Kerrang! 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time

[Big Ears]

When referencing bands on Wikipedia, this poll keeps cropping up - it is the 'Kerrang! 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time' list from 20007. The magazine seems to be competing with Rolling Stone for the most bizarre lists. This one is incongruous to me because I don't like the term 'heavy metal', much less understand what it is supposed to mean. Admittedly, I have not researched Kerrang's definition of heavy metal and I'll be ironing my banknotes before doing so. It seems Boston, Sex Pistols and Bryan Adams are all heavy metal. Added to this are the incredible inconsistencies, for example: Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland is rated 8, behind Guns 'n' Roses; The Sex Pistols are at 13, ahead of Sad Wings of Destiny; Deep Purple's Machine Head at 15, is behind Slayer; and who the hell are Moot the Hoople?

Anyway, if like me you've ever wondered what constitutes the 'Kerrang! 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time' list, here it is:


1. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
2. Van Halen - Van Halen
3. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
4. Montrose - Montrose
5. Guns n'Roses - Appetite For Destruction
6. Def Leppard - Hysteria
7. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
9. Aerosmith - Rocks
10. AC/DC - Back In Black

11. Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation
12. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
13. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols
14. Rainbow - Rising
15. Deep Purple - In Rock
16. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
17. Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
18. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
19. Def Leppard - Pyromania
20. Aerosmith - Live Bootleg

21. Kiss - Alive
22. Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
23. Motörhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
24. Rush - 2112
25. New York Dolls - New York Dolls
26. AC/DC - Powerage
27. Slayer - Reign In Blood
28. UFO - Lights Out
29. Metallica - Kill 'Em All
30. Van Halen - Women And Children First

31. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
32. Journey - Escape
33. Legs Diamond - Legs Diamond
34. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
35. Deep Purple - Machine Head
36. Kiss - Destroyer
37. Aerosmith - Draw The Line
38. Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell
39. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
40. Bad Company - Bad Company

41. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
42. Metallica - ... And Justice For All
43. Rush - Moving Pictures
44. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
45. Motörhead - Overkill
46. Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance
47. UFO - Strangers In The Night
48. Black Sabbath - Vol 4
49. Bryan Adams - Reckless
50. Thin Lizzy - Live And Dangerous

51. Moot The Hoople - Live
52. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
53. Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
54. Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
55. The Stooges - Funhouse
56. UFO - Obsession
57. Black Sabbath - Sabotage
58. Motörhead - Ace Of Spades
59. Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
60. Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power

61. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
62. Blue Öyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune
63. Angel - Angel
64. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East
65. Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
66. Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry
67. Van Halen - 1984
68. Magnum - Chase The Dragon
69. Iggy Pop - Instinct
70. David Lee Roth - Eat'em And Smile

71. Thin Lizzy - Thunder And Lightning
72. Blue Öyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening
73. Judas Priest - Stained Class
74. Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
75. Deep Purple - Made In Japan
76. Van Halen - Van Halen II
77. Magnum - On A Storyteller's Night
78. Michael Bolton - Everybody's Crazy
79. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
80. ZZ Top - Eliminator

81. Whitesnake - Ready An' Willing
82. Iron Maiden - Live After Death
83. Boston - Boston
84. Starz - Violation
85. Rush - Rush
86. Anthrax - Spreading The Disease
87. Foghat - Foghat Live
88. Queensrÿche - Rage For Order
89. David Lee Roth - Skyscraper
90. Mother's Finest - Iron Age

91. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
92. Blue Öyster Cult - On Your Feet Or On Your Knees
93. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Smash Hits
94. Starz - Starz
95.Saxon - Wheels Of Steel
96. AC/DC - If You Want Blood - You Got It
97. Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself
98. Queen - A Night At The Opera
99. Iron Maiden - Killers
100. Vinnie Vincent Invasion - Vinnie Vincent Invasion

 

[Big Ears]

This is Kerrang's 'Top 50 Heaviest Albums Ever list. Assuming The Beatles are included as a joke, it still does not account for the absence of Budgie and the presence of The Prodigy. Slayer are officially heavier than Black Sabbath and Judus Priest!

