# Heavy Metal Fans Must Have Top 10 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230 "2011-03-02T16:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/1 "2011-03-02T16:54:42Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=598380), I propose the following list of classic metal must-haves albums for any beginner listener (in no real particular order). 1.) Black Sabbath - _Paranoid_ 2.) Iron Maiden - _Number of the Beast_ 3.) Judas Priest - _British Steel_ 4.) Metallica - _Kill’ em All_ 5.) Queensryche - _The Warning_ 6.) Slayer - _Hell Awaits_ 7.) Motley Crue - _Shout at the Devil_ 8.) Scorpions - _Blackout_ 9.) Megadeth - _Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?_ 10.) Anthrax -\* Spreading the Disease\* I realize others may have different preferences from each band but are there any other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/2 "2011-03-02T19:00:11Z")
Am I the only one cringing at Motley Crue on a serious metal list? Everything else looks good to me. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/3 "2011-03-02T19:01:56Z")
Alice Cooper, _Billion Dollar Babies_. Classic metal wouldn’t _be_ classic metal without Alice Cooper. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/4 "2011-03-02T19:12:18Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > Am I the only one cringing at Motley Crue on a serious metal list? Everything else looks good to me. I agree to an extent, except at the time it was influential in that it pretty much led to the whole hair/glam rock genre. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/5 "2011-03-02T19:15:04Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Alice Cooper, _Billion Dollar Babies_. Classic metal wouldn’t _be_ classic metal without Alice Cooper. Funny, I love BDB but I prefer \*Love it to Death. \* That said..Alice wasn’t really metal until maybe the Constrictor comeback album. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/6 "2011-03-02T19:16:45Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I agree to an extent, except at the time it was influential in that it pretty much led to the whole hair/glam rock genre. All the more reason to cringe. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/7 "2011-03-02T19:29:36Z")
No Motorhead, no list. Maybe an \* would help: Motley Crue\* \*See: Quiet Riot, Van Halen, Poison, Bon Jovi, The rest of the fucking '80’s… ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/8 "2011-03-02T19:34:45Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=598380), I propose the following list of classic metal must-haves albums for any beginner listener (in no real particular order). > > 1.) Black Sabbath - _Paranoid_ > 2.) Iron Maiden - _Number of the Beast_ > 3.) Judas Priest - _British Steel_ > 4.) Metallica - _Kill’ em All_ > 5.) Queensryche - _The Warning_ > 6.) Slayer - _Hell Awaits_ > 7.) Motley Crue - _Shout at the Devil_ > 8.) Scorpions - _Blackout_ > 9.) Megadeth - _Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?_ > 10.) Anthrax -\* Spreading the Disease\* > > I realize others may have different preferences from each band but are there any other suggestions? I’d probably sub _Piece Of Mind_ for _Number_… _Screaming For Vengeance_ for _British Steel_… _Master Of Puppets_ for _Kill 'Em All_… _South Of Heaven_ for _Hell Awaits_… Jettison _Spreading The Disease_ in favor of _Vulgar Display Of Power_ by Pantera… need to think more… ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/9 "2011-03-02T19:41:25Z")
Initial thoughts… I’d replace _Kill 'em All_ with _Master of Puppets_. This list depends quite heavily on how you define ‘Heavy Metal’. For example, what about _Back in Black_? It’s definitely a ‘must-have’ album, but I can see some saying AC/DC is not a ‘heavy metal’ band. Personally, I classify them as ‘hard rock’ (whatever that is). ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/10 "2011-03-02T20:17:52Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Personally, I classify them as ‘hard rock’ (whatever that is). Same. Thunderstruck was mentioned in the other metal thread, and my immediate thought on relistening to it was “this is hard rock, not metal.” Funny thing is I can’t really explain _why_. It’s just…bouncier. There’s no snarl in it, no matter how gravelly Brian Johnson’s voice is. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/11 "2011-03-02T20:44:59Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Same. Thunderstruck was mentioned in the other metal thread, and my immediate thought on relistening to it was “this is hard rock, not metal.” Funny thing is I can’t really explain _why_. It’s just…bouncier. There’s no snarl in it, no matter how gravelly Brian Johnson’s voice is. It’s not that, exactly; it’s that there’s no _hate_ in it. It’s fun music, good playing in the background while you have a good time shooting pool or playing volleyball at a keg party or something. Metal isn’t fun. Metal is brutal, pounding, violent, tribal me-against-the-world & “fuck you” music, good playing in the background while you have a helluva time driving too fast or chopping wood or doing some other ass-kicking activity. Hard rock and arena rock are, by nature, inclusive music, beckoning to all to come have a blast. Metal is more exclusive, telling all who come near that they will get blasted. ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/12 "2011-03-02T20:47:56Z")
