Best Metal Songs of All Time

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   Paranoid

   Black Sabbath · from Paranoid (1970) · Album scores 78/99

   The riff that arguably started it all.

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   Master of Puppets

   Metallica · from Master of Puppets (1986) · Album scores 81/99

   Thrash's most complex, crushing epic.

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   The Trooper

   Iron Maiden · from Piece of Mind (1983) · Album scores 84/99

   A galloping, melodic charge.

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   Breaking the Law

   Judas Priest · from British Steel (1980) · Album scores 92/99

   Metal streamlined into a perfect anthem.

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   Raining Blood

   Slayer · from Reign in Blood (1986) · Album scores 78/99

   Pure, brutal velocity.

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   Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

   Megadeth · from Rust in Peace (1990) · Album scores 97/99

   Technical thrash at its most dazzling.

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   Walk

   Pantera · from Vulgar Display of Power (1992) · Album scores 82/99

   A swaggering groove-metal anthem.

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   Ace of Spades

   Motörhead · from Ace of Spades (1980) · Album scores 80/99

   Fast, dirty and immortal.

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   Schism

   Tool · from Lateralus (2001) · Album scores 98/99

   Intricate, shifting progressive metal.

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    Chop Suey!

    System of a Down · from Toxicity (2001) · Album scores 85/99

    Frenetic, melodic and unmistakable.

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    Killing in the Name

    Rage Against the Machine · from Rage Against the Machine (1992) · Album scores 79/99

    A furious fusion of metal, funk and protest.

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    Crazy Train

    Ozzy Osbourne · from Blizzard of Ozz (1980) · Album scores 81/99

    Randy Rhoads' riff and a huge hook.

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    Iron Man

    Black Sabbath · from Paranoid (1970) · Album scores 78/99

    Tony Iommi's down-tuned riff and the whole history of metal in six minutes.

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    Master of Puppets

    Metallica · from Master of Puppets (1986) · Album scores 81/99

    The thrash metal landmark — eight minutes of unrelenting tension and release.

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    The Trooper

    Iron Maiden · from Piece of Mind (1983) · Album scores 84/99

    The gallop riff and the Charge of the Light Brigade: pure NWOBHM.

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    Raining Blood

    Slayer · from Reign in Blood (1986) · Album scores 78/99

    Four minutes of the most hostile thing on vinyl in 1986.

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    Schism

    Tool · from Lateralus (2001) · Album scores 98/99

    The poly-rhythmic precision that made prog-metal feel genuinely dangerous.

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    Chop Suey!

    System of a Down · from Toxicity (2001) · Album scores 85/99

    The dynamic shifts and the choir that made nu-metal briefly interesting.

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    Walk

    Pantera · from Vulgar Display of Power (1992) · Album scores 82/99

    The groove-metal riff and Dimebag's solo that nobody has bettered.

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    Peace Sells

    Megadeth · from Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? (1986) · Album scores 92/99

    The bass intro and the political fury: Mustaine at his sharpest.

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    Killing in the Name

    Rage Against the Machine · from Rage Against the Machine (1992) · Album scores 79/99

    Morello's guitar and the most cathartic expletive in rock radio history.

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    Black Hole Sun

    Soundgarden · from Superunknown (1994) · Album scores 95/99

    The surrealist lyric and the Badmotorfinger era at its most cinematic.

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    Would?

    Alice in Chains · from Dirt (1992) · Album scores 95/99

    Lane Staley and Jerry Cantrell's most harrowing and beautiful moment.

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    Blood and Thunder

    Mastodon · from Leviathan (2004) · Album scores 81/99

    The Moby-Dick concept album's most accessible and devastating opening.

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