The Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums of All Time
Reviewed. Rated. Ranked.
100 - 51
100. Loudness - Lightning Strikes (1986)
Mark: Loudness hit their commercial peak internationally with this power-pop-metal follow up to 85’s Thunder In The East. A treat throughout thanks to the combined swagger of singer Minoru Niihara and god-like guitarist Akira Takasaki.
Richard: Pitch-perfect precision hard rock with great energy and enthusiasm. One of those albums that fills you with energy and makes you smile.
Steve: Flagbearers for Japanese rock for as long as I can remember, churning out big US-friendly numbers that rarely miss the target. Guitarist Akira Takasaki should be in anyone's list of top 20 axe-wielders.
Top Rated Tracks: Dark Desire, Ashes in the Sky, Street Life Dreams
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.52222
99. Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)
Mark: Rainbow’s fourth album is their first without Ronnie James Dio on the mic. Bonnet is a more than adequate substitute but, Since You’ve Been Gone aside, struggles to lift material that’s broadly inferior to the opening trio of releases.
Richard: A shift by Blackmore to become more commercial, but without losing the essence of Rainbow - much on here to like through tracks like Eyes of the World and Since You Been Gone.
Steve: Never has an album been more accurately titled, with Richie and co shelving Dio's demons and wizards and crashlanding with the help of Graham Bonnet into something ever so mediocre.
Top Rated Tracks: Since You’ve Been Gone, Love’s No Friend, No Time to Lose
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.52917
98. Skid Row - Slave To The Grind (1991)
Mark: Following the acclaimed self-titled debut, Skid Row return with monster riffs, epic hooklines and further proof that they’re the kings of the rock ballad. An album that laid waste to all in its path on its march to the top of the US Billboard 200.
Richard: Briliiant second outing from Bolan and co. Superb balance of power and precision and Bach (mostly) manages to keep things at the limit without going OTT. Monkey Business is immense.
Steve: Took the swagger and the smut from chapter one and added dollops of sophistication and maturity with the sequel. Okay, it ain't genre-defining but when they add beauty to the power - Quicksand Jesus for example - it's hard not to be impressed.
Top Rated Tracks: Quicksand Jesus, In a Darkened Room, Riot Act
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.53056
97. Warlock - True As Steel (1986)
Mark: Doro Pesch and the band hated the label-enforced mix on this, but the tunes reveal a band on an undeniable upward trajectory. A record that put them on an equal footing with their countrymen Accept and the Scorpions.
Richard: A nice varied album by Doro and the boys. Love in the Danger Zone is a classic, allowing the Queen of Metal to showcase all her emotion and range.
Steve: Born in the Fatherland, sadly remixed in LaLaLand and the upshot is that it's far slicker than its predecessors. That said, it's also their best written album to date and Doro, as ever, sounds electric.
Top Rated Tracks: Love in the Danger Zone, Fight For Rock, Mr Gold
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.54848
96. Metallica - Kill ‘Em All (1983)
Mark: The band that ultimately changed the game for everyone arrive with the album that legitimised the thrash genre. A thrilling debut.
Richard: It's clear to see how this album was a game-changer for rock, the thrash metal genre and Metallica. Incredible energy and punch. Hit the Lights, The Four Horsemen, Whiplash and Seek and Destroy set the bar. But Anesthesia should have been strangled before birth.
Steve: Disregard the instrumental folly that is Anesthesia and focus instead on the remainder of an album that set the thrash bar. Many had crashed and banged before Metallica arrived but few did it with this amount of controlled aggression and song-writing nous. And this was just the start.
Top Rated Tracks: Seek and Destroy, Whiplash, The Four Horsemen
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.56000
100. Epitaph - Outside The Law (1974)
Mark: Formed in Germany in the late Sixties, Epitaph’s third album is good and not so good in more or less equal parts - but at its best captures the hypnotic essence of Zeppelin and the swagger of Grand Funk Railroad.
Richard: Atmospheric, layered and very well written. Another gem from the early 70s that's worth discovering. Woman is an absolute classic.
