Here's my AotY for each year from 1970, with a runner up (or two) following.
Pink Floyd and Yes aren't here, King Crimson is, so I'll include King Crimson

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Deep Purple - In Rock

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards

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Right... Let's get this out of the way from the get-go. Alternative metal is hard to define. I guess that comes from it always wanting to experiment, explore and fuse heavy metal with non-metal music genres. It also makes it an ever changing and growing genre.

Also, before you guys flood me, yes my list contains a lot of Industrial & Nu Metal bands, as well as other genre.. As far as I'm concerned, my picks all fit quite well in the scope of an alternative metal list. Don't you agree? Wait... You disagree? Well, let's agree to disagree and move on.

As for the list itself, I'm going to try and list through time what I (me, myself & moi) consider as essential alternative albums. I will also limit myself to a maximum of 4 releases each year to prevent a messy list, which often makes it a difficult decision, especially in the early 2000's. So yes, it is possible your personal favourite won't be featured. You can tell me all about it in the comments below and we can discuss it, even argue it.

Now, have fun, enjoy my list and let me know what you think or would personally put in your favourite alt-metal list!

-Guib-

EDIT: I will now add my pick for best album of each year using the (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

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Guib's Best Alternative Metal Album Picks

Best Of 2022
Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die

Best Of 2023
Mutoid Man - Mutants

Best of 2024 So Far
...tbd

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Last Updated: March 27th, 2024

1.Living Colour - Vivid

2.Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

3.Faith No More - The Real Thing

4.Godflesh - Streetcleaner

5.L7 - Smell The Magic

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Great Songs on the 4 Strings, Classic songs… Remember from the rehearsal of your band, when the guy on the bass start to move the fingers on that song? Well this is a tribute to that moment and a tribute to those genius of the 4 strings.

1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Tool - Lateralus

3.Rush - Moving Pictures

4.Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

5.Motörhead - Ace Of Spades

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The MS top 200 is supposed to represent the absolute peak of metal music, the timeless classics. I have been listening to metal for about 6 years now and would consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the genre. Yet, I have barely heard half of what the top 200 has to offer. I am now on a quest to listen to it all and give an honest opinion on what I thought of it.
This list will show every album of the top 200 and if I've listened to it whether it's an all-time favourite of mine (+++), I really like it (++), I like it (+), it’s good (*), it’s not great (-), I really dislike it (--) or I hate it from the bottom of my heart (---). The same symbols will be used to characterize what I think my opinion of the albums I haven't heard yet will be, based on my knowledge of the bands and of the genre they play. (?) signifies that I have no idea of whether I'll enjoy it or not and (/) means that my opinion of the album is probably obsolete, and I need to listen to it again. A ★ means the album is in my own top 200.
Edit: The bottom of the top 200 has been changing a lot, with some stuff formerly in the list now closer to 240th, so this is now a top 250. I’m not sure I want to expand the list further down, but I’ll see whenever it’s completed if I feel like going for a top 300 or something like that.
Best discoveries so far: Wildhoney, Nightfall, Out Of Myself, Portal Of I, Autumn Aurora, Nemesis Divina, Abigail, V: Hävitetty, Sounds Of Pain.

1.

2.

3.W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

4.Saturnus - Veronika Decides To Die

5.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

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A list of my favorite album covers

1.Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

2.Mercyful Fate - Melissa

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Motörhead - Motörhead

5.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

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So … you want a start listen Metal and you don’t know how to start? Then this list is for you.

1.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

2.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

3.Saxon - Denim And Leather

4.Rush - 2112

5.Van Halen - 1984

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1 album per band per subgenre
work in progress, updating as I go through the song-by-song ratings on RateYourMusic.com
I will typically update my black metal faves - https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6924
and my death metal faves - https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6298
prior to updating this one

1.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

2.King Diamond - Abigail

3.Voivod - Dimension Hatröss

4.Mastodon - Crack The Skye

5.Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris

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A little list series where I list my top 20 favorite metal albums every year starting from the year I was born in.

1992, was another great year the biggest surprise for me from this year was the amount of solid thrash metal releases that came out around this time when the classic sound of this genera was on its last leg, and again I respect pantera more than I enjoy there music.

1.Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

2.Dream Theater - Images And Words

3.Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond

4.Alice In Chains - Dirt

5.W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

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1.Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power

2.Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction

3.Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer

4.Alice In Chains - Dirt

5.Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond

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(Easiest choice for number one so far)

Plus my top three favourite tracks from each release. \m/

Honourable mentions:
Deicide - Legion (Death)
Candlemass - Chapter VI (Doom)
Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction (Heavy)
Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark (NWOBHM)

Non-Metal mentions:
Dr. Dre - The Chronic (Rap)

1.Alice In Chains - Dirt

2.Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ

3.Obituary - The End Complete

4.Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

5.Holy Moses - Reborn Dogs

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My personal hard rock/heavy metal album of the year that I own.
Truthfully, for several years, I just gave up trying to figure out what was in 2nd place (and sometimes, even in 1st).
Some years have so many options....

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

3.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4

4.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

5.Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties

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1.Opeth - Still Life

2.Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.In Flames - Whoracle

5.Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

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An ongoing list for personal use as well as for reference for beginners (& veterans alike). This is solely my personal opinion and taste (Death & Prog mostly but do give every genre a try). Basically will include albums I've rated 8 & above. Sorted by year since I'll need a Venn diagram to sort by genre (seriously MS please make it happen if possible). Will feature multiple releases per year (obviously) and per band (since if a band is putting out better albums it deserves more recognition). Keeping the metal faith alive from India

1.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

2.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself

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Must Listen: The First 7

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark

3.W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

4.Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction

5.Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond

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Just some of my favorite records of all time. Not really in a particular order besides maybe some of the first few.

1.Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

2.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power

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