Metal Storm logo
Best to Worst Metal Albums of 1984
Album index | Top albums | Bottom albums | Album charts | Top lists | Staff picks


Thumbs up: +7
Why 1984? Because that's the year I was born. I'm not saying that my birthyear makes anything else significant, but I figured I would take an interest in every album that's as old as I am. Yup, it's that lame. Here they are from best to worst in my opinion.

By the way, only the albums I've listened to go on this list, but I'll get to them, I promise! This is definitely a work in progress as I continue to listen to more metal. I also know I've included a few that aren't in the database, but I felt they were relevant anyway.

Created by: bj_waters | 19.11.2011


1. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
One of the best metal albums ever made. You better believe this is going to be on top of the list. The best of Metallica is the best of 1984.
2. Autograph - Sign In Please
Glam/Pop Metal at its best. I really am hard-pressed to think of a better album of this kind of stuff than Autograph's initial album. It might seem crazy to put this over Maiden, but I heard this one often while growing up, so I have a lot of nostalgia for this one. Pure fun.
3. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Arguably their best album. The middle does get a little repetitive, but otherwise, it has a lot of classic, solid metal. It's probably no surprise to see it up here.
4. Metal Church - Metal Church
Every time I listen to this album, I feel like I should be raising the horns the entire time. Metal Church's debut is a fierce piece of work. With great tracks like "Gods of Wrath," "(My Favorite) Nightmare," and the title track, it just pounds right on through.
5. Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith
Decent follow up after "Screaming", though perhaps not as vicious or iconic. However, I think I like the sound production a little better here.
6. Dio - The Last In Line
Dio's second solo work carries on the energy and passion of his first, putting it a cut above the rest. Probably not as iconic as Holy Diver, but still pretty consistent in quality.
7. Ratt - Out Of The Cellar
For some reason, I find myself really liking some of these Pop Metal records from the early 80s, before they were taken over by power ballads and glossy production. While this stuff is certainly radio-friendly, it still has a decent amount of crunch to it.
8. Manowar - Sign Of The Hammer
Listening to this again, this is better than I remembered. It’s not perfect, but it’s solid chunky metal as only Manowar can deliver.
9. Pretty Maids - Red, Hot And Heavy
Kind of a weird one, as it has a mix of speedy stuff, 80s glam metal stuff, and even AOR elements. However, I can't deny that it's all well done (and as a HammerFall fan, I have to like "Back to Back").
10. Dokken - Tooth And Nail
Decent pop metal. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but it's executed pretty well, making it one of the better albums of this style for the year.
11. Europe - Wings Of Tomorrow
Before "The Final Countdown," when Europe became pop metal stars, they had a few albums that weren't too bad. On this one, I really like the title track and "Stormwind."
12. Whitesnake - Slide It In
Kind of a fun, rock/metal/AOR hybrid with plenty of catchy melodic riffs and hooks. And David has always been a great rock singer.
13. Van Halen - 1984
While the big hits are still fun, the rest of the album is just alright.
14. Trouble - Psalm 9
Classic. Building on what Sabbath started and giving it that heavy crunch that would help codify doom as a genre, though they certainly mix things up here and there in a good way.
15. Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus
Geez, and I thought Trouble was Sabbathy. This sounds like a long lost Sabbath record. Not bad, great atmosphere full of gloom and doom, but not quite as good as Trouble's album.
16. AC/DC - '74 Jailbreak
An EP of early Bon Scott stuff, featuring their early bluesy sound. It's not long, but it's a good time, just like most of the rest of their discography.
17. Rush - Grace Under Pressure
I like 80s Rush well enough, and this album is decent. Rush at their most average (which is what this is) is still pretty good.
18. Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown
This stuff is rough-around-the-edges heavy metal, but the production is solid and the riffs are fun and energetic. It's a little hit and miss, but there's some good stuff here.
19. Omen - Battle Cry
Above average USPM that doesn't do anything I haven't heard before, but does it well.
20. Hexx - No Escape