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Woman, Fresh Air, Outside the Law
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.56190
99. Deep Purple - Burn (1974)
Mark: With Gillan and Glover gone, Purple regroup with Glenn Hughes and a then unknown David Coverdale. Whilst it fails to match the highs of the best of the MKII line-up, there’s enough quality here to allay any fears of commercial decline.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Sail Away, Burn, Might Just Take Your Life
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.56250
98. REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (1980)
Mark: Huge hooklines and soaring keyboards = instant radio gold in a gloriously punchy first half that gives way, with a small sense of inevitability, to a slightly less sure-footed Side 2.
Richard: A wonderful album. As good now as when I bought it back in 1981. Some absolute corkers on side 1 that define the whole AOR genre. Richrath's guitar playing is sublime and Cronin's vocal control and power is at its peak.
Steve: Name a musical genre, chances are a dash of it will appear on Hi Infidelity, an album with more variety than a box of Quality Street. It’s brash, it’s funny, it sweeps you up and floats you down. Pretty much AOR gold.
Top Rated Tracks: Don’t Let Him Go, Keep On Lovin’ You, Take It On The Run
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.56667
97. Genesis - Nursery Cryme (1971)
Mark: Steve Hackett and Phil Collins form the lightning rod that ignites a 3-album hot streak. A majestic suite of superbly layered compositions that bull-headedly refuse to yield to conventional wisdom - even when they should.
Richard: The arrival of Collins and Hackett provide the secret sauce to propel Genesis away from break-up and towards superstardom. Intriguing; at times beautiful and occasionally impenetrable.
Steve: Part one of the holy trinity of Gabriel-era Genesis albums with newboy Steve Hackett turning possibilities into reality. Harold The Barrel offers humorous relief in a sea of melancholy which is utterly enchanting.
Top Rated Tracks: Musical Box, The Fountain of Salmacis, Return of the Giant Hogweed
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.57143
96. Flotsam And Jetsam - No Place For Disgrace (1988)
Mark: Two years is a long time in evolutionary terms, as F&J prove with a more sure-footed follow-up to the youthful enthusiasm of Doomsday For The Deceiver. A hideous Elton John cover aside, this is deliciously ballsy, belligerent and brutal.
Richard: Much more mature songwriting and playing on this outing. The speed and power remain but are balanced with more layers and melodies. So it's more accessible whilst still belting you around the head quite nicely.
Steve: The F&J boys were in the process of growing up and fine-tuning their style, though don't for one minute think they've compromised on the speed and brutality which so endeared us to Doomsday.
Top Rated Tracks: N. E. Terror, Escape from Within, The Jones
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.57333
95. Gillan - Mr Universe (1979)
Mark: After a huffy split with Deep Purple and an ill-conceived flirtation with jazz as a solo artist, Ian Gillan returned to sensastional form as NWOBHM dawned with an album that showcases both his exceptional voice and hard rock credentials.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Fighting Man, She Tears Me Down, Dead of Night
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.57667
94. Krokus - Heart Attack (1988)
Mark: Routinely lampooned at times for being derivative, the veteran Swiss rockers nevertheless serve up a great big ball of fun that boasts some killer riffs and well-executed knock-off melodies.
Richard: Thoroughly enjoyable romp from the best impersonators in the business. Hear all your favourite hard rock bands on one album! (But seriously, it’s worth a listen).
Steve: Switzerland's greatest AC/DC tribute act emerge from their Alpine lair once more with a slab of derivative, crowd-pleasing 80s metal which will leave you feeling warmer than a shot of gluhwein.
Top Rated Tracks: Everybody Rocks, Wild Love, Let it Go
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.58667
93. Grand Prix - There For None To See (1982)
Mark: An album that surprises and frustrates in equal measure. Thin production never quite manages to wholly derail a band that defines the spirit of early prog metal with big slices of melody and Robin McAuley’s angelic pipes.
Richard: A hugely underrated album from a band that deserved more. A brilliant mix of melody and power and great songwriting. Tough of the Track is a gem.
Steve: Well I saw it, just didn't fully understand it. That's not to say it's not good, it just has a nagging knack of threatening to slap you round the face with some metal majesty, only to resist the opportunity. Frustrating.
