Your favorite metal album for each decade

Starting in the 70s, when metal came into existence - until now - we have had 4 consecutive decades of metal.

For each decade, what ONE album is your favorite? The best (to you) of each decade? Take as much time as you need to think about this. I've been thinking of my choices all day. It's not easy, but feel free to come back and change it if you need to.


For me:

1970s

Rush - Caress of Steel





1980s

Manowar - Kings of Metal





1990s

Iced Earth - The Dark Saga





2000s

Therion - Sirius B

I'll also do a top 5 for each decade just for kicks and wiggles:

1970s:

1. Rush - Caress of Steel
2. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
4. Rush - Fly By Night
5. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

1980s:

1. Manowar - Kings of Metal
2. Riot - Thundersteel
3. Chastain - The 7th of Never
4. Virgin Steele - Age of Consent
5. Testament - The Legacy

1990s:

1. Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
2. Tristania - Beyond the Veil
3. Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
4. Manowar - Triumph of Steel
5. Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part 1

2000s:

1. Therion - Sirius B
2. Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance
3. Avantasia - The Scarecrow
4. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
5. Within Temptation - The Heart of Everything

As of "today" my list is...


60's - Blue Cheer (Vincebus Eruptum)

70's - Black Sabbath (Master of Reality)

80's - Trouble (Psalm 9)

90's - Trouble (Trouble)

00's - Place of Skulls (The Black is Never Far)

1960's

Blue Cheer - Outsideinside (1968)



1970's

Pink Fairies - Kings Of Oblivion (1973)



1980's

Rose Tattoo - Assault & Battery (1981)



1990's

Beasts Of Bourbon - The Low Road (1991)



2000's

Jim Jones Revue - S/T (2008)

1970s:

Judas Priest - Stained Class
Thin Lizzy - Live And Dangerous
ZZ Top - Tres Hombres
ZZ Top - ZZ Top's First Album
ZZ Top - Rio Grande Mud

1980s:

Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
Metallica - Ride The Lightening
Megadeth - So Far, So Good… So What!
Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith
Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

1990s:

Judas Priest - Painkiller/Jugulator
Pantera - A Vulgar Display Of Power
Down - Nola
Corrosion Of Conformity - Deliverance/Wiseblood
Testament - The Gathering

2000s:

Corrosion Of Conformity - In The Arms Of God
Crowbar - Lifesblood For The Downtrodden
Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Down - II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow/III: Over The Under

Top five is still really, REALLy hard, but oh well. Here we go:

1970s:

Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
Thin Lizzy - Black Rose
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Hawkwind - Space Ritual
Rush - Rush

1980s:

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Trouble - Psalm 9
Manilla Road - The Deluge
Brocas Helm - Black Death
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian

I could make this a list of fifty albums.

1990s:

Solstice - New Dark Age
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom...
Virgin Steele - Invictus
Arghoslent - Galloping through the Battle Ruins

2000s:

Pagan Altar - Lords of Hypocrisy / Mythical & Magical (unable to choose, sorry)
Brocas Helm - Defender of the Crown
Candlemass - Candlemass
Warning - Watching from a Distance
While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose

70s- Black Sabbath - Paranoid
80s- Deliverance- S/T
90s- Deliverance- Learn
00s- Ace Frehley- Anomaly

1960's



1970's





1980's




1990's




2000's

70's:

Rainbow - Rising
Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
Deep Purple - Made in Japan
Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality


80's:

Queensrÿche - any of them, you could pick any of the 4 and it's my favorite
Running Wild - Death or Glory
Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell
WatchTower - Control and Resistance
Crimson Glory - s/t (can trade around with Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King)

90's:

Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied
Rage - Black in Mind
Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
Dark - Seduction
The Chasm - Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph

00's:

maudlin of the Well - Leaving Your Body Map
Grave Digger - Rheingold
Luca Turilli - Prophet of the Last Eclipse
Darkseed - Diving Into Darkness
Keldian - Journey of Souls