01 Slayer - Reign In Blood
02 Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
03 Converge - Jane Doe
04 Slipknot - Iowa
05 At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
06 Mastodon - Leviathan
07 Black Flag - Damaged
08 Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come
09 Napalm Death - Scum
10 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity

11 Everytime i Die - Hot Damn
12 Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
13 Rammstein - Sehnsucht
14 Metallica - Master Of Puppets
15 Botch - We Are The Romans
16 Sunn 0))) - Black One
17 Sleep - Dopesmoker
18 Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve
19 Strapping Young Lad - City
20 Discharge - Hear nothing see nothing say nothing

21 Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season
22 Brutal Truth - Sounds Of The Animal Kingdom
23 Atari Teenage Riot - 60 Second Wipe Out
24 Satyricon - Volcano
25 Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
26 Death - Scream Bloody Gore
27 Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
28 Carcass - Reek Of Putrefaction
29 Korn - Korn
30 NIN - The Downwards Spiral

31 Sarcofago - INRI
32 Bathory - Bathory
33 American Nightmare - Background Music
34 Megadeth - Rust In Peace
35 Morbid Anfel - Altars Of Madness
36 Mogwai - My Father My King
37 Gojira - From Mars To Sirius
38 Sepultura - Chaos AD
39 Nirvana - Bleach
40 Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake

41 Obituary - Slowly We Rot
42 The Prodigy - Fat Of The Land
43 Deftones - Around The Fur
44 Alice in Chains - Dirt
45 Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
46 Judas Priest - British Steel
47. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
48. Cathedral - Forest Of Equilibrium
49. The Beatles - White Album
50. Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

 

[Big Ears]

The Kerrang! 50 Most Influential Albums Of All Time
(Published May 2003)

This made me laugh, Back in Black is ahead of every Led Zeppelin album, which it copies. Faith No More are great, but more influential than Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles? No! I assume Green Day are the joker in the pack.

1. Faith No More - Angel Dust
2. Nirvana - Nevermind
3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
4. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
5. Green Day - Dookie
6. Tool - Aenima
7. Fugazi - Repeater
8. Alice In Chains - Dirt
9. Slayer - Reign In Blood
10. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks

11. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
12. AC/DC - Back In Black
13. Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come
14. Operation Ivy - Energy
15. Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
16. Hole - Live Through This
17. Deftones - Around The Fur
18. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
19. Guns n' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
20. Korn - Korn

21. Weezer - Weezer
22. Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley
23. Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
24. Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
25. Sublime - Sublime
26. Black Flag - Damaged
27. Pearl Jam - Ten
28. Descendents - Milo Goes To College
29. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magick
30. The Clash - London Calling

31. Venom - Welcome To Hell
32. Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
33. Foo Fighters - The Colour And The Shape
34. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
35. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
36. Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power
37. At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command
38. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
39. Far - Water And Solutions
40. Ramones - Ramones

41. Sepultura - Roots
42. Bad Brains - Rock For Light
43. Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
44. Minor Threat - Minor Threat
45. Helmet - Meantime
46. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
47. Ministry - The Land Of Rape And Honey
48. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
49. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
50. Quicksand - Manic Compression

 

[Big Ears]

Kerrang! The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever!

As Voted for by their readers in February 2005

Am I the only person who has never heard of 'A’ – ‘A’ Vs Monkey Kong – 1999 (at number 89)?


1. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath - 1970
2. Iron Maiden – Number Of The Beast – 1982
3. Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks… - 1977
4. Led Zeppelin – IV – 1971
5. Black Sabbath – Paranoid – 1970
6. Muse – Absolution – 2003
7. The Clash – London Calling – 1979
8. Queen – Sheer Heart Attack – 1974
9. Iron Maiden – 1980
10. Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible – 1994

11. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti – 1975
12. Judas Priest – British Steel – 1980
13. Def Leppard – Hysteria – 1987
14. Black Sabbath – Vol IV – 1972
15. The Darkness – Permission To Land – 2003
16. Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard Of Oz – 1980
17. The Wildhearts – Earth Vs The Wildhearts – 1993
18. Lostprophets – Start Something – 2004
19. Queen – A Night At The Opera – 1975
20. Muse – Origin Of Symmetry – 2001

21. Ash – Free All Angels – 2001
22. Motorhead – Ace Of Spades – 1980
23. Stereophonics – Performance And Cocktails – 1999
24. Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go – 1996
25. Feeder – Echo Park – 2001
26. Led Zeppelin – II – 1969
27. Cradle Of Filth – Cruelty And The Beast – 1998
28. Iron Maden – Brave New World – 2000
29. The Clash – The Clash – 1977
30. Funeral For A Friend – Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation – 2003

31. Therapy? – Troublegum – 1994
32. Feeder – Comfort In Sound – 2003
33. Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman – 1981
34. Deep Purple – Machine Head – 1972
35. The Dammed – Machine Gun Etiquette – 1979
36. Def Leppard – Pyromania – 1983
37. Hundred Reasons – Ideas Above Our Station - 2002
38. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon – 1973
39. The Prodigy – Fat Of The Land – 1997
40. Muse – Showbiz – 1999

41. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin – 1969
42. Manic Street Preachers – Generation Terrorists – 1992
43. Ash – 1977 – 1996
44. Iron Maiden –Killers – 1981
45. Pitchshifter – Www.Pitchifter.Com – 1998
46. Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance – 1982
47. Idlewild – Hope Is Important – 1998
48. Biffy Clyro – Infinity Land – 2004
49. Reef – Glow – 1997
50. Napalm Death – Scum – 1987

51. Lost Prophets – The Fake Sound Of Progress – 2001
52. Saxon – Wheels Of Steel – 1980
53. The Cult – Electric – 1987
54. Skunk Anansie – Paranoid And Sunburnt – 1995
55. Bush – Sixteen Stone – 1994
56. Deep Purple – Deep Purple In Rock – 1970
57. ‘A’ – Hi Fi Serious – 2002
58. Hell Is For Heroes – The Neon Handshake – 2003
59. Whitesnake – 1987 – 1987
60. Terrorvision – How To Make Friend And Influence People – 1994

61. Free – Fire And Water – 1970
62. Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy – 1973
63. Black Sabbath – Master Of Reality – 1971
64. Judas Priest – Stained Class – 1978
65. Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows – 2000
66. Skunk Anansie – Stoosh – 1996
67. Killing Joke – Killing Joke - 1980
68. Venom – Black Metal – 1982
69. Iron Monkey – Iron Monkey – 1997
70. The Wildhearts – P.H.U.Q. – 1995

71. Motorhead – Overkill – 1979
72. Queen – Queen II – 1974
73. Feeder – Yesterday Went Too Soon – 1999
74. Rainbow – Rising – 1976
75. Sisters Of Mercy – Floodland – 1987
76. Therapy? – Nurse – 1992
77. Biffy Clyro – Blackened Sky – 2002
78. Godflesh – Streetcleaner – 1990
79. Earthone9 – Arc’tan’gent – 2000
80. Bush – Razorblade Suitcase – 1997

81. Stereophonics – Word Gets Around – 1997
82. 3 Colours Red – Pure – 1997
83. Cathedral – The Ethereal Mirror – 1993
84. Thunder – Backstreet Symphony – 1990
85. Raging Speedhorn – Raging Speedhorn – 2000
86. Paradise Lost – Draconian Times – 1995
87. Feeder – Polythene – 1997
88. Stiff Little Fingers – Inflammable Material – 1979
89. ‘A’ – ‘A’ Vs Monkey Kong – 1999
90. Discharge – Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing – 1982

91. The Ruts – The Crack – 1979
92. Fudge Tunnel – Hate Songs In E Minor – 1991
93. Baby Chaos – Love Your Self Abuse – 1996
94. Carcass – Symphonies Of Sickness – 1989
95. Gang Of Four – Entertainment – 1979
96. Orange Goblin – Time Travelling Blues – 1998
97. The Exploited – Troops Of Tomorrow – 1982
98. Cradle Of Filth – Dusk And Her Embrace – 1996
99. Anathema – A Fine Day To Exit – 2001
100. Therapy? – Infernal Love – 1995

 

[TheSound]

Michael Bolton is heavy metal?? (#78) OK, then I'm nominating the first 'David Cassidy and the Partridge family' album too

 

[Big Ears]

Everybody's Crazy is a surprisingly good hard rock album and is not at all like his later white soul material. It probably made him less money, which is why he has not recorded an album in this style since. Whether or not it is heavy metal, I don't know, but it became a cult album. Bruce Kulick plays all lead guitar, apart from on one track, and Larry Fast is on synthesizers, too!

 

[Nololob]

Some good surprises, Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself, Def Leppard second(!) album, few UFO's and Whitesnake...
I only scanned through, I should study these later.

 

[Riff Raff]

lol Slayer Reign in Blood is so over rated its not funny, it is far from the heaviest album. I mean its a good album but I think Death, Carcass, Rust in Peace, Master of Puppets are probably far heavier in general.

 

[Scotty The Rebel]

As already mentioned Kerrang! just seems not to know what Metal is. So that means these lists are jokes. I do wonder where, in the top 100 Metal albums list, are the Scandinavian metal bands? Also, in the 50 Most Influential Albums Of All Time list, how did Cypress Hill make it?

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

95% of that list is not heavy metal.