Top Rated Tracks: Tough of the Track, Relay, Keep on Believing
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.59333
92. Machine Head - Burn My Eyes (1994)
Mark: Brutal in places, but a masterclass in seething control from a band that manage to find melody in the most unlikely places. Ignore your preconceptions.
Richard: Crunching riffs and abusive beats with good arrangement and production and even the odd melodic bit - this is highly recommended and a really assured debut.
Steve: Don't be duped by the Purple moniker, there's no Jon Lord ivory tinkling here. In fact, present Rob Flynn with a piano and he'd probably turn an angle grinder on it, as loud as possible and make it into a song. I likey!
Top Rated Tracks: A Thousand Lies, I’m Your God Now, Nation on Fire
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.27273
91. Fastway - Waiting For The Roar (1986)
Mark: Fastway continue their progression from straight ahead blues rock to synth-laden mid-Eighties pomp. Superior compositions and killer riffs elevate things far above the standard fare of the time, but the keys occasionally distract and detract.
Richard: Some lovely tracks on a real surprise of an album that is really worth a listen. Fast Eddie really couldn't get further from Motörhead if he tried, and that's not a bad thing.
Steve: 'Fast' Eddie Clarke brings not a hint of Motörhead to this keyboard-saturated slice of 80s synth heaven, full of melodies and riffs and a strings-sapped opener in The World Waits For You which could grace the Albert Hall.
Top Rated Tracks: The World Waits for You, Move Over, Waiting for the Roar
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.60667
90. Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit (1985)
Mark: So much better than its sneering critics would have you believe. The bubblegum of the debut is dialled back, but the saccharine horror show that is Silent Night aside, Jovi’s second release is packed with superior earwormy pop-metal anthems.
Richard: Definitely in the bucket of ‘difficult second album’. It was rushed and is all but disowned by the band now. But, despite the bad production it boasts some of the best songs they’ve ever recorded.
Steve: The Bon Jovi thermometer was an album shy of erupting though their second platter boils along beautifully. It's all toothy grins and shoulder pads, too much organ, not enough guitar and in Silent Night a ballad to die for.
Top Rated Tracks: Tokyo Road, In and Out of Love, Always Run to You
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.61000
89. TOTO - IV (1982)
Mark: There are only two reasons why this sold by the truckload at the time. No doubting the quality of the musicianship but between the monolithic but still-fresh bookends of Rosanna and Africa lies an entire continent of largely insipid cabaret numbers.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Africa, Rosanna, LOvers in the Night
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.61667
88. Queen - Queen (1973)
Mark: One of the most important rock albums ever released, though lack of consistency means it isn’t necessarily the best of them. Queen would sort that out within two years, but this is a must-listen for anyone interested in the genesis of the genre.
Richard: Everyone should own a copy of this most special of debuts which explores every direction and style (often in the same song!) and laid the foundations for all that was to come. So far ahead of its time it took the world three years to catch up.
Steve: The point of entry for the one of the world's biggest bands and, fittingly, given what the next two decades would bring, the ride isn't dull. Whiffs of the future jostle with stuff they wisely left behind in a far-ranging kaleidoscope.
Top Rated Tracks: Doing All Right, Keep Yourself Alive, Jesus
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.62963
87. Sword - Metalized (1986)
Mark: Like their countrymen Coney Hatch and Headpins, Sword managed to remain one of Canada’s best-kept secrets despite serving up a collection of songs that fuse crunching buzzsaw guitars with impressive melody. Go find it, and buy it.
Richard: Proper, proper riffs and some real power and pace. No wonder they find their way onto Dave Mustaine's playlists.
Steve: Power metal at its slickest from a bunch of Canucks who would surely have found fame and fortune had they hailed from south of the border.
Top Rated Tracks: Dare to Spit, Where to Hide, Children of Heaven
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.63000
86. Armored Saint - Delirious Nomad (1985)
Mark: Powered by the unmistakeable assault of John Prichard’s guitar, John Bush and company deliver a powerhouse follow-up to their 1984 debut that takes several big steps up in class.
Richard: Hugely enjoyable and varied album, perfectly captured by Max Norman. This is proper melodic heavy metal. Standout track is Over the Edge - genius.
