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Best Metal Songs of All Time

From Sabbath's birth of the genre to modern landmarks — twelve essential metal songs, each from an album in the catalogue.

  1. 1
    BS

    Paranoid

    Black Sabbath · from Paranoid (1970)

    The riff that arguably started it all.

  2. 2
    ME

    Master of Puppets

    Metallica · from Master of Puppets (1986)

    Thrash's most complex, crushing epic.

  3. 3
    IM

    The Trooper

    Iron Maiden · from Piece of Mind (1983)

    A galloping, melodic charge.

  4. 4
    JP

    Breaking the Law

    Judas Priest · from British Steel (1980)

    Metal streamlined into a perfect anthem.

  5. 5
    SL

    Raining Blood

    Slayer · from Reign in Blood (1986)

    Pure, brutal velocity.

  6. 6
    ME

    Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

    Megadeth · from Rust in Peace (1990)

    Technical thrash at its most dazzling.

  7. 7
    PA

    Walk

    Pantera · from Vulgar Display of Power (1992)

    A swaggering groove-metal anthem.

  8. 8
    MO

    Ace of Spades

    Motörhead · from Ace of Spades (1980)

    Fast, dirty and immortal.

  9. 9
    TO

    Schism

    Tool · from Lateralus (2001)

    Intricate, shifting progressive metal.

  10. 10
    SO

    Chop Suey!

    System of a Down · from Toxicity (2001)

    Frenetic, melodic and unmistakable.

  11. 11
    RA

    Killing in the Name

    Rage Against the Machine · from Rage Against the Machine (1992)

    A furious fusion of metal, funk and protest.

  12. 12
    OO

    Crazy Train

    Ozzy Osbourne · from Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

    Randy Rhoads' riff and a huge hook.

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