Top 100 Power Metal Albums of all time according to Rateyourmusic

Saw this on on another site. This list is based on ratings by 1000s of metal fans worldwide so you have to give some value to the findings. My own collection has 49 of the 100 on original CD. I used to own some others but sold/traded them. What do you think of the list? The list has some stuff that I would think might be outside the true PM genre but its cool to see what others are thinking of when they are asked about PM.

1 Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)
2 Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)
3 Kamelot - The Black Halo (2005)
4 Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)
5 Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I (1987)
6 Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction (1984)
7 Virgin Steele - Invictus (1998)
8 Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath (2003)
9 Lost Horizon - Awakening the World (2001)
10 Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (1995)
11 Falconer - Falconer (2001)
12 Wintersun - Wintersun (2004)
13 Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
14 Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
15 Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (1995)
16 Angra - Holy Land (1996)
17 Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Part Two (1995)
18 Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
19 Manilla Road - Crystal Logic (1983)
20 Running Wild - Port Royal (1988)
21 Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider (1991)
22 Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)
23 Kamelot - Karma (2001)
24 Omen - Battle Cry (1984)
25 Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Part One (1994)
26 Kamelot - Epica (2003)
27 Iced Earth - The Dark Saga (1996)
28 Avantasia - The Metal Opera (2001)
29 Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out in Space (1997)
30 Nightwish - Oceanborn (1998)
31 Helloween - Walls of Jericho (1985)
32 Angra - Angels Cry (1993)
33 Hibria - Defying the Rules (2004)
34 Iced Earth - Days of Purgatory (1997)
35 Riot - ThunderSteel (1988)
36 Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd (2004)
37 Kalmah - Swamplord (2000)
38 Masterplan - Masterplan (2003)
39 Virgin Steele - The House of Atreus: Act I (1999)
40 Running Wild - Black Hand Inn (1994)
41 Stratovarius - Episode (1996)
42 Epica - The Divine Conspiracy (2007)
43 Rage - Soundchaser (2003)
44 Stratovarius - Visions (1997)
45 Kiuas - The Spirit of Ukko (2005)
46 Helloween - Gambling With the Devil (2007)
47 Rage - Black in Mind (1995)
48 Sonata Arctica - Silence (2001)
49 Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica (1999)
50 Edguy - Hellfire Club (2004)
51 Rage - From the Cradle to the Stage (20th Anniversary) (2004)
52 Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied (1998)
53 Nightwish - End of an Era (2006)
54 Angra - Temple of Shadows (2004)
55 Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger (1987)
56 Angel Dust - Bleed (1999)
57 Helloween - The Dark Ride (2000)
58 Running Wild - Pile of Skulls (1992)
59 Nightwish - Wishmaster (2000)
60 Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder (1999)
61 Demons & Wizards - Demons & Wizards (2000)
62 Heavens Gate - Livin' in Hysteria (1991)
63 Jag Panzer - Mechanized Warfare (2001)
64 Virgin Steele - The House of Atreus: Act II (2000)
65 Omen - Warning of Danger (1985)
66 Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet (2006)
67 Rage - Trapped! (1992)
68 Human Fortress - Defenders of the Crown (2003)
69 Grave Digger - Tunes of War (1996)
70 Kalmah - They Will Return (2002)
71 Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy (2000)
72 Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)
73 Gamma Ray - No World Order (2001)
74 Nightwish - Once (2004)
75 Gamma Ray - Powerplant (1999)
76 Sabaton - Primo Victoria (2005)
77 Kalmah - The Black Waltz (2006)
78 Luca Turilli - King of the Nordic Twilight (1999)
79 Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper (2000)
80 Omen - The Curse (1986)
81 Therion - Gothic Kabbalah (2007)
82 Grave Digger - Knights of the Cross (1998)
83 Nightwish - Century Child (2002)
84 Iced Earth - Horror Show (2001)
85 Rage - Unity (2002)
86 Helloween - The Time of the Oath (1996)
87 Primal Fear - Seven Seals (2005)
88 Blind Guardian - Tales From the Twilight World (1990)
89 Avantasia - The Metal Opera Pt. II (2002)
90 Kalmah - Swampsong (2003)
91 Pharaoh - The Longest Night (2006)
92 Cage - Darker Than Black (2003)
93 Masterplan - Aeronautics (2005)
94 Saint Deamon - In Shadows Lost From the Brave (2008)
95 Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (2007)
96 Firewind - Allegiance (2006)
97 Gamma Ray - Land of the Free Part II (2007)
98 Timeless Miracle - Into the Enchanted Chamber (2005)
99 Edguy - Vain Glory Opera (1998)
100 Dark Moor - The Hall of the Olden Dreams (2000)

That's an okay list, but there's not much of a variety of bands.

