Hair Bands and Headbangers: Top 10 80's Metal Albums
Oct 07 '03 (Updated Oct 18 '07)
The Bottom Line There were a ton of 80's metal albums - but these were the best of the bunch.
When I was a little punk, I discovered a form of music unlike the Styx and Journey that I had been playing on my record player. I had listened to a little KISS (to my parents chagrin), but I hadn’t really gotten into the heavier stuff. Then came the humble beginnings of my transformation – Def Leppard, Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister, to name a few. Soon, I moved onto better, harder bands and was a full-fledged metal head (as opposed to the sensible, responsible adult I am now – with a copy of Dio’s The Last In Line in the car’s CD player).
Thinking back, I know the albums that I listened to endlessly, the bands that made me bang my head and make a lot of noise. There were a ton of great albums out there in the 1980’s, but there were some that were just classics – master discs that stood above the din. Below, I have MY list of the best 80’s Metal Albums. You may have your own opinion (there are only about 150 of them out there in Epinions), but for me – THESE ARE THE CLASSICS.
1 Ride the Lightning/Master of Puppets (1984/1986)- Metallica - I just can’t decide between these two, so I’m entering them as a single entry. Metallica may have entered the scene on Megaforce’s label in 1983, but Ride the Lightning release - and its re-release by Elektra - really sparked their popularity. Where as Kill ‘Em All was great music punctuated by Hetfield’s vocals (man, did he sound young then or what?), the band really found its groove in the sophomore effort. “Creeping Death”, “Fade to Black” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” were all instant classics and favorites of nearly EVERY metal fan. The followed it up with the amazing Puppets, with the title song and “Leper Messiah” rocking like no metal band had before to the masses. They started to take a downturn with And Justice For All but these two albums are a must-have for any 1980’s metal collection.
2 Life After Death - Iron Maiden (1985) - one of two live albums on my list, Live After Death presents Iron Maiden where they were their best - on stage. Maiden - who were debated in Hit Parade and Circus magazines as the greatest metal band of their time (anyone remember those magazines?) - was more in their element during 350-day tours than any time in the studio. Following up an excellent Powerslave album with an amazing tour, they took the highlights and put it out in a 2-album set (the subsequent CD misses several of the original tracks). Bruce Dickinson excelled on both his own masterpieces and those of his predecessor, Paul Dianno on with equal aplomb, driving the crowd nuts throughout the shows. Better than your average ‘greatest hits live album’, it actually sounds BETTER than the studio pieces.
3 Live Evil - Black Sabbath (1983) - the OTHER live album on the list, I was torn between this and the original studio album Heaven and Hell. One of two studio albums that Ronnie James Dio made with the band (at least back then), it was a new dimension for Black Sabbath and for Dio, as well. Classics such as “Children of the Sea” and “Heaven and Hell” came from this album. Live Evil took that new spirit and infused it into a great live album which covered material from the 2 studio albums with Dio and some of the classics from Ozzy’s reign. Dio lived up to the task for the most part, and the whole band did a fantastic job with the newer material. The one bad point - there is a lot of noise about the amount of post-production on this album, and ironically, this tour is what split Dio from the band. But while you listen to it on a dark and stormy night, you can only the magic they had together.
4 Among the Living - Anthrax (1987) - This is the premiere album by Anthrax, although there are those who argue that 1985’s Spreading the Disease was more ‘pure’ Anthrax. I tend to think that this album was a great blend of awesome music and a sound that got them really noticed by the metal community. Joey Belladonna‘s singing carries many of the songs, although the musical expertise by Scott and the gang is highly evident. Song highlights like the title track and “Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)” (read it backwards) rocked and had more than a little intelligence to them (something that lacked in much of the 80’s hair-metal “chicks and cars” or “dragons and spells” cultures). “Caught in a Mosh” is my favorite tune, and was somehow even MORE impressive live. All in all, Anthrax rocked HARD during this album, blending in their punk heritage with metal riffs to create a new and fantastic sound.
5 Holy Diver - Dio (1983) - Dio went on to become one of the leaders of 1980’s heavy metal, and Holy Diver was the first step. Although I like the 1984 follow-up Last in Line, this album is a far superior production. Vinnie Appice and Vivian Campbell’s talents, combined with Dio’s voice and writing, were a potent combo. “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow in the Dark” quickly became metal anthems and other great songs like “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “Stand Up and Shout” filled out one of the best all-around albums of the decade.
6 Balls to the Wall - Accept (1984) - first of all, any band with a lead singer like Udo Dirkschneider deserves some consideration. But Udo’s rapid-fire singing ranged from guttural to piercing in an instant, and the band’s musical style pounded the listener into submission. Even ballads seemed to have an edge to them. Led by the title track and “London Leatherboys”, this album shot its way into the collections of many metal fans, who would then look backwards to find the equally great Restless and Wild.
