scott fan and I basically hate Back In Black. I have it but NEVER play it.

QFT along with "You Shook Me All Night Long"

325ad wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

I actually can't stand that Back In Black album for multiple reasons. Starting with the fact that Hell's Bells and the title track are just absolutely played to death. Add to that that I'm a major Bon Scott fan and I basically hate Back In Black. I have it but NEVER play it.

QFT along with "You Shook Me"

Yep, that one too.

Had to go with AC/DC since that is the first of these albums that I owned. Mom had given me $100 to go school shopping and I bought a pair of jeans and Back in Black!

I went with Saxon. Love both of those albums a lot.

Wow... what a remarkable year! I went with Judas Priest... Rapid Fire, Grinder, Steeler, The Rage, Metal Gods... British Steel is just too good.

I went with British Steel.

I picked Back in Black, with On Through the Night as my 2nd pick. I'm more of a Hard Rock person, harder stuff like Priest, Sabbath, Maiden, and Saxon just don't appeal to me.

I consider AC/DC and Def Leppard hard rock, not Heavy Metal, although they seemed heavier at the time in 1980.

Ronnie James Dio in Black Sabbath.......HANDS DOWN!!!

tohostudios wrote:

I actually can't stand that Back In Black album for multiple reasons. Starting with the fact that Hell's Bells and the title track are just absolutely played to death. Add to that that I'm a major Bon Scott fan and I basically hate Back In Black. I have it but NEVER play it.

agreed.

I could go my whole life without ever hearing a single song from that record again.

I went with Iron Maiden's first album. A milestone!

TheNazgul wrote:

Now the lists will really be tough but I went Saxon here.

Me too - But Saxon had the biggest influence on me. Those should pretty much ALL be in everyones collections though.