Top Ten Metal Albums Of Each Year
1980-1989

The Number of the Beast and Master of Puppets album covers
Criteria: These Top Ten Metal albums of each year from 1980 through 1989 were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on metal music in general.

Last Updated: 2023-03-09
Metal Albums 1980-1989

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1980

  1. Ace of Spades - Motörhead
  2. Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne
  3. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
  4. British Steel - Judas Priest
  5. Heaven & Hell - Black Sabbath
  6. Lightning to the Nations - Diamond Head
  7. Angel Witch - Angel Witch
  8. Strong Arm of the Law - Saxon
  9. Wheels of Steel - Saxon
10. Animal Magnetism - Scorpions
Motorhead - Ace of Spades album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1981

  1. Welcome to Hell - Venom
  2. Killers - Iron Maiden
  3. Diary of a Madman - Ozzy Osbourne
  4. Too Fast For Love - Mötley Crüe
  5. Mob Rules - Black Sabbath
  6. Denim and Leather - Saxon
  7. Fire Down Under - Riot
  8. Breaker - Accept
  9. High 'n' Dry - Def Leppard
10. Spellbound - Tygers of Pan Tang
Venom - Welcome to Hell album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1982

  1. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
  2. Screaming for Vengeance - Judas Priest
  3. Black Metal - Venom
  4. Blackout - Scorpions
  5. Restless and Wild - Accept
  6. Battle Hymns - Manowar
  7. Death Penalty - Witchfinder General
  8. Iron Fists - Motorhead
  9. Pagan Altar - Pagan Altar
10. Metal on Metal - Anvil
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1983

  1. Kill 'Em All - Metallica
  2. Holy Diver - Dio
  3. Piece of Mind - Iron Maiden
  4. Melissa - Mercyful Fate
  5. Show No Mercy - Slayer
  6. Shout At The Devil - Mötley Crüe
  7. Into Glory Ride - Manowar
  8. Bark At The Moon - Ozzy Osbourne
  9. Balls To The Wall - Accept
10. Crystal Logic - Manilla Road
Metallica - Kill 'Em All album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1984

  1. Ride The Lightning - Metallica
  2. Powerslave - Iron Maiden
  3. Don't Break The Oath - Mercyful Fate
  4. The Last In Line - Dio
  5. Defenders of The Faith - Judas Priest
  6. Fistful of Metal - Anthrax
  7. Bathory - Bathory
  8. Metal Church - Metal Church
  9. Psalm 9 - Trouble
10. Hail To England - Manowar
Metallica - Ride The Lightning album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1985

  1. Hell Awaits - Slayer
  2. To Mega Therion - Celtic Frost
  3. Bonded By Blood - Exodus
  4. Seven Churches - Possessed
  5. Killing Is My Buisness... - Megadeth
  6. Spreading The Disease - Anthrax
  7. Walls of Jericho - Helloween
  8. Feel The Fire - Overkill
  9. Infernal Overkill - Destruction
10. Pentagram (Relentless) - Pentagram
Slayer - Hell Awaits album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1986

  1. Master of Puppets - Metallica
  2. Reign In Blood - Slayer
  3. Peace Sells But Who's Buying - Megadeth
  4. Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Candlemass
  5. Somewhere In Time - Iron Maiden
  6. Pleasure To Kill - Kreator
  7. Awaken The Guardian - Fates Warning
  8. Darkness Descends - Dark Angel
  9. Morbid Visions - Sepultura
10. The Dark - Metal Church
Metallica - Master of Puppets album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1987

  1. Under The Sign of the Black Mark - Bathory
  2. Scream Bloody Gore - Death
  3. Among The Living - Anthrax
  4. Abigail - King Diamond
  5. Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 - Helloween
  6. Scum - Napalm Death
  7. The Legacy - Testament
  8. Hall of the Mountain King - Savatage
  9. Nightfall - Candlemass
10. INRI - Sarcofago
Bathory - Under The Sign of the Black Mark album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1988

  1. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensrÿche
  2. ...and Justice For All - Metallica
  3. Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2 - Helloween
  4. Blood Fire Death - Bathory
  5. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden
  6. South of Heaven - Slayer
  7. So Far, So Good...So What? - Megadeth
  8. Leprosy - Death
  9. Killing Technology - Voivod
10. No Rest For The Wicked - Ozzy Osbourne
Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime album cover

Top Ten Metal Albums of 1989

  1. Altars of Madness - Morbid Angel
  2. Beneath The Remains - Sepultura
  3. The Real Thing - Faith No More
  4. Streetcleaner - Godflesh
  5. The Years of Decay - Overkill
  6. Horrified - Repulsion
  7. Slowly We Rot - Obituary
  8. World Downfall - Terrorizer
  9. Symphonies of Sicknes - Carcass
10. Agent Orange - Sodom
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness album cover
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