7 Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne (1980) - Ozzy Osbourne was already a well-known name in music, particularly metal, circles before he put out this album. The first of his solo releases, Blizzard of Ozz introduced us to an amazing guitar talent by the name of Randy Rhoads. The two created a simply amazing metal album calling on Ozzy’s lyrical talent and the musical skills of the classically-trained Rhoads, who stunned us with his playing. “Crazy Train” is still one of the best metal songs of all time, and “Mr. Crowley” one my favorite tunes from Ozzy - Sabbath or otherwise.
8 Power and the Glory - Saxon (1983) - Overlooked by most people in the U.S., Saxon was on of the biggest bands in England during the heavy metal years. Power and the Glory was an excellent album, full of great lyrics about great subjects and supplemented by the driving guitars and vocals that Saxon was known for. “The Power and the Glory” is still one of the best metal songs from the era, but silky rocker “Redline” and ethereal “The Eagle Has Landed” also show the range of the band.
9 Theater of Pain/Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue (1983, 1985) – Motley Crue shot up on the club scene with their first album, but it wasn’t until Shout at the Devil was released did they get really hot (and noticed by angry parents). The songs on this release are still fantastic metal, including the title song and “Looks That Kill”. A harder-edged band at the time, this metal album was one of the driving forces behind the burgeoning popularity of metal in general. Almost immediately, however, Crue moved from their strict spikes-and-leather image to more of a party band, putting out an equally good – if a polar opposite – album, Theater of Pain. Motley Crue brought in more of a blues sound to the metal, toned down the harder edges and produced hits like “Smoking in the Boys Room” and “Home Sweet Home”. Two completely different styles, equally compelling, within two years make these great 80’s albums.
10 Appetite for Destruction - Guns n’ Roses (1987) - One of the best debut albums out there, G n’ R would go on to burst out of the metal scene and into radio play. Some of the more ‘mainstream’ bands - particularly the hair metal bands - had lead the way, but G n’ R took over from the instant this album came out. No less than 4 songs made it to heavy airplay (“Sweet Child o’ Mine”, “Nighttrain”, “Mr. Brownstone” and “Paradise City”), and were still good enough to listen to off of the radio. Axl Rose and company put together a great mixture of blues and metal, seemlessly switching from one to the other unlike any band of their time. Too bad that their later material seemed to lose the focus they had on their first album, because this was a classic.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These albums were also classics of the era, if not the best of the bunch. If you were going to look for a larger definition of the 80’s metal scene, however, you would have to include these albums:
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying - Megadeth (1986) - formed by ex-Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine, Megadeth sought to equal and/or surpass Metallica in the hard metal scene. Peace Sells was a BIG step in the right direction, offering the title hit and other great music like "I Ain't Superstitious" and "Wake Up Dead".
Rising Force - Yngwie Malmsteen (1984) – an amazing guitarist (with an ego to match), this album was a masterpiece of guitar work.
Screaming for Vengeance - Judas Priest (1982) – Judas Priest was always considered one of the big guns of the New British Wave of Heavy Metal (NBWOHM), and this is a fantastic example.
Love at First Sting - Scorpions (1984) – I still couldn’t understand Klaus Meine a lot of the time, but there is no denying that this band knew what they were doing – and put out some good music. This album made them a familiar name in the genre.
Stay Hungry - Twisted Sister (1984) – I’ll catch a lot of flak for this, but Twisted Sister helped get metal mainstream – and helped get other bands noticed and produced. Stay Hungry, for what it is, is still a good album, if a tad commercial.
Pyromania - Def Leppard (1983) – This was my first metal album (other than Kiss), and started me on my way. The band was never better than on this album with great riffs, catchy tunes and good lyrics for the ‘Girls are Cool’ set.
Metal Health - Quiet Riot (1983) – Quiet Riot, for a short time, was THE metal band. “Metal Health” and “Cum On Feel the Noize” were instant classics, and still are anthems for the 80’s metal scene – including making the phrase “Bang Your Head” a familiar term.
Out of the Cellar - Ratt (1984) – Another classic, but just a hair below the ones I listed above. Mixing bluesy metal and great riffs, their style was unique at the time, and still stands out as some of the best of the genre.
OTHER BANDS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER
Some other great bands who I miss listening to now that the tapes have worn out. Man, I wish I could find some of bands in MP3 (and not get sued for it):
Krokus
Heaven
Raven
Steeler
Helix
Cinderella
Rainbow
W.A.S.P.
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Member: Marty
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