Steve: And the Saint go marching into the higher reaches of any hall of fame with this. Max Norman's ear for detail ensures the production matches singer John Bush's towering vocals on an album with gems at every turn.
Top Rated Tracks: Over the Edge, Aftermath, Nervous Man
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.63000
85. Babylon A.D. - Babylon A.D. (1989)
Mark: A solid debut packed with a tightly written blend of radio-friendly pop-metal, some hard rocking tunes and a then-obligatory ballad. It should have taken the band far beyond where they ultimately stalled.
Richard: Some classic riffs, good structures and real swagger. In Bang Go The Bells this album has one of the best openings and an immediate hook. A couple of misfires but overall an undiscovered gem that everyone should try out and enjoy.
Steve: BAD's debut album which came out in the middle of '89 and was filed under O for Overlooked. It comes out two years earlier and it's filed under TB for The Bollocks. But them's the breaks I guess.
Top Rated Tracks: Hammer Swings Down, Bang Go the Bells, Back in Babylon
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.63667
84. R.E.O. Speedwagon - You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978)
Mark: Crammed full of the band’s signature harmonies and yearning sentiment, this prelude to the all-conquering Hi Infidelity is a dreamy, though occasionally misjudged, exercise in classic AOR.
Richard: The album that launched them to AOR greatness. Some huge songs like Roll With The Changes and Time For Me To Fly but the album is pulled down by a couple of weaker moments.
Steve: The usual Speedo smorgasbord where nothing tastes quite as good as Roll With The Changes and the back end is only marginally less irritating than the album name itself.
Top Rated Tracks: Roll With the Changes, Blazin’ Your Own Trail Again, Sing to Me
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.64444
83. The Cult - Love (1985)
Mark: Lacking the harder edge of both the Electric and Sonic Temple albums that followed it, Love is nevertheless a consummate exercise in dazzingly catchy, guitar-driven goth rock doused with a healthy ability to surprise.
Richard: The Cult's second outing combined Led Zep backlines, Doors psychedelia and poppy grooves with post-Punk attitude to create a masterpiece.
Steve: A final resting place for '60s psychedelia, folded into a Goth punkiness which might sound like an oxymoron yet works superbly. Ian Astbury's pipes never sounded better.
Top Rated Tracks: Rain, The Big Neon Glitter, She Sells Sanctuary
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.64667
82. Guns ‘N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
Mark: Don’t believe the overnight success hype - it took the world a year to accept this neo-punk debut assault. Lifting the drain cover on the cultural sewer of mid-80s L.A., Guns unleash an explosive narcotic of pain, guitars and paranoia.
Richard: Still unique after all these years. Such swagger and groove. Lots of famous tracks, Welcome to the Jungle not least among them, but the album deserves the listen end-to end.
Steve: Aspiring to controversy is the easy bit, backing up the bad attitude with good music a tougher call, but GnR more than met the brief with a vibrant cocktail of sass, class and badass which properly rocked.
Top Rated Tracks: It’s So Easy, Welcome to the Jungle, Out Ta Get Me
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.64722
81. Budgie - Never Turn Your Back On A Friend (1973)
Mark: Brilliantly eccentric, fabulously heavy and utterly assured. An absolute jewel in the crown of early Seventies heavy prog rock that no record collection worthy of the name should be without.
Richard: A very different album - in a good way. Brilliantly bookended by Breadfan and Parents, which are both classics
Steve: Any album containing a track called In The Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand deserves exploring, and you'll find there's far more than titular surrealism to keep you amused.
Top Rated Tracks: Parents, In The Grip of a Tyrefitter’s Hand, Breadfan
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.65714
80. Warrior - Fighting For The Earth (1985)
Mark: The debut from this ahead-of-their-time environment-conscious hard rock quintet is as solid as any album you’ll find crawling out of the Los Angeles HM market in ‘85. Catchy harmonies, relentlessly riffy and generally glorious.
Richard: Wonderfully overblown 80s power metal with an environmental theme. Some colossal riffs, great guitar work and McCarty's vocal dexterity has to be experienced - even though he takes it a little too far at times.
Steve: A cult classic from a power metal band who didn't just drop off the radar, they didn't even get airborne. That's the world's loss because this is a gigantic slice of great fun, OTT, epic metal.