No Manowar, or Alestorm, or Saboton? I find this list shallow and pedantic. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/13 "2011-03-02T21:08:30Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It’s not that, exactly; it’s that there’s no _hate_ in it. Pretty much the same thing, but you fleshed it out a lot better than I could. ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/14 "2011-03-03T01:28:38Z")
The other thread got me thinking about hard rock vs. heavy metal. The best that I could come up with was this: hard rock is fun, heavy metal is serious. Maybe overly serious. Sometimes pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/15 "2011-03-03T02:58:41Z")
Motörhead - _Ace of Spades_ Venom - _Black Metal_ KISS - _Creatures of the Night_ (Their only album I would classify as Metal) Dio - _Holy Diver_ White Zombie - _Astro-Creep 2000_ ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/16 "2011-03-03T03:02:20Z")
I would have went with _Operation:Mindcrime_ instead of _The Warning_, but that’s just me. I’m just glad to see Queensryche on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/17 "2011-03-03T04:34:52Z")
I teared up a little bit just seeing a Queensryche record on there. 1. Faith No More - _Angel Dust_ This makes the list more as a showcase than an album. 13 songs, all totally different, but nearly all awesome. Without Faith No More, there’d have been no KoRn, no Limp Bizkit, and no Linkin Park… uh, so it’s a good thing I really like this record, 'cause it has a lot to answer for. 2. Deep Purple - _Machine Head_ I know lots of people think it’s not metal, but it just is. Deep Purple deserve as much credit as Sabbath and Zeppelin for heavy metal, and get one tenth as much. Metal still has yet to produce a riff as heavy as _Smoke on the Water_. 3. Iron Maiden - _The Number of the Beast_ Iron Maiden have the opposite problem to Judas Priest (see below)- their best 20 songs are on like 12 different albums. This has the most I like, so it gets the nod. 4. Queensryche - _Rage For Order_ Like Maiden, they have a ton of good songs spread over lots of records. 5. Pantera - _Vulgar Display of Power_ 6. Metallica - _Metallica/The Black Album_ 7. Motorhead - _Ace of Spades_ 8. Judas Priest - _British Steel_ Priest have kind of an unfair advantage here, because all of their best work is packed into one record. There’s quite literally one Priest song I like that isn’t on this album. 9. Black Sabbath - _Black Sabbath_ I know it’s the birth of the genre, and a watershed moment in music, and blah blah blah, but I just don’t like it. I like Dio-era Sabbath and Ozzy’s solo records ten times better. 10. Guns and Roses - _Use Your Illusion II_ Maybe not metal, but metal fans bought it, and it was really, really good. Far more polished than _Appetite_. Honorable mentions: Tool - _Aenima_, Megadeth - _Rust In Peace_, Paradise Lost - _Icon_, Sepultura - _Chaos A.D_., Stabbing Westward - _Wither Blister Burn & Peel_, Ozzy - _Blizzard of Ozz_ ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/18 "2011-03-03T05:03:01Z")
Decent list. I’m in agreement with those who’d switch out Kill 'em All for Master of Puppets. Take out Crue and put in G 'n R Appetite For Destruction. Take out Scorpions and put in Ace of Spades. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/19 "2011-03-03T06:28:57Z")
Great list. Like some other people have suggested, I’d swap out the Mötley Crüe for some Motörhead. “Shout at the Devil” is a great album, but it’s not really representative of the rest of their work, and it’s not really representative of glam metal either. (Glam, black, death etc should probably have their own lists anyway.) > [@Snowböarder Bö](#): > > Metal is brutal… That was a really great summation. You really nailed it. > [@Cörnelius Tüggerson](#): > > No Manowar, or Alestorm, or Saboton? I find this list shallow and pedantic. Aww, snap. Shit just got real. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230/20 "2011-03-03T12:26:24Z")
> [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](#): > > No Manowar, or Alestorm, or Saboton? I find this list shallow and pedantic. LOL I find the use of the word “pedantic” shallow and pedantic. It’s a list of top 10 classic metal albums must-haves not your personal favorite bands. I suppose the Shout at the Devil might go on another list and I suppose Motorhead - Ace of Spades must be on the list so I’ll make that switch. As a metal guitarist back in those days, I was going with alot with stuff we were all playing back then. In the case of bands having more than one good album, I went with the ones that were IMHO most significant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-metal-fans-must-have-top-10/573230.md?page=2)