Great list Priest!!!
Ride The Lightning is tied with S&M? Oh dammit... was my iced-tea laced with LSD AGAIN?? Ah well, different strokes...
I could have easily gone with Kill, Ride, & Puppets. But I went with Ride, Black, & Death Magnetic. Beyond question, those are the three I've listened to the most. So what can I say? Ride is immaculate and full of underground fury. Black is the surly definition of good clean fun, I've still never heard a catchier metal record.
Last but not least.. Death Magnetic is of immense importance to me... it came out at the end of my metal phase and it single-handedly acted as an overture and coda for the whole speil. It has shades of the early Metallica records for sure but it also has segments reminiscent of Opeth, Pantera, Exodus. Every time I listen to it I feel like I'm 18 again and going to local metal gigs in grim basements. Plus it completely saved Metallica. Loving their early stuff becomes easier knowing that they're still a good band today. There aren't a lot of bands I can say that about, and I consider it very significant.