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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I feel like my overall favorites list is getting too long. I'm splitting it up by rating.

1.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

2.Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia

3.Skepticism - Ordeal

4.Funeral Mist - Devilry

5.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal And Ardor

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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…

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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1.Neurosis - Through Silver In Blood

2.Kylesa - Static Tensions

3.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

4.Neurosis - Times Of Grace

5.High On Fire - Death Is This Communion

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1.All time & genre (including Non-Metal on MS)
2.Only studio albums & EPs
3.The genre is primary one.
4.Only ESPECIALLY favorite (a bit more stringently than ver1 and rating 10 is not enough)
5.The…

1.Akhlys - The Dreaming I

2.Altar Of Plagues - Mammal

3.Angra - Temple Of Shadows

4.Anthrax - Among The Living

5.Arkha Sva - Gloria Satanae

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1.Shylmagoghnar - Emergence

2.Galneryus - Angel Of Salvation

3.Blindead - Affliction XXIX II MXMVI

4.Batushka - Litourgiya

5.Leprous - Bilateral

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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…

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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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone…

1.D.C. Cooper - D.C. Cooper

2.Dali's Dilemma - Manifesto For Futurism

3.Damim - The Difference Engine

4.Dämmerfarben - Im Abendrot

5.Damned Spirits' Dance - Weird Constellations

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jesus this is out of date, gotta take some time and update this....

1.Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris

2.Immolation - Close To A World Below

3.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

4.Cryptopsy - None So Vile

5.Suffocation - Pierced From Within

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One album per band/artist, in order.

1.Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum

2.Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale

3.An Axis Of Perdition - Deleted Scenes From The Transition Hospital

4.Dødheimsgard - A Umbra Omega

5.Kayo Dot - Choirs Of The Eye

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Simple ranking of all my favorite albums. Favorite song from the album in the notes. Sure to change/expand as I learn and explore more within metal.
2023: This was starting to get too long so I split…

1.Madder Mortem - Eight Ways

2.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

3.Ayreon - 01011001

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

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Had been wanting to do this for a while, title's pretty self explanatory. Black and doom are my two favorite metal subgenres, and when the two are combined into pure melancholic chaos, I scream like…

1.

2.Arcana Coelestia - Le Mirage De L'Idéal

3.Atriarch - Ritual Of Passing

4.Autumnblaze - DämmerElbenTragödie

5.Bast - Spectres

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These obviously won't ruin your day. Chances are if you are into these styles you'll love this selection. No stylistic borders, but I'm limiting myself to one album per band. These aren't…

1.Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis

2.Abruptum - Potestates Apocalypsis

3.Absolutus - Pugnare In Iis Quae Obtinere Non Possis

4.Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius

5.Aderlating - Spear Of Gold And Seraphim Bone Pt. 1

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There are the albums that have impressed me. Alphabetical orders. Hope you enjoy this list.

1.Acatalepsy - Acatalepsy (EP)

2.Across Tundras - Dark Songs Of The Prairie

3.Aelter - Dusk Dawn/Follow You Beloved

4.A Forest Of Stars - The Corpse Of Rebirth

5.Ain Sof Aur - Atra Serpens

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Beware of contact high and feelings of severe misanthropy.

1.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

2.Acid Witch - Stoned

3.Ancestors - In Dreams And Time

4.Baroness - Blue Record

5.Bison B.C. - Dark Ages

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