Now thats music, some awesome cds there. Although a lot of my top 10 arent there.

Schbopo wrote:

That's an okay list, but there's not much of a variety of bands.

Did you read the title of the list?

It's "power metal"; by definition there's not a lot of variety in the genre.

That's a pretty good list. I might quibble about the rankings but most of the ones I think of when considering power metal are there. I'm impressed that Kiuas made the list; most people have never even heard of them.

That's a terrible ranking.

Burnt Offerings would be #1 on my list. it's my favorite power metal album.

Temple of Blood wrote:

That's a terrible ranking.

Why?

Dream Evil - Book of Heavy Metal, Dragonslayer, and Evilized
Nocturnal Rites - Grand Illusion and the rest of there discography
Hammerfall - Renegade, Legacy of Kings, and the whole discography
Dark Moor - Beyond the Sea and The Gates, heck all of them

all these would make the list

Grand Illusion would be my #1

Dragonslayer ( I don't think the other Dream Evil albums come close to that one) and Hammerfall were the ones I noticed missing as well.

Still, as these things go, I still think this is one of the better lists.

tohostudios wrote:

Dragonslayer and Hammerfall were the ones I noticed missing as well.

Still, as these things go, I still think this is one of the better lists.

agree def not a bad choice on there..

Good list. I am surprised about the lack of Hammerfall albums there. Also, imho, I would rank Hall of the Mountain King at #1. I was a bit surprised to see Riot's Thundersteel on there (at 35). It's one of my all time faves, but I always considered it more heavy metal at times bordering on speed metal. Anyway, just my 2 pennies. Peace.

Nice list indeed there are some bands not even mentioned I saw, Rebellion, Messiah's Kiss, Metallium, Paragon although they could be considered more traditional heavy, Dungeon......

Wargod49

Keeper II should top the list. And why did they include live albums and compilations?

And why is there no Dust To Dust by Heavenly?

kmorg wrote:

Keeper II should top the list. And why did they include live albums and compilations?

And why did they mix flower metal with US-power metal/old school traditional metal and place such a huge influence on relatively recent flower metal? That list is a mess. The Vh1 list was far more reasonable.

Temple of Blood wrote:

kmorg wrote:

Keeper II should top the list. And why did they include live albums and compilations?

And why did they mix flower metal with US-power metal/old school traditional metal and place such a huge influence on relatively recent flower metal? That list is a mess. The Vh1 list was far more reasonable.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the title. But I'm trying my best to give up on that discussion. It's doesn't help one bit that we know what the original meaning of power metal was. People nowaday are hell bent on calling the Euro-metal scnene for power metal, and have so since the mid-90's. So nothing I can say about it is gonna change that. Heck, I've even seen people call Iron Maiden and Dio power metal!

Yeah well, I'm sorry but there is no "power" in KAMELOT. I'm not even convinced there is much "metal". If their CD was a food product with an ingredients list, it would be towards the end.

All those damn lists are totally worthless to me!
I have never understood why people always have to make lists out of everything.
And how do you rate albums?
By sales/popularity?
By what you personally prefer?
By the skill of the musicians?

As for the never ending debate on what`s Power Metal. I can`t understand why bands like Agent Steel and Omen are labeled the same as Kamelot and Nightwish.
But why care? If I like the music, people can call it whatever they feel like.
It`s nothing to waste energy on IMHO...

Temple of Blood wrote:

Yeah well, I'm sorry but there is no "power" in KAMELOT. I'm not even convinced there is much "metal". If their CD was a food product with an ingredients list, it would be towards the end.

Maybe on recent albums but Fourth Legacy and Karma are definatly metal. As far as power, that is a matter of opinion.

I think if they went to the trouble of adding Hall of the mountain king they should have replaced half the euro power on the list with US power metal bands...such as Malice. seriously why freak was Malice not on there!?!

IMO I would have replaced some of the bands albums listed with other albums by the said band, but I guess thats just personal preference on my part. Also, Cellador would have been cool to see on there.

Oh, and Children of bodom and Wintersun.......hehehe.

Olafsto wrote:

"I have never understood why people always have to make lists out of everything."

I think it's done to provoke a response and give us something to discuss?

Temple of Blood wrote:

Yeah well, I'm sorry but there is no "power" in KAMELOT. I'm not even convinced there is much "metal". If their CD was a food product with an ingredients list, it would be towards the end.

Wow, I thought I was the only one who felt that way about Kamelot. Sorry to any and all Kamelot fans here but I have tried to give that band a fair shake several times over the years and have always found'em boooo-ring!!

the sentinel wrote:

Olafsto wrote:

"I have never understood why people always have to make lists out of everything."

I think it's done to provoke a response and give us something to discuss?

Maybe that`s why yeah..