60's
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

70's
Van Halen - s/t

80's
Metallica - MoP

90's
Dream Theater - Awake

00's
Metallica - Death Magnetic

80's
BARREN CROSS - Rock For The King

90's
SACRAMENT - Haunts of Violence

00's
BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE - Terminate Damnation

All of theses are ties:

1960's:

The Doors-s/t
The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Electric Ladyland

1970's:

AC/DC-Highway to Hell
Deep Purple-In Rock

1980's:

Concrete Blonde-s/t
Concrete Blonde-Bloodletting

1990's:

Soundgarden-Bad Motor Finger


2000's:

Black Sabbath-The Devil You Know

70's Rainbow-Long Live Rock N Roll

80's Megadeth-RIP

90's Metal Church-Hanging In The Balance

00's Theocracy-Mirror Of Souls

Subject to change without notice.

TheNazgul wrote:

80's Megadeth-RIP

I thought Rust In Peace was 1990?

Top 3 (this was tough)

70's:
KISS: Rock and Roll Over
Judas Priest: Stained Class
Van Halen: s/t

80's:
Early: Accept: Restless and Wild
Mid: S.O.D.: Speak English Or Die
Late: Testament: Practice What You Preach

90's:
Early: Pantera: Cowboys From Hell
Mid: Pantera: Far Beyond Driven
Late :Pantera: The Great Southern Trendkill

00's:
Early: Hatebreed: Perseverance
Mid: Slayer: Christ Illusion
Late: Amon Amarth: Twighlight of the Thundergod

These always change between 80's and now, but this is pretty much my faves.

70's:
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Black Sabbath - Vol 4
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Deep Purple - Machine Head

80's:
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Kreator - Extreme Aggression
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark At the Moon
Black Sabbath - The Headless Cross
Grim Reaper - Rock You to Hell

90's:
Edge of Sanity - Unorthodox
Grave - Soulless
Entombed - Clandestine
Unleashed - Shadows in the Deep
Morgion - Solinari

00's:
Deathchain - Deathrash Assault
Hypnosia - Extreme Hatred
Avenger of Blood - Death Brigade
Usurper - Cryptobeast
Gravehill - Rites of the Pentagram

INVADERS wrote:

TheNazgul wrote:

80's Megadeth-RIP

I thought Rust In Peace was 1990?

It is.

I loved it in advance. I'm sexy that way.

1960's
Iron Butterfly-Heavy: 1968

1970's
Blue Oyster Cult-Spectres: 1977

1980's
Saxon-Wheels Of Steel: 1980

1990's
Primus-Frizzle Fry: 1990

2000's
UFO-You Are Here: 2004

how I forgot BOC I have no idea. I think you could replace 'Live and Dangerous' on my list with almost any 70's BOC....or even replace the Sabbath with it, since I already have a Sabbath entry in the 80's that I prefer..

Ugh - I don't know where to start for the 80's!!!!!!!!! The 60's, easy for me - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? - on eof the best debut albums ever released!!!!!. The 70's, a bit harder, need to think about it, but it will include KISS, Sabbath, Priest, and of course Van Halen's debut album.

Don't know where to start for the 80's, outside of the usual contenders - Maiden, Metallica, etc, etc....

90's - need to look at the release dates of albums to remember what was 90's and what 89 - i.e. Rust In Piece - 1990, etc....

00's - Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death!!!!!!

I will put some thought into it and post later!!!!!

70s: Judas priest - Sad wings of destiny
80s: Accept - Restless and Wild
90s: Megadeth - Rust in peace
00s: Judas Priest - Nostradamus

thejokeriv wrote:

Ugh - I don't know where to start for the 80's!!!!!!!!!

I'm with ya man. I could literally make a top 100 of favorite LPs/demos/singles from the 80s and still not fit all my favorites in.

1970s: Sabotage or Stained Class

1980s: Master of Puppets

1990s: Rust In Peace

This simply cannot be done