Best heavy metal albums from each year 1970-1990

PieceofMind89

PieceofMind89

Ancient Mariner
1970: Black Sabbath- Paranoid
1971: Black Sabbath- Master of Reality
1972: Black Sabbath- Vol.4
1973: Black Sabbath- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1974: Queen: Sheer Heart Attack
1975: Black Sabbath-Sabotage
1976: Judas Priest- Sad Wings of Destiny
1977: Judas Priest- Sin after Sin
1978: Judas Priest- Stained Class
1979: Motorhead- Overkill
1980: Ozzy Osbourne- Blizzard of Ozz
1981: Ozzy Osbourne- Diary of a Madman
1982: Judas Priest- Screaming for Vengeance
1983: Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind
1984: Metallica- Ride the Lightning
1985: Exodus- Bonded by Blood
1986: Iron Maiden- Somewhere in Time
1987: Savatage- Hall of the Mountain King
1988: Metallica- And Justice for All
1989: Sodom- Agent Orange
1990: Judas Priest- Painkiller
 
1986 was the best musical year...
I mean: Somwhere In Time, Puppets, Reign In Blood...and for the underrated The Ultimate Sin and Turbo
 
KidInTheDark666 said:
Music ended in 1990.
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Humanity Still Producing New Art As Though Megadeth’s ‘Rust In Peace’ Doesn’t Already Exist

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Humanity Still Producing New Art As Though Megadeth’s ‘Rust In Peace’ Doesn’t Already Exist

WASHINGTON—Saying that any further endeavors of technical skill and imagination were pointless, experts at the Smithsonian Institution reportedly questioned Monday why new art was still being produced after the pinnacle of aesthetic and creative potential was reached in 1990 with Megadeth’s...
entertainment.theonion.com entertainment.theonion.com
 
Why do you guys have to be such asswipes? lol The reason I only went up to 1990 is because those were the best years for metal imo. Most of my favorite albums are from that time period. Somebody else can make a list post 1990.
 
PieceofMind89 said:
Why do you guys have to be such asswipes?
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Rude, I just asked an honest question.

Fine, I'll play along. I assume you meant "metal" and not "heavy metal" as your list had thrash metal albums and some that aren't even metal (Queen).

1970 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid (only metal album I have from this year)
1971 - Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality (only metal album I have from this year)
1972 - Black Sabbath - Volume 4 (only metal album I have from this year)
1973 - Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (only metal album I have from this year)
1974 - Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla (Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties, Deep Purple - Burn and King Crimson - Red are arguably heavier albums, but Judas Priest is overall way more metal even if Rocka Rolla isn't)
1975 - Black Sabbath - Sabotage (only metal album I have from this year)
1976 - Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
1977 - Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
1978 - Judas Priest - Stained Class
1979 - Motörhead - Overkill
1980 - Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
1981 - Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
1982 - Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
1983 - Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
1984 - Metallica - Ride The Lightning
1985 - Helloween - Walls Of Jericho
1986 - Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time (definitely the best year for metal so far, I couldn't choose the best thrash metal album of all time (Slayer - Reign In Blood) over SIT.
1987 - Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 1
1988 - Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 2
1989 - Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind
1990 - Judas Priest - Painkiller (second best year for metal so far, I had to leave out Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World and Megadeth - Rust In Peace which are both perfect albums)

Overall, lots of great bands started in 1970's and 1980's but there wasn't really that much good material. 1990's-2010's are way better.
 
Night Prowler said:
Rude, I just asked an honest question.

Fine, I'll play along. I assume you meant "metal" and not "heavy metal" as your list had thrash metal albums and some that aren't even metal (Queen).

1970 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid (only metal album I have from this year)
1971 - Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality (only metal album I have from this year)
1972 - Black Sabbath - Volume 4 (only metal album I have from this year)
1973 - Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (only metal album I have from this year)
1974 - Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla (Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties, Deep Purple - Burn and King Crimson - Red are arguably heavier albums, but Judas Priest is overall way more metal even if Rocka Rolla isn't)
1975 - Black Sabbath - Sabotage (only metal album I have from this year)
1976 - Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
1977 - Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
1978 - Judas Priest - Stained Class
1979 - Motörhead - Overkill
1980 - Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
1981 - Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
1982 - Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
1983 - Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
1984 - Metallica - Ride The Lightning
1985 - Helloween - Walls Of Jericho
1986 - Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time (definitely the best year for metal so far, I couldn't choose the best thrash metal album of all time (Slayer - Reign In Blood) over SIT.
1987 - Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 1
1988 - Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 2
1989 - Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind
1990 - Judas Priest - Painkiller (second best year for metal so far, I had to leave out Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World and Megadeth - Rust In Peace which are both perfect albums)

Overall, lots of great bands started in 1970's and 1980's but there wasn't really that much good material. 1990's-2010's are way better.
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LOL, yeah I meant metal. Great list.
 