Top Rated Tracks: Fighting for the Earth, Defenders of Creation, Welcome Aboard
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.65833
79. Axis - It’s A Circus World (1978)
Mark: From the gorgeously heavy, riffy opener Brown Eyes to the closing notes, this odyssey into prime one-hit-wonderland leaves you wishing for more and wondering what might have been had Sabbath not come calling for Vinny Appice.
Richard: Another gem worth adding to any collection. An exceptionally talented power trio turn out some absolute corkers with influences ranging from Purple to Zep to BÖC to Nile Rogers.
Steve: Brace yourself for an album that boasts one or two gems - Brown Eyes is such a classy opener - while never fully deciding whether it's an homage to the 70s or the 80s.
Top Rated Tracks: Brown Eyes, Busted Love, Train
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.66061
78. Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)
Mark: Loads of innovation and experimentation from a band who already sounded like the superstars they would ultimately become.
Richard: The ultimate debut album. A reminder just how groundbreaking Eddie was, backed by a colossal rhythm section and fronted by the wonderfully outrageous DLR. The band's swagger and attitude brilliantly captured by Ted Templeman.
Steve: Bring two super-showmen into a studio, give them a licence to enjoy themselves, add a top-class backroom, light the fuse and enjoy. Hardly a surprise that the world’s greatest variety act should kick off their careers on pure entertainment mode.
Top Rated Tracks: Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, Running With the Devil, Little Dreamer
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.66061
77. Survivor - Vital Signs (1984)
Mark: Get past the soppy sentimentality of some of the lyrical content and it’s nigh on impossible not to be drawn to about half of this post-Eye of the Tiger Billboard botherer. But the rest of the album deflates faster than the Hindenberg.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: I Can’t Hold Back, High on You, It’s the Singer Not the Song
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.67037
76. ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1973)
Mark: A platter of heavy old blues and good ol’ Texas wit, served up in a perfectly balanced run order that hits you like a runaway train that just keeps on rollin’. What’s not to like?
Richard: Their finest album and the one where the real ZZ Top sound was created. Everyone knows La Grange, but so many other classics on here, too. A must for every record collection.
Steve: Rock meets boogie meets blues meets jazz and that barely scratches the surface of an album blessed with so much wit and charm that it just makes you smile. ZZ Top's finest hour.
Top Rated Tracks: Jesus Just Left Chicago, La Grange, Shiek
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.67667
75. Dokken - Breakin’ The Chains (1981)*
Mark: Dokken rode the glam and hair metal train to the world’s arenas and stadia, but their music was always a a cut above most of their peers, as this Europe-only debut (repackaged 2 years later for the US and RoW) proves. The title track is the stand out cut, but there’s so much more to love here.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Breakin’ the Chains, Stick to Your Guns, Young Girls
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.68000
74. L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns (1988)
Mark: The other half of the G ‘N’ R family tree serve up a rapid fire onslaught of catchy tunes that are part-punk, part-sleaze, and completely addictive.
Richard: A very tidy collection of 3 minute gems and a real grower. Some incredibly catchy songs add weight to the argument that they deserved to be bigger.
Steve: Mean, nasty and very sassy; think Kiss, hungover, after a night in the slammer. This is earthy, hi-energy sleaze, done far better than most around that time.
Top Rated Tracks: One More Reason, Electric Gypsy, Shoot For Thrills
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.68000
73. The Cult - Sonic Temple (1989)
Mark: A release that polarised fas and critics alike, as the band more or less abandoned the gothic-Native American fusion of previous releases for a more traditional metal vibe. Purists can bleat all they want - this is polished hard rock excellence.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Fire Woman, Soul Asylum, Edie (Ciao Baby)
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.68333
72. KISS - Kiss (1974)
Mark: The commercial longevity of KISS relies entirely on their draw as a live act, which is why this album, like all the others, is just an appetiser to the main course - albeit a superior appetiser that's more caviar than calamari.
Richard: A debut album that set the musical template for the rest of their career. The whole thing is driven by Simmons’ basslines and attitude. Strutter is their ‘album 1, track 1’ calling card.
