Criteria: impact, influence, popularity and less important - musical quality/composition and lyrical quality, within the world of metal.

Updated: 3/06/2011

1. Hallowed be Thy Name - Iron Maiden
2. War Pigs - Black Sabbath
3. Master of Puppets - Metallica
4. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
5. Angel of Death - Slayer
6. Ace of Spades - Motörhead
7. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
8. Victim of Changes - Judas Priest
9. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
10. Iron Man - Black Sabbath

11. Raining Blood - Slayer
12. Stargazer - Rainbow
13. Beyond the Realms of Death - Judas Priest
14. One - Metallica
15. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due - Megadeth
16. The Trooper - Iron Maiden
17. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
18. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
19. Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden
20. Painkiller - Judas Priest

21. Seek and Destroy - Metallica
22. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath
23. Hellion/Electric Eye - Judas Priest
24. N.I.B. - Black Sabbath
25. Creeping Death - Metallica
26. Fade to Black - Metallica
27. Peace Sells - Megadeth
28. Cemetery Gates - Pantera
29. Witching Hour - Venom
30. Holy Diver - Dio

31. Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden
32. The Oath - Mercyful Fate
33. Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden
34. Symptom of the Universe - Black Sabbath
35. You've got Another Thing Coming - Judas Priest
36. Aces High - Iron Maiden
37. Pull The Plug - Death
38. Am I Evil? - Diamond Head
39. Enter Sandman - Metallica
40. Children Of The Grave - Black Sabbath

41. For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica
42. Cowboys from Hell - Pantera
43. Black Metal - Venom
44. Breaking the Law - Judas Priest
45. Seasons in the Abyss - Slayer
46. Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
47. Halloween - Helloween
48. Fast As A Shark - Accept
49. Caught in a Mosh - Anthrax
50. Freezing Moon - Mayhem

51. Mr. Crowley - Ozzy Osbourne
52. Queen of the Reich - Queensryche
53. Walk - Pantera
54. Hangar 18 - Megadeth
55. 2 Minutes to Midnight - Iron Maiden
56. War Ensemble - Slayer
57. Metropolis Part I - Dream Theater
58. Into the Void - Black Sabbath
59. Balls To The Wall - Accept
60. Rainbow in the Dark - Dio

61. The Four Horsemen - Metallica
62. The Philosopher - Death
63. Fear Of The Dark - Iron Maiden
64. Pull Me Under - Dream Theater
65. I am the Black Wizards - Emperor
66. Bonded by Blood - Exodus
67. Hammer Smashed Face - Cannibal Corpse
68. Battle Hymn - Manowar
69. Over The Mountain - Ozzy Osbourne
70. Powerslave - Iron Maiden

71. Keeper of the Seven Keys - Helloween
72. A Fine Day to Die - Bathory
73. Heartwork - Carcass
74. The Last In Line - Dio
75. South Of Heaven - Slayer
76. Transilvanian Hunger - Darkthrone
77. Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath
78. Eyes of a Stranger - Queensryche
79. Killers - Iron Maiden
80. Screaming For Vengeance - Judas Priest

81. Guardian - Fates Warning
82. The Exorcist - Possessed
83. Kill The King - Rainbow
84. Crystal Mountain - Death
85. Wasted Years - Iron Maiden
86. Elimination - Overkill
87. Blackwater Park - Opeth
88. Blinded By Fear - At the Gates
89. Divine Wings of Tragedy - Symphony X
90. Neon Knights - Black Sabbath

91. Evil - Mercyful Fate
92. Tornado of Souls - Megadeth
93. Over the Wall - Testament
94. Solitude - Candlemass
95. Nightfall - Blind Guardian
96. Jesu Død - Burzum
97. Exciter - Judas Priest
98. Chapel of Ghouls - Morbid Angel
99. Battery - Metallica
100. Fairies Wear Boots - Black Sabbath

Cool Avatar. Never would have guessed you were a Jaguar fan.

I've stickied this list, but it'll need some work.

Of course it will.


1. Hallowed be Thy Name - Iron Maiden
2. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
4. Master of Puppets - Metallica
5. War Pigs - Black Sabbath
6. Victim of Changes - Judas Priest
7. Angel of Death - Slayer
8. Ace of Spades - Motörhead
9. Iron Man - Black Sabbath
10. Stargazer - Rainbow
Does it need any changes (besides Victim of Changes...)?


Thanks. Yeah, I don't often say NWoBHM is one of my favorite music genres.

Maybe, TNOB should move up a bit. I dunno, but it seems weird to have 4 songs from Sabbath in the top 10 and only one from Iron Maiden. NOTB is one of those songs that every metalhead is guaranteed to know and it's probably more popular and influential than Stargazer.

Maybe its just me, but I think RttH and The Trooper were more influential songs. Maybe not Hills.

War Pigs >>> Black Sabbath

In both popularity and greatness.

In previous forum people wanted Black Sabbath in the Top 3. Besides, War Pigs in deed wins in popularity, but we're looking also at impact and influence. I need some good arguments to switch BS and WP.

Sherick - any arguments why Trooper should be higher than #?

Brc - I would doubt if # has greater influence than Stargazer. But I guess it's taking popularity and impact, so I'll move it to the top 10. Too bad, I love Stargazer

Not really. They're both basically equal in influence, Number is more popular though. Trooper is more original, if that count for anything.

I like Trooper more, too


11. Stargazer - Rainbow
12. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
13. Beyond the Realms of Death - Judas Priest
14. The Trooper - Iron Maiden
15. Raining Blood - Slayer
16. One - Metallica
17. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due - Megadeth
18. Cemetery Gates - Pantera
19. Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden
20. Breaking the Law - Judas Priest

Does it need updating? Any songs, that deserve to be in here, missing? Are three last songs great enough to make top 20?

Someone please explain the order of the top two based on the criteria

...again?

Popularity: Paranoid
Impact: Tie
Influence: HBTN
Musical C/Q: HBTN
Lyrical Q: HBTN

Keep in mind we are talking about metal only. We don't care what song have done to rock music in the whole.

Besides - if you don't agree - YOU should make proper argument. Thanks.

I am not the one who put the list together. Saying "Hallowed" wins is not an explanation. How is their impact a tie? How does HBTN win those three categories?

How does Hallowed beat Paranoid in Musical and lyrical quality? Really?

Musical and lyrical "quality" shouldn't be a part of the criteria.