Forostar said:
Nice! Will give it a thought. Reminds me of a @Mosh project.

edit:
@karljant
1985: The Cult - Love
1984: The Smiths - The Smiths
heavy metal?
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AH! Well pointed @Forostar ! I missed that detail... now I've got to change my list deeply (and it's not just those 2... it's waaaaaay more, almost half of it). Plus I made a mistake: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is from 73 not 74.
 
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Only Metal records, then (Maiden, Priest and Sabbath's dominance is evident):

1990: Judas Priest - Painkiller
1989: Bolt Thrower - Realm Of Chaos (Slaves To Darkness)
1988: Sabbat - History Of A Time To Come
1987: Celtic Frost - Into The Pandemonium
1986: Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
1985: Anthrax - Spreading The Disease
1984: Iron Maiden - Powerslave
1983: Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
1982: Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance
1981: Iron Maiden - Killers
1980: Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
1979: Motorhead - Overkill
1978: Judas Priest - Stained Class
1977: Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
1976: Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
1975: Black Sabbath - Sabotage
1974: Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla
1973: Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1972: Black Sabbath - Vol 4
1971: Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
1970: Black sabbath - Paranoid
 
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And I believe @Perun made this idea. Two lists even? One without limits on a band, and the other with max 1 album per band.

The Yearly Metal Project (With a Twist - See inside): 1982

So the other day I got the urge to listen to some early Sabbath, when I realized that I've never really explored Heavy Metal in terms of years. i.e. I've never listened to just albums from 1980. I imagine I'd get a different sense of context when listening to Heaven and Hell, British Steel, and...
forum.maidenfans.com

So you are stranded on a desert island...

and you can only have a select number of albums to take with you to listen to as you remain on the island for the rest of your days. The catch? They can only be studio albums Only one album per release since your birth year. These are mine. 1989: Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind 1990...
forum.maidenfans.com

(check this out @karljant had you seen this stuff)
 
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'70 In Rock
'71 Master of Reality
'72 Machine Head
'73 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
'74 Phenomenon
'75 Rainbow I
'76 Rising
'77 Sin After Sin
'78 Stained Class
'79 Overkill
'80 Heaven and Hell
'81 Killers
'82 Number of the Beast
'83 Piece of Mind
'84 Ride the Lightning
'85 Hell Awaits
'86 Somewhere In Time
'87 ? ?
'88 And Justice for All
'89 Controlled by Hatred
'90 Rust in Peace Cowboys from Hell No Prayer for the Dying
 
It's tempting to have some prog rock / hard rock as well (bands like Jethro Tull, Hawkwind or Rush). Not sure if all these are allowed. @PieceofMind89 ? And live albums?

It's certainly closer to metal than The Smiths. ;--) @karljant


1970: Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
1971: Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
1972: Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
1973: Jethro Tull - A Passion Play
1974: Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla
1975: Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time
1976: Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
1977: Judas Priest - Sin after Sin
1978: Judas Priest - Stained Class
1979: Judas Priest - Unleashed In the East
1980: Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
1981: Rush - Moving Pictures
1982: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
1983: Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
1984: Iron Maiden - Powerslave
1985: Helloween - Walls of Jericho (EP/mini-LP and the song "Judas" included!)
1986: Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
1987: Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I
1988: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
1989: Black Sabbath - Headless Cross
1990: Judas Priest - Painkiller
 
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Forostar said:
It's certainly closer to metal than The Smiths. ;--) @karljant
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Hey stop beating that dead horse... I missed the "Metal" in the threads title and now it's 100% metal. :D:D:D:D
Forostar said:
And live albums?
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I avoid mention them in this kind of lists (for some reason Live After Death and Unleashed In The East were left out, two MANDATORY records).
Forostar said:
1985: Helloween - Walls of Jericho (EP/mini-LP and the song "Judas" included!)
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Amazing album! And IMO Judas is simply one of their best tracks. Still gave it to 'Thrax by a whisker (great competition here: Walls, Hell Awaits, Feel The Fire). But if I decided to include live albums 1985's #1 would've been Live After Death by far.
Forostar said:
1975: Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time
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Cool album. I'm more into their early stuff especially In Search Of Space (the live album Space Ritual is also top notch).
 
Zare said:
Rust in Peace Cowboys from Hell No Prayer for the Dying
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You started ok, then a bit worst ... and then you blew it. :D :p
Zare said:
And Justice for All
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It pains me a lot no being able to include albums such as And Justice For All, South Of Heaven, Dimension Hatross, Blood Fire Death, So Far So Good So What, Leprosy and Seventh Son but I can't ignore the fact something called History Of A Time to Come happened :( . Same works to a even higher degree when it comes to 1986: Reign In Blood and Epicus Doomicus Metallicus are true masterpieces in their respective genres... but then there's Somewhere In Time.
Even so the most packed year is 1990: Rust In Peace, Coma Of Souls, Harmony Corruption, Cowboys From Hell, Persistence Of Time, Left Hand Path, The Eye, Cause Of Death, Vanity Nemesis... one of metal's best years ever! But then there's Painkiller.
 
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