What is the best classic heavy metal album ever recorded?

From the proto-metal riffs of Black Sabbath to the anthems of NWOBHM, heavy metal's classic era produced some of rock's most iconic and enduring albums. Cast your vote for the greatest classic heavy metal record of all time.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath's 1970 landmark record that essentially invented heavy metal, featuring the riff-driven title track and 'Iron Man'.

1/16

The Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden's 1982 masterpiece that defined the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with Bruce Dickinson's soaring vocals.

2/16

British Steel

Judas Priest's 1980 album that cemented the leather-and-studs image of heavy metal with anthems like 'Breaking the Law'.

3/16

Black Sabbath

The self-titled 1970 debut that spawned an entire genre, featuring the ominous opening riff that changed rock music forever.

4/16

Blizzard of Ozz

Ozzy Osbourne's 1980 solo debut featuring Randy Rhoads' guitar wizardry and the immortal 'Crazy Train'.

5/16

Holy Diver

Dio's stunning 1983 debut with Ronnie James Dio delivering larger-than-life vocals over richly textured metal riffs.

6/16

Powerslave

Iron Maiden's 1984 opus featuring the epic title track and 'Aces High', widely considered their creative peak.

7/16

Screaming for Vengeance

Judas Priest's 1982 commercial breakthrough featuring 'You've Got Another Thing Comin'' and relentless heavy metal fury.

8/16

Heaven and Hell

Black Sabbath's 1980 reinvention with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, exploring darker, more epic lyrical territories.

9/16

Balls to the Wall

Accept's 1983 heavy metal landmark that brought Germanic precision and power to the global stage.

10/16

Piece of Mind

Iron Maiden's 1983 album introducing drummer Nicko McBrain and featuring 'The Trooper' and 'Flight of Icarus'.

11/16

Master of Reality

Black Sabbath's 1971 album that introduced tuned-down guitars and cemented their proto-doom and proto-stoner metal legacy.

12/16

Blackout

Scorpions' 1982 global breakthrough featuring 'Rock You Like a Hurricane' and showcasing their hard rock and heavy metal mastery.

13/16

Shout at the Devil

Mötley Crüe's 1983 glam-metal statement combining heavy riffs with theatrical shock value.

14/16

Rising

Rainbow's 1976 album with Dio, featuring the epic 'Stargazer' and blending heavy metal with fantasy lyricism.

15/16

Defenders of the Faith

Judas Priest's 1984 album featuring 'Freewheel Burning' and 'The Sentinel', doubling down on pure metal aggression.

16/16