Surpringly good, being a bit of a blend of Metal Church-style and Ratt-like stuff. Nothing amazing, but solid songs all around.
21. Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
Again, the familiar hits are the ones that stand out, but over all , it's consistent, and decently fun.
22. Helix - Walkin' The Razor's Edge
Surprisingly solid pop metal that does nothing original, but is executed pretty well. Canada's answer to Ratt and Motley Crue.
23. Loudness - Disillusion
I've listened to both English and Japanese (which was half English anyway) versions, and it's alright. Like a mix of Dokken, Van Halen, and a bit of Rush (IMO), but with a lot of energy.
24. Savatage - The Dungeons Are Calling
Decent heavy metal, with those iconic Chris Oliva riffs. While it's not amazing, early Savatage is definitely underrated.
25. Saxon - Crusader
Straight forward, rockin' metal, Saxon-style. However, it leans pretty hard into a poppy sound, with very little that sticks in the mind. It's fun while it's on, but only the title track and "Krakatoa" stand out.
26. Running Wild - Gates To Purgatory
Ignoring the ridiculous lyrics, this is some decent metal, with shades of Metallica's Kill'em All and Anvil's Metal on Metal.
27. Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead
This is an interesting listen; it feels very 70s, like early Judas Priest or early Rush, as they craft their own heavy/doom style. Certainly lots of neat, noodly guitar solos, though. Much better than their first album.
28. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
The begining of Malmsteen's renowned solo career. He has some pretty decent tracks here, but I find that instrumentals usually don't sink in as easily for me.
29. Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
Despite this being the reunion of their classic Mark II lineup, this album doesn't really do much for me, sounding like pretty standard melodic rock.
30. Armored Saint - March Of The Saint
Decent metal, sounding a lot like Ratt's debut album. John Bush maybe wails a little too much, but that was the style at the time.
31. Fates Warning - Night On Bröcken
Like a blend of Judas Priest and Metal Church, the lyrics are kind of cheesy, but it's a decent listen.
32. Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
Now that I've given this a good listen, this really is an American Maiden, with a dash of Bay Area Thrash. The performances could be a little tighter, though.
33. Manowar - Hail To England
Sooooooo, I guess Manowar has two albums in '84. I don't think this one is as good as Manowar's other stuff, but it has a few decent tracks, so it finds itself down here in the middle.
34. Lee Aaron - Metal Queen
While it doesn't do anything amazing, it is a decent 80s rock album, with a solid female singer.
35. Quiet Riot - Condition Critical
A let down after the iconic Metal Health, but it has a few good moments.
36. Anthrax - Fistful Of Metal
Early example of thrash/speed metal. Unfortunately, the album really doesn't have much staying power for me, and they don't really have their iconic sound yet.
37. Warlock - Burning The Witches
Typical old-school German metal. Solid riffs and clean production, but the lyrics are pretty clunky. Still, it's easy to see even at this point why you'd want to build a band around a voice like Doro's.
38. Voivod - War And Pain
Sloppy speed/thrash metal, but the proggy and doomy touches keep things interesting, and show how this band was pretty different from the start.
39. Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap
A pretty silly album that has some neat ideas, but otherwise doesn't hold up unless you seen the movie. (Though I'd speculate most folks on this site already have, and if you haven't, GO WATCH IT!)
40. Exciter - Violence And Force
A decent listen, but nothing really that amazing. It's like curious a mashup of Anvil and Metal Church.
41. Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
Not exactly the most metal album of the year, with some very average melodic rock tracks, but it wasn't awful.
42. Holocaust - No Man's Land
I gave this another listen since the last time I updated this list, and while I do recognize some Motorhead energy, the production sounds like a demo and does the band no favors. Pretty skippable.
43. Helstar - Burning Star
I'm guessing they get better from here, because this is probably the most generic metal album I've ever heard. In one ear and out the other.
44. Bathory - Bathory
Much thrashier than I was expecting, and the lo-fi production does have its charm, but honestly, this is not really my kind of thing.


Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by bj_waters ]



Comments

‹‹ Back to Lists
Comments: 17   Visited by: 104 users
03.02.2012 - 03:06
bj_waters
UPDATED! Added Malmsteen and Grave Digger
Loading...
03.02.2012 - 03:17
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Nice to see Europe mentioned here; a good album, one of their best (if not the best)
Loading...
03.02.2012 - 04:52
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite
Written by [user id=17278] on 03.02.2012 at 03:17

Nice to see Europe mentioned here; a good album, one of their best (if not the best)

for me it's a tie between Wings Of Tomorrow and the self-titled debut
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
07.02.2012 - 18:45
Alex F
Actually a pretty decent year. Ride the Lightning, Rising Force, Metal Church..... all good albums in my book
Loading...
27.06.2012 - 06:57
bj_waters
UPDATED! Added Iron Maiden and Dio. Finally getting some big names up here.

BTW, while I've got a decent list of 1984 albums that I still need to listen to, I figured I'd get some suggestions of what I should listen to next. I'm mostly interested in studio albums, but otherwise, everything is free game!
Loading...
03.11.2012 - 04:42
bj_waters
UPDATED AGAIN! This time I added Saxon and Dokken. I also made an effort to listen to the other albums listed here and I've since changed the order and most of the comments attached to them.
Loading...
03.11.2012 - 09:31
Vasil de Shumen
I would hesitate about 'Fistful Of Metal', 'Heavy Metal Breakdown', 'Crusader' and 'Sign In Please' ...

and I recommend to your attention : Judas Priest - 'Defenders Of The Faith' , W.A.S.P. - 'W.A.S.P.', Twisted Sister - 'Stay Hungry' and Mercyful Fate - 'Don't Break The Oath'
Loading...
03.11.2012 - 22:03
bj_waters
Written by Vasil de Shumen on 03.11.2012 at 09:31

I would hesitate about 'Fistful Of Metal', 'Heavy Metal Breakdown', 'Crusader' and 'Sign In Please' ...

and I recommend to your attention : Judas Priest - 'Defenders Of The Faith' , W.A.S.P. - 'W.A.S.P.', Twisted Sister - 'Stay Hungry' and Mercyful Fate - 'Don't Break The Oath'

Technically, it's a "best to worst", so I'm including everything that I've listened to that comes from that year (I should probably fix the title, huh?). Also, thanks for the recommendations. I'll be sure to put those up higher on my list.

However, I don't know what I can do about "Sign In Please." I REALLY like that album.
Loading...
03.11.2012 - 23:45
Vasil de Shumen
Written by bj_waters on 03.11.2012 at 22:03


... However, I don't know what I can do about "Sign In Please." I REALLY like that album.

Just my criteria are different from your criteria - in my opinion 'Sign In Please' isn't metal album. This is a good pop hard rock album
Loading...
04.11.2012 - 03:31
bj_waters
Written by Vasil de Shumen on 03.11.2012 at 23:45

Just my criteria are different from your criteria - in my opinion 'Sign In Please' isn't metal album. This is a good pop hard rock album

Yeah, everyone has their own strange way of drawing the lines. I mean, I would include Autograph as metal, but not AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. Weird, isn't it. (I'm not saying they're bad, they're just not metal to me.)

In fact, I started a thread here at Metal Storm showing everyone where I draw my lines. I did it mostly because I was upset with everyone else's (read: Sam Dunn's), decided to make my own, then posted it for critical analysis. You're more than welcome to give it a look and tell me where I'm wrong. As I've said before, I'm new to metal, but I feel like I need to share my theories and ideas in order to correct or strengthen them. Or whatever.
Loading...
04.11.2012 - 09:43
Vasil de Shumen
Written by bj_waters on 04.11.2012 at 03:31

Written by Vasil de Shumen on 03.11.2012 at 23:45

Just my criteria are different from your criteria - in my opinion 'Sign In Please' isn't metal album. This is a good pop hard rock album

... In fact, I started a thread here at Metal Storm showing everyone where I draw my lines. I did it mostly because I was upset with everyone else's (read: Sam Dunn's), decided to make my own, then posted it for critical analysis. You're more than welcome to give it a look and tell me where I'm wrong. As I've said before, I'm new to metal, but I feel like I need to share my theories and ideas in order to correct or strengthen them. Or whatever.

