Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs

[Guest Doomsault]

Nos. 201-300

 

300. "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister

 

299. "Ride the Sky" by Helloween

 

298. "Cum on Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot

 

297. "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine

 

296. "Rock of Ages" by Def Leppard

 

295. "Snowblind" by Black Sabbath

 

294. "Bonded by Blood" by Exodus

 

293. "Metal Heart" by Accept

 

292. "Screaming in the Night" by Krokus

 

291. "Suite Sister Mary" by Queensryche

 

290. "747 (Strangers in the Night)" by Saxon

 

289. "Blinded by Fear" by At the Gates

 

288. "Grinder" by Judas Priest

 

287. "Don't Believe a Word" by Thin Lizzy

 

286. "Meagalomania" by Black Sabbath

 

285. "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin

 

284. "Epic" by Faith No More

 

283. "Resurrection" by Halford

 

282. "Limelight" by Rush

 

281. "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)" by Judas Priest

 

280. "Domination" by Pantera

 

279. "Dead Skin Mask" by Slayer

 

278. "The Wizard" by Black Sabbath

 

277. "Inner Self" by Sepultura

 

276. "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister

 

275. "Melissa" by King Diamond

 

274. "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake

 

273. "The Writ" by Black Sabbath

 

272. "This Love" by Pantera

 

271. "Iron Fist" by Motörhead

 

270. "After Forever" by Black Sabbath

 

269. "Godzilla" by Blue Öyster Cult

 

268. "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)" by W.A.S.P.

 

267. "Let It Go" by Def Leppard

 

266. "Crazy Night" by Loudness

 

265. "God Save the Queen" by Sex Pistols

 

264. "Kick out the Jams" by MC5

 

263. "Only" by Anthrax

 

262. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" by Iron Maiden

 

261. "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe

 

260. "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin

 

259. "Heading Out to the Highway" by Judas Priest

 

258. "Battle Hymn" by Manowar

 

257. "Chemicl Warfare" by Slayer

 

256. "Desert Plains" by Judas Priest

 

255. "Hole in the Sky" by Black Sabbath

 

254. "Abigail" by King Diamond

 

253. "Rust in Peace...Polaris" by Megadeth

 

252. "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin

 

251. "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen

 

250. "Satan's Fall" by Mercyful Fate

 

249. "Trapped Under Ice" by Metallica

 

248. "Dissident Aggressor" by Judas Priest

 

247. "The Sign of the Southern Cross" by Black Sabbath

 

246. "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth

 

245. "Working Man" by Rush

 

244. "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent

 

243. "Atomic Punk" by Van Halen

 

242. "Alison Hell" by Annihilator

 

241. "Foolin'" by Def Leppard

 

240. "Dreaming Neon Black" by Nevermore

 

239. "A Change of Seasons" by Dream Theater

 

238. "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy

 

237. "Angel Witch" by Angel Witch

 

236. "Sin City" by AC/DC

 

235. "Beyond the Black" by Metal Church

 

234. "Man on the Silver Mountain" by Rainbow

 

233. "Love to Love" by UFO

 

232. "White Room" by Cream

 

231. "Stand Up and Shout" by Dio

 

230. "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain

 

229. "You Can't Bring Me Down" by Suicidal Tendencies

 

228. "Gypsy" by Uriah Heep

 

227. "Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden

 

226. "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin

 

225. "Princess of the Night" by Saxon

 

224. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC

 

223. "Cold Sweat" by Thin Lizzy

 

222. "Princess of the Dawn" by Accept

 

221. "Would?" by Alice in Chains

 

220. "I Am the Law" by Anthrax

 

219. "A Question of Heaven" by Iced Earth

 

218. "(We Are) The Roadcrew" by Motörhead

 

217. "Evil" by Mercyful Fate

 

216. "I Don't Know" by Ozzy Osbourne

 

215. "Metal Daze" by Manowar

 

214. "Fairies Wear Boots" by Black Sabbath

 

213. "The Toxic Waltz" by Exodus

 

212. "5 Minutes Alone" by Pantera

 

211. "Wild Child" by W.A.S.P.

 

210. "Sad But True" by Metallica

 

209. "The Zoo" by Scorpions

 

208. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" by Metallica

 

207. "Territory" by Sepultura

 

206. "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson

 

205. "Dead Embryonic Cells" by Sepultura

 

204. "Restless and Wild" by Accept

 

203. "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix Experience

 

202. "Panama" by Van Halen

 

201. "Black No. 1" by Type O Negative

 

Glad to see us having non-flaming debates about the heavy metal subject... for now.

[AboveAverage484 0]

I accidentally posted using my brother's name, but it's here regardless.

[Guest Peter_Griffin]

I can't believe how high Sex Pistols are on a METAL LIST !

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

What is their hardon with Metal Church?

[Steviekick 0]

Who knows. I'm glad to see MC5 getting some love on any list, but not on a metal one.

[River City Rocker 0]

Who knows. I'm glad to see MC5 getting some love on any list, but not on a metal one.

Actually, I personally call these lists the "Top 500 HARD ROCK Songs". It probably saves a lot of arguing about who does and who doesn't "belong" on these lists, since it's difficult to argue that the majority of these songs aren't "hard rock" to a degree.

