This is the most unquestionably difficult ranking I could undertake. The # of albums I consider borderline flawless from each of these bands is ridiculous. Over a dozen albums from these 3 bands have legitimate arguments to be considered the greatest traditional heavy metal album of all time.

I have a few rankings that are likely hot takes here
** Yes, I like Dance of Death more than most folks. Title track and Paschendale are both top 10 Maiden songs, and Montsegur is only a small step behind that. Those 3 songs are better than anything on Brave New World to me, but the rest of BNW is better and higher quality.
** Yes I kinda like Turbo. It's silly but it's fun and the guitar work and Rob's vocals are absolutely stellar. That kinda sucks about Ram It Down, it's got some of Priests' best lead guitar work and I don't think Rob ever sounded better, but dear lord, some of those songs...
As for the top 6 albums here, honestly put them in whatever order you want. They're that close to me and mood depending it could change

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Judas Priest - Painkiller

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

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Welcome to what I consider the "1970s Metal Bible" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This and the other parts of this journey through the decades may be a very overwhelming list. I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

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Welcome to what I consider the "1001 Metal Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This may be a very overwhelming list but I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

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1.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Black Sabbath - Mob Rules

4.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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In no real particular order. These albums are all great.

1.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

2.Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

3.Budgie - Never Turn Your Back On A Friend

4.Blue Öyster Cult - Tyranny And Mutation

5.Deep Purple - Who Do We Think We Are

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Unfinished as I still have to catch up on more recent years. Also all of the places on the list are of course subject to change as I discover more music from each year.

My taste is very much centred around the power of the riff. That means most of the albums on this list are thrash, death, heavy, black, or some offshoot of those genres.

1.After The Burial - Dig Deep

2.Behemoth - The Satanist

3.Carcass - Surgical Steel

4.Cattle Decapitation - Monolith Of Inhumanity

5.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

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Note: these are only for the traditional style of metal borne out of the period of late 60s - late 80s. Modern bands are permitted but they need to be playing in that style.

Recommendations are welcome. I'll listen and if I like it, I'll add it.

1.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

4.Deep Purple - In Rock

5.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

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Main criterias:
How much I love it(obviously)
Songwritting
Importance and originality
Consistency and diversity (consistency is more importance, but diversity can make a difference)

1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

4.Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

5.Slayer - Haunting The Chapel

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1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

3.Rush - 2112

4.AC/DC - Back In Black

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

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This is my complete favorite list of Sabbath albums. Yes, it might be a little bit controversial due to the fact that I appreciate a little bit more the Tony Martin works (hence, Headless Cross is my no.1 favorite), but I strongly believe that the later Sabbath catalogue is very underrated and underapreciated. I do not get even up until today the whole Ozzy hype since stuff like Vol. 4 or Sabotage were just boring and even the other albums weren't that great either (except a couple of songs). In my opinion, the Dio and Martin years (well maybe except for Forbidden) are the best years for Sabbath. If I were to rank the best vocalists this band had, Ronnie James Dio will take the crown with Tony Martin close by while Ozzy would be only the 3rd in my rankings.

1.Black Sabbath - Headless Cross

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

4.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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1.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

2.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

3.Agalloch - The Mantle

4.Judas Priest - Painkiller

5.Therion - Lemuria

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1.AC/DC - Highway To Hell

2.AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

3.Triumph - Just A Game

4.AC/DC - High Voltage

5.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

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1.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

4.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4

5.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

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top 10 70s albums (1 album per band)

1.Alice Cooper - Killer

2.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

3.Van Halen - Van Halen

4.Deep Purple - Machine Head

5.AC/DC - Highway To Hell

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This is an alphabetical list dedicated for the celebration of great instrumental songs that have been included by vocal groups as original contribution to an album. Therefore, this list does not include instrumental-based groups like Apocalyptica, songs that have a significant part with spoken words / human voices or instrumental versions of vocal songs or other bonus material.

Please feel free to suggest more of your favorite songs for this list !

1.Accept - Objection Overruled

2.Anathema - Judgement

3.Arch Enemy - War Eternal

4.Arch Enemy - Will To Power

5.As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us

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