I respect your opinion, man.
I comment to your choice. Nothing more
Loading...
31.01.2014 - 23:32
bj_waters
UPDATED! Added Jag Panzer and Whitesnake.

Considering that this year marks the 30th anniversary for all of these albums, I'm going to try and add as many albums as I can to the list (as well as relistening to the ones already here). My goal is to listen to them as close to the 30th anniversary to the release date, but finding exact dates for many of these albums proved to be fairly difficult, so I'm gonna go by months. Here's what I have so far:

January: Van Halen - 1984, Loudness - Disillusion~撃剣霊化 (the Japanese version), Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith, Whitesnake - Slide It In (which I've just added)

February: Anthrax - Fistful of Metal, Exciter - Violence and Force, Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus, Divlje Jagode - Carobnjaci, Europe - Wings of Tomorrow

March: Trouble - Psalm 9, Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force, Savatage - The Dungeons are Calling, Ratt - Out of the Cellar

April: Holocaust - No Man's Land, Saxon - Crusader

May: Corrosion of Conformity - Eye For an Eye, Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry, Kick Axe - Vices

June: Armored Saint - March of the Saint

July: Loudness - Disillusion -English Version-, Manowar - Hail to England, Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead, Dio - The Last in Line, Pantera - Projects in the Jungle (maybe)

August: Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction, Voivod - War and Pain, Metallica - Ride the Lightning, W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P., Scorpions - Love at First Sting

September: Nightmare - Waiting for the Twilight, Iron Maiden - Powerslave, Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath, Queensryche - The Warning, Fates Warning - Night on Brocken, Dokken - Tooth and Nail

October: Pretty Maids - Red, Hot and Heavy, Sinner -Danger Zone, Warlord - ...And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun, Bathory - Bathory, Manowar - Sign of the Hammer, Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown

November: Omen - Battle Cry

December: Tank - Honour & Blood, Running Wild - Gates to Purgatory

Of course, this list isn't complete. I'd like to find release dates for the Brocas Helm, Helstar, Laaz Rockit, Metal Church, Stormwitch, Tokyo Blade, and Warlock albums, so if anybody knows at least what month they should go in (as well as any others), I'd greatly appreciate it. Here's to an epic year of metal!

EDIT: Formatting
Loading...
02.02.2014 - 17:37
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Although not very metal at all and I don't know if you are a Rush fan or not but Grace Under Pressure is terrific, contrary to what other Rush fans think
----
rekt
Loading...
02.02.2014 - 19:29
bj_waters
Written by tea[m]ster on 02.02.2014 at 17:37

Although not very metal at all and I don't know if you are a Rush fan or not but Grace Under Pressure is terrific, contrary to what other Rush fans think

This may seem pretty arbitrary, but I wasn't going to include Rush because I don't think of them as metal. Metal Storm also has pages for Marillion and King Crimson, both of whom had albums in 1984, but I'm not counting them for this list.

I think Rush is alright. I grew up listening to Yes (obviously), Pink Floyd, and Alan Parson Project, but I didn't get around to Rush (and the rest of prog rock, really) until later. I think I've only listened to Grace Under Pressure once though, so I couldn't tell you what I thought of it.
Loading...
05.03.2014 - 04:56
bj_waters
UPDATED! Added Exciter and Trouble.

Started to work my way through that list I posted. This is going to be an interesting year.
Loading...
05.04.2014 - 05:46
bj_waters
UPDATED! Added Saint Vitus and Holocaust.

Probably not the best stuff from the year, but I'm committed to this idea.
Loading...
28.12.2024 - 07:17
bj_waters
10 years later, and after a lot of listening, I have finally doubled the length of this list. I could probably tweak it more, as there are a lot of albums here that are essentially tied, but I'm satisfied with where it is now.
Loading...

Hits total: 9767 | This month: 34