Best Heavy Metal Albums
1,387 albums
| Rank | Cover art | Artist / Album | Rating | Votes | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Painkiller (1990) | 97.1 | 282 | 17 | |
| 2 | Paranoid (1970) | 95 | 123 | 8 | |
| 3 | Powerslave (1984) | 94.7 | 131 | 6 | |
| 4 | The Number of the Beast (1982) | 94.3 | 142 | 10 | |
| 5 | Defenders of the Faith (1984) | 94.4 | 128 | 6 | |
| 6 | Heaven and Hell (1980) | 94.3 | 108 | 6 | |
| 7 | Operation: Mindcrime (1988) | 93.9 | 105 | 8 | |
| 8 | Rising Force (1984) | 93.5 | 86 | 5 | |
| 9 | Blizzard of Ozz (1980) | 92.6 | 106 | 5 | |
| 10 | Holy Diver (1983) | 92.7 | 96 | 10 | |
| 11 | Master of Reality (1971) | 93.8 | 74 | 5 | |
| 12 | Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) | 93.6 | 77 | 6 | |
| 13 | Black Sabbath (1970) | 92.9 | 90 | 6 | |
| 14 | United Alive (2019) [Live] | 97.4 | 31 | 1 | |
| 15 | Screaming for Vengeance (1982) | 92.2 | 99 | 7 | |
| 16 | Invincible Shield (2024) | 93.1 | 70 | 4 | |
| 17 | Priest... Live! (1987) [Live] | 93.1 | 65 | 6 | |
| 18 | Rising (1976) | 92.9 | 67 | 5 | |
| 19 | Tribute: Randy Rhoads (1987) [Live] | 93.6 | 56 | 3 | |
| 20 | Transcendence (1988) | 92.5 | 69 | 5 | |
| 21 | Somewhere in Time (1986) | 92.6 | 65 | 6 | |
| 22 | Piece of Mind (1983) | 91.2 | 88 | 5 | |
| 23 | Ace of Spades (1980) | 92.7 | 54 | 3 | |
| 24 | Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) | 92.3 | 58 | 4 | |
| 25 | Blue Blood (1989) | 90.5 | 87 | 5 | |
| 26 | Live After Death (1985) [Live] | 93 | 46 | 3 | |
| 27 | Firepower (2018) | 90.1 | 90 | 6 | |
| 28 | 91.7 | 60 | 3 | ||
| 29 | Slave to the Grind (1991) | 90.4 | 76 | 8 | |
| 30 | Don't Break the Oath (1984) | 92.5 | 45 | 3 | |
| 31 | II : Remember (1987) | 92.9 | 41 | 4 | |
| 32 | Love at First Sting (1984) | 92.8 | 39 | 3 | |
| 33 | Gutter Ballet (1989) | 91.8 | 48 | 5 | |
| 34 | Blackout (1982) | 93.1 | 35 | 3 | |
| 35 | The Crimson Idol (1992) | 91.8 | 47 | 7 | |
| 36 | Crimson Glory (1986) | 91.1 | 54 | 6 | |
| 37 | The Last in Line (1984) | 91.2 | 52 | 5 | |
| 38 | Ram It Down (1988) | 89.5 | 76 | 5 | |
| 39 | Heading for Tomorrow (1990) | 89.8 | 70 | 5 | |
| 40 | Metallica (1991) | 86 | 168 | 7 | |
| 41 | Skid Row (1989) | 88.8 | 86 | 6 | |
| 42 | Vol 4 (1972) | 91.8 | 43 | 2 | |
| 43 | Brave New World (2000) | 90.5 | 58 | 5 | |
| 44 | Dirt (1992) | 90.5 | 56 | 4 | |
| 45 | Marching Out (1985) | 91.6 | 42 | 2 | |
| 46 | Lazenca: A Space Rock Opera (1997) | 89.3 | 69 | 6 | |
| 47 | Lightning to the Nations (1980) | 94.2 | 21 | 3 | |
| 48 | Abigail (1987) | 90.4 | 50 | 4 | |
| 49 | British Steel (1980) | 86.6 | 117 | 6 | |
| 50 | Screaming Symphony (1996) | 89.7 | 56 | 7 |
▶ Best Heavy Metal Albums | ||