Steve: Cabaret rock from a band who sounded great on vinyl – but far, far better live. This was their opening shot and they’ve been re-stirring the same ingredients ever since - though they never did anything tastier.
Top Rated Tracks: Strutter, Deuce, Cold Gin
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.68667
71. Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972)
Mark: Heep’s fourth album is a masterclass in prog-focused hard rock that balances gentility with grit, due in large part to a more upfront guitar sound than we got with Look At Yourself. It makes for sublime listening in places and sets the bar for the future.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: The Wizard, Easy Livin’, Rainbow Demon
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.69630
70. Fates Warning - Parallels (1991)
Mark: Fates Warning may be less widely known in the holy trinity of prog metal bands, but Parallels’ high quality, complex soundscape demonstrates why they’re so highly regarded.
Richard: Intricate, melodic and powerful. Highly recommended. They deserve to be there with Dream Theater and Queensrÿche. But who influenced who?
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Life in Still Water, The Eleventh Hour, Point of View
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.7000
69. Bad Company - Bad Company (1974)
Mark: Free from Free, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke reunite to repeat the trick of creating a sweeping soundscape that brings to mind big sky and empty plains Americana. Beautifully executed, this is 70s rock at its rolling best.
Richard: A beautiful album from a bunch of blokes who only got together to make music. Ralphs' guitar shines through and Rodgers’ voice is sublime. So many great songs - but the title track is perfect.
Steve: You can have too much of Can't Get Enough but the same cannot be said of Paul Rogers, a man who I could happily listen to singing the phonebook. Average songs - and there are one or two here - he takes to dizzier heights.
Top Rated Tracks: Bad Company, Seagull, Ready for Love
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.70417
68. Slayer - South Of Heaven (1988)
Mark: An absolute masterclass in controlled aggression. Even if the band aren’t great fans of it, there’s no denying the sublime cocktail of power and pace that makes this album a commercially accessible tour de force.
Richard: Brilliant use of tempo changes, better arrangement and control over the aggression make this a more rounded and really accessible album from Slayer. Brilliant.
Steve: Less skullcrushing, more headscratching for Slayer diehards, who saw an airier side to their beloved thrash idols. The upshot is their most sophisticated effort yet - ok, perhaps sophisticated is overdoing it!
Top Rated Tracks: South of Heaven, Mandatory Suicide, Ghosts of War
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.72667
67. AC/DC - Highway To Hell (1979)
Mark: The album that finally broke AC/DC in America would be the last time we would hear Bon Scott on record. It's a perfect epitaph.
Richard: My first and still favourite AC/DC album. The band were on fire. The first three chords of the title track; the build of Walk All Over You; the energy of Touch Too Much; the spine tingles of Night Prowler - this album had everything.
Steve: Bon Scott’s final hour wasn’t his finest though this punky farewell to part one of the AC/DC story had more than enough sparkling moments to make it a good listen.
Top Rated Tracks: Highway to Hell, Walk All Over You, Shot Down in Flames
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.73000
66. Rush - 2112 (1976)
Mark: Prog geeks will adore every second of this from start to end. For the rest of us, a near-impenetrable first side mercifully gives way to a more accessible and far more rewarding second act.
Richard: A down-the-tubes tour, financial hardship and a make-or-break album. Play it safe? No. Rush believed in themselves and recorded a masterpiece. The record company took a risk and the rest is history.
Steve: Not easy to summarise an album boasting quite so much breadth. Side One was the kind of concept which stirred the Pistols into life and still asks too many questions for my tiny mind. Side two is a welcome breeze in comparison.
Top Rated Tracks: The Twilight Zone, Tears, A Passage to Bangkok
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.74444
65. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
Mark: Worried that the creative well had run dry, Sabbath still manage to return with another nailed-on classic to add the the four that had preceded it. The title track sets the bar, but the album has its fair share of surprising diversions, too.
Richard: Recording in a haunted castle helped Sabbath reach darker and deeper depths. Some real variety in their most accomplished album with Ozzy, including a star turn by Rick Wakeman.
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabbra Cadabra, Spiral Architect
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.74583
64. Blue Ӧyster Cult - Spectres (1977)
Mark: Another gorgeous excursion into the unexpected, and while there’s an occasional misfire, Roeser & Co manage to effortlessly blend the haunting beauty of tracks like I Love the Night with wonderful moments of outrageously joyful pomp.
