# Top 3 heavy metal songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2006, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290 "2006-09-03T10:36:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/1 "2006-09-03T10:36:21Z")
Mine are: Deftones - My own summer (shove it) Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls Tool - Stinkfist ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/2 "2006-09-03T13:59:55Z")
Opeth - Black Rose Immortal Emperor - Alsvaltr/Ye Entrancemperium Arcturus - Collapse Generation ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/3 "2006-09-03T14:14:36Z")
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath Edge of Sanity – Crimson (I feel as if this is cheating, somehow… ;)) Bathory – One Rode to Asa Bay ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/4 "2006-09-03T14:23:52Z")
Metallica - Master of Puppets Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast Black Sabbath - Iron Man ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/5 "2006-09-03T17:31:42Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] Metallica - Master of Puppets Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast Black Sabbath - Iron Man [/QUOTE] This list feels right on to me too. I was leaning towards Sanitarium, but Master is a little more mainstream so probably covers more fans. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/6 "2006-09-03T23:01:04Z")
Blue Oyster Cult - _Veteran of the Psychic Wars_ (specifically the version from Extraterrestrial Live) Halford - _Silent Screams_ Metallica - _One_ ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/7 "2006-09-03T23:45:10Z")
I’d say _Iron Man_, _War Pigs_, and _Crazy Train_ are quite possibly the top three. It’s not very imaginative to give a sweep to Black Sabbath/Ozzy, but what can you do? _Master of Puppets_ and/or _Enter Sandman_ are strong contenders for top-flight metal that moved the genre foreward. There’s so much that’s great, a “top three” of the entire metal landscape is a virtually impossible goal. There won’t be many nominees that are wrong, just different. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/8 "2006-09-05T02:18:58Z")
Queen-Stone Cold Crazy Metallica- So What Iron Maiden-Run To The Hills ---
**Author:** ![parrot\_recipes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@parrot\_recipes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parrot_recipes)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/9 "2006-09-05T03:04:03Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur Catta] Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath Edge of Sanity – Crimson (I feel as if this is cheating, somehow… ;)) Bathory – One Rode to Asa Bay [/QUOTE] I would replace Bathory with anything by Lizzie Borden ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/10 "2006-09-05T03:16:35Z")
Man, it’s hard to pick just three. I’mm just going to pisck what I think are three really enduring and definitive songs but they aren’t the only three by any means. Iron Man - Black Sabbath (a genre defining riff) Hell’s Bells - AC/DC (colossal riff, still sounds kick-ass and spooky, a classic of the genre) For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica (Metallica has to be on this list but it’s tough to pick one definitive song. I think this one really has everything that was ever great about Metallica but I could have just as easily chosen “Master” or “Fade to Black” or “One” or "Seek and Destroy or probably a half dozen others). ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/11 "2006-09-05T03:37:41Z")
Metallica- Damage Inc. Slayer- Raining Blood Pantera- Rise ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_area](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Grey\_area](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_area)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/12 "2006-09-05T06:53:09Z")
Metallica - One Sepultura - Ratamahatta Tool - The Pot (probably a bit premature since it’s a pretty new song but I _really_ like it now) ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/13 "2006-09-05T09:50:11Z")
Just to stretch the definition of “heavy metal” a little: **Clutch** - _10001110101_ **Dream Theater** - _Pull Me Under_ and (for the old headbangers) **Captain Beyond** - _Raging River Of Fear_ (I know these can’t be canon; no umlauts.) ---
**Author:** ![Leechboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Leechboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechboy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/14 "2006-09-05T10:29:31Z")
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (The first true metal song) Metallica - One (Simply the most perfect intro solo ever recorded.) Fear Factory - Martyr (Suffer Bastard Mix) (The begginings of Melo-death and industrial metal) special mentions - Morbid Angel - Immortal Rites Kyuss - Thumb Killswitch Engage - End Of Heartache Megadeth - Holy Wars ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/15 "2006-09-05T10:43:39Z")
Las Chicas Son Guerreras - Coz. Not really that much of a metal song, and it was Coz’s only hit, but heck… us girls just like the title (Girls Are Warriors) Vamos Muy Bien - Obús. Bloody _can’t take it out of my head_ metal song; the Doing All Right lyrics originally apply to being skunk drunk but are often recalled in any kind of SNAFU. I need one from Barón Rojo or one from Leño… can I just propose all their discography? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/16 "2006-09-05T10:57:17Z")
Haha, Spanish girlie metal. Allow me to laugh politely, and add my list, just to spite. Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss Windir - Kampen Storm - Oppi Fjellet (Ok, my **real** list could be One, Hallowed Be Thy Name and omgomgomgomgomg Emerald Sword, but I realize Italian power metal is only a few steps up from Spanish girlie metal) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/17 "2006-09-05T13:06:41Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] Metallica - Master of Puppets Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast Black Sabbath - Iron Man [/QUOTE] +2 But no one has mentioned Led Zeppelin yet? At least, I didn’t see it…I would name Zep as metal way before anything AC/DC did - they’re hard rock to me. For Zep - have to go with **Kashmir**. May not have crushing guitars like Metallica, et all, but it pounds you with a relentless, yet compelling groove… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/18 "2006-09-05T13:13:25Z")
I thought about Zep, but I don’t really think they were metal. They were hard rock but metal is …something else. It’s subjective, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/19 "2006-09-05T13:30:53Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I thought about Zep, but I don’t really think they were metal. They were hard rock but metal is …something else. It’s subjective, I guess. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but if you go down that path, you’re pretty much forced to conclude that Black Sabbath was the only metal band before the new wave of British heavy metal, and why would they name it that if it were the first? Most of the early metal bands–Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Queen, etc.–would barely be considered metal by today’s standards, but they were definitely thought of as metal at the time. If you’re going for the three most inluential songs, the list pretty much has to be all Black Sabbath. The songs are “Black Sabbath”, because it was the first; “Paranoid”, because of how often it’s been covered; and “Electric Funeral”, because of the number of genres that were born out of imitations of it. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290/20 "2006-09-05T14:21:46Z")
I had actually disqualified any AC/DC for the same reason I had Zep: By today’s standards, perhaps more “hard rock” than metal overall. I do see the point of keeping things in context, but it opens up a dizzying array of possibilities, making a top 3 list virtually impossible to settle on, at least for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-heavy-metal-songs/371290.md?page=2)