Richard: The album that followed Agents Of Fortune was always going to be a challenge. But persevere with it because this one is a grower and, in I Love The Night, features one of their best ever songs.
Steve: Never a dull moment on a ride with the BÖC massive, with this selection as unpredictable as they are impressive
Top Rated Tracks: I Love the Night, Golden Age of Leather, Nosferatu
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.74667
63. Coney Hatch - Outa Hand (1983)
Mark: For the relative few who were in on the secret, Coney Hatch offered big melodies, big hooks and enough hard rock experimentation to make it all interesting. A band and catalogue that sadly failed to make it onto the global radar.
Richard: A really well balanced album, but the songwriting in parts lets it down. There are still a few great tracks and Don't Say Make Me is a classic.
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Don’t Say Make Me, To Feel The Feeling Again, First Time for Everything
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.74815
62. Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984)
Mark: An unfamiliar saturation of keyboards and lyrical content that plays on 1980s Cold War sensibilities means this is inevitably rooted in time. Musically, a couple of misfires at the back end render it superior rather than exceptional.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Red Sector A, Distant Early Warning, Afterimage
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.75000
61. Heart - Little Queen (1977)
Mark: Heart were never better than on this. From the snapping Barracuda to the mesmeric Dream of the Archer, a masterpiece from end to end.
Richard: The barnstorming Barracuda opens an incredibly varied album with beautiful songs, and mesmerising vocals from Ann Wilson. Dream of the Archer is their Battle of Evermore - and just as good. An album for every collection.
Steve: An album probably best known for its fiery opener, Barracuda; yet that is merely a bloody good introduction to a timeless web of divine soundscapes and sumptuous elegance and artistry, all held together by the beauty that is Ann Wilson's voice.
Top Rated Tracks: Dream of the Archer, Love Alive, Treat Me Well
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.76000
60. Strangeways - Native Sons (1987)
Mark: Strangeways transcend their working class Scottish roots to deliver a glossy package of melody-rich songs that often out-REO that most famous of Speedwagons.
Richard: Some superbly well-crafted songs and a sound that reminds me of Survivor meets Hogarth-era Marillion. They deserved to be bigger than they were.
Steve: A band who criminally slipped through the net – and the fault very definitely wasn’t theirs. Terry Brock’s captivating vocals were the tin lid on what is surely one of AOR’s best-kept secrets.
Top Rated Tracks: Where Do We Go From Here, Only A Fool, Dance With Somebody
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.78333
59. Whitesnake - Ready An’ Willing (1980)
Mark: Whitesnake hit their stride with a classic line-up in full pomp. Leery subject matter like Sweet Talker is offset by the chart-friendly bounce of Fool For Your Lovin' and mournful beauty of Blindman. Musically, they were never better.
Richard: The arrival of Ian Paice gives the band a new groove and provides the missing piece to take them up several gears. Blindman is immense, and Coverdale never sang as well as he did on this album.
Steve: Blues and rock are escorted down the aisle in a marriage made in heaven though Coverdale’s somewhat risqué lyrics suggest the honeymoon got a bit bawdy. Blindman is as gold as gold can be.
Top Rated Tracks: Blindman, Ain’t Gonna Cry No More, Carry Your Load
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.78519
58. Whitesnake - 1987 (1987)
Mark: Dismissed as Whitesnake’s second debut album, 1987 unapologetically chases down MTV airtime as John Sykes strafes the album with enough six-string firepower to offset the soggy saccharine suet that sent this record multi-platinum.
Richard: It's overblown. It's overtly commercial. But who cares? Amazing riffing from Sykes, and Coverdale never sounded better.
Steve: New Whitesnake figured things can only get better if Coverdale chased the MTV D:Ream - and it worked, with the blues axed and replaced by a mix of slush and rock to delight faux fans and amuse the old guard.
Top Rated Tracks: Still Of The Night, Children Of The Night, Bad Boys
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.79259
57. Yesterday & Today - Struck Down (1978)
Mark: The bridge between the self-titled debut of 1976 and the 1981 hard rock powerhouse that was Earthshaker, Y&T’s sophomore release has some stunning moments, but isn’t without its throwaway moments.
Richard:
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Pleasure in My Heart, Tried to Show You, Stargazer
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.80833
56. Dio - The Last In Line (1984)
Mark: Often overlooked in the crush of critical acclaim that was visted upon its older brother Holy Diver, Dio’s sophomore album is more consistent, with crunchier riffs, massive hooklines, and a superlative guitarist in Vivian Campbell.
Richard: A few ups and downs but classic Dio throughout. The Last In Line is the highlight and we get a proper Dio epic with Egypt.
Steve: Dio going a bit more mainstream with keyboards aplenty, though the little fella can't resist a poor man's-Stargazer to sign it off. Good fun all round.
Top Rated Tracks: The Last in Line, Evil Eyes, Mystery
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.81481
55. Megadeth - Youthanasia (1994)
Mark: Youthanasia has lived long in the shadow of its double platinum forefather Countdown To Extinction, but Max Norman’s razor sharp production makes this a suitably brutal companion piece.
Richard: Norman built a studio specially for this album and took the band to another level sonically. SO intense. SO powerful. Fantastic musicianship.
Steve: Dave Mustaine's divisive vocal style can add the requisite spice and menace to any track; over 12 tracks, however, he's a harder listen and becomes a distraction which masks the rhythmic monster thundering away alongside.
Top Rated Tracks: Blood of Heroes, Reckoning Day, A Tout le Monde
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.82500
54. Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation (1987)
Mark: When Aerosmith entered the studio they were an industry joke, lost in a white cloud of addiction. Under the skilful hand of producer Bruce Fairbairn, they emerged to a multi-platinum renaissance thanks to tunes that rank among their best ever.
Richard: After dying musically from too much excess, Aerosmith rediscovered their mojo and long lost groove. As well as the well known hits, there are some absolute stonkers on here like the wonderful Simoriah.
Steve: The 'Smiths had emerged from rehab with an army of collaborators poised to take the band to a new height courtesy of an incredible range of songs which make this album seriously entertaining.
Top Rated Tracks: Simoriah, Magic Touch, Rag Doll
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.85833
53. Anthrax - Among The Living (1987)
Mark: Seething menace is shackled with restraint and control that was missing from their first two releases. Sure-footed songwriting and delivery combine with Eddie Kramer's polished production to turbocharge Anthrax into the mainstream.
Richard: A unique album by a unique band. The combination of speed, power and control is breathtaking. Indians is the standout track, but there is so much quality throughout this album that you need to listen to it end-to-end - LOUD.
Steve: A tri-speed (fast, faster still and fast as fuck) work of art and Anthrax’s ticket on to heavy metal's main stage. To make menace is easy; to lace it with humour and bury it in a wall of top tunes is quite the skill. They've never bettered this.
Top Rated Tracks: Indians, ADI/The Horror of it All, One World
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.87037
52. Rainbow - Rising (1976)
Mark: Peerless guitar work from Blackmore, powerful vocals from Dio and a sublime back line of Jimmy Bain, Tony Carey and Cozy Powell. And then there's Stargazer ...
Richard: Just brilliant. The best thing Dio did, surrounded not just by Blackmore but three other fantastic musicians. Stargazer will always make you feel very happy.
Steve: I’m definitely more Starstruck than Stargazer and star-man honours are unquestionably bestowed upon the incredible Ritchie Blackmore rather than his pint-sized singer.
Top Rated Tracks: Stargazer, Starstruck, Tarot Woman
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.87222
51. David Lee Roth - Eat ‘Em And Smile (1976)
Mark: DLR’s undisguised ‘fuck you’ to his doubters is a glorious triumph of stylistic variety in which jazz, blues, swing and rock’s unlikely bed partners are elevated beyond all reasonable expectation by six string wunderkind Steve Vai.
Richard: Diamond Dave waves goodbye to VH with a brand new band, a brilliant guitarist and some absolute classics. Ladies' Nite In Buffalo is his best.
Steve:
Top Rated Tracks: Ladies Nite in Buffalo, Yankee Rose, Goin’ Crazy
Enter Sadmen Rating: 7.88000