 

-Ben

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

300. "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister

298. "Cum on Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot

297. "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine

296. "Rock of Ages" by Def Leppard

287. "Don't Believe a Word" by Thin Lizzy

285. "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin

282. "Limelight" by Rush

276. "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister

274. "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake

269. "Godzilla" by Blue Öyster Cult

268. "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)" by W.A.S.P.

267. "Let It Go" by Def Leppard

266. "Crazy Night" by Loudness

265. "God Save the Queen" by Sex Pistols

264. "Kick out the Jams" by MC5

261. "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe

260. "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin

252. "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin

251. "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen

246. "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth

245. "Working Man" by Rush

244. "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent

243. "Atomic Punk" by Van Halen

241. "Foolin'" by Def Leppard

238. "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy

236. "Sin City" by AC/DC

232. "White Room" by Cream

230. "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain

228. "Gypsy" by Uriah Heep

226. "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin

224. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC

223. "Cold Sweat" by Thin Lizzy

221. "Would?" by Alice in Chains

206. "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson

203. "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix Experience

202. "Panama" by Van Halen

 

Na-na-na-NOT metal.

 

River, had the list been titled "500 Greatest Hard Rock Songs," none of us would really have a problem, because if we're talking hard rock, then this is a very good list. However, saying Nevermore's "Dreaming Neon Black" is better than "Believe In Nothing" (although that might be higher on the list) or "Timothy Leary" or "Beyond Within" (which is off of the same album as "Dreaming Neon Black")? Sorry, no.

[Steviekick 0]

All those non-metal songs can be forgiven, because At the Gates was on this list

[The Metal Maniac 0]

219. "A Question of Heaven" by Iced Earth

 

I'm so happy this song is on the list.

 

This song rules.

[King Kamala 0]

Speaking of lists I caught VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Bands and realized it was probably their best list ever (Which isn't saying much at all). It would have been a great list if it didn't have Foreigner, Bad Company and frikking MEAT LOAF on the list. Now Foreigner and Bad Company are guilty pleasures of mine but they are by no means hard rock neither are the Rolling Stones but I can deal with that one. Meat Loaf isn't close to being hard rock, it's like a frikking musical. Sorry for debating about a two and a half year old VH1 special, but I just had to get it off my chest.

[Guest Blas]

Who the fuck came up with that list?

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Well, considering only 36 of the 100 aren't metal, compared to nearly 60 of the last round, this is probably the best portion of the list. Plus, it mentions Nevermore and At The Gates, which no other "Best Metal Songs" list I've ever seen has done, so it's not too bad for THIS round. Waaaay too much Metal Church and Judas Priest love, though.

[Slayer 0]

Waaaay too much Metal Church and Judas Priest love, though.

Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all

 

Especially since JP is the true father of heavy metal (with BS being the grandfather, before you have a shitfit)

[Guest Blas]

I'll be pleased when I see a Bolt Thrower or Grave song.

[Guest Doyo]

There is no set-in-stone definition of what is or is not "metal." In the early 80s when

Quiet Riot came out with the song "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)", most people didn't

have a problem with calling them "heavy metal." It wasn't until more and more agressive,

faster and darker music started coming out that people got picky about the label.

To me personally there can be a difference between "heavy metal" and "metal", but

it doesn't really matter because in the end music is just music.

 

 

Here are some excerpts from an interesting interview Spin did with Robert Plant in 2002:

 

Spin: Even though most people consider Led Zeppelin to be the creators of heavy metal, you've always insisted that Zeppelin weren't a metal band. So in your mind, what is "heavy metal" and why doesn't it include Led Zeppelin?

 

RP: You've made a mistake there; you cannot classify anything, anywhere. Classification is a killer. Otherwise, we're all stuck. It means Mother Love Bone or Linkin Park or Creed will never do anything other than what they've already done. Led Zeppelin did lots of different things--working in North Africa, writing songs like "Friends" and "Four Sticks" and "Kashmir". I can't imagine "Kashmir" being considered a heavy metal piece. I don't think "Stairway to Heaven" was very heavy metal. But we were bombastic. We took no prisoners. We took great delight in playing with bands who has the attitude and ego that was so prevalent in America at the time. Everyone was a self-proclaimed star, which was dumbfounding to me. So to turn up the intensity and be truly bombastic-that's when we just out-heavied everybody.

 

Spin: But why is it, despite Led Zeppelin being so musically diverse, that most of the bands Zeppelin influenced only picked up on one thing the band did, which was to play loud and heavy? I mean, did you like any of the bands that did that?

 

RP: Well, I think that some of the Seattle bands glorified in a kind of music John Bonham always called "Deep Sabbath", which was a conglomerate of English, sketchy, blues-based thud. It was inane and had no mystery to it at all. I know from my escapades with guys from Seattle, and from working with Steve Albini, that this Sabbath style of music-that almost clumsy, plodding, slog metal-just never really sprang out of the speakers or moved into any acoustic area. It was just an aping of the Led Zep thing.

 

Spin:Well then, you must find it ironic that most people who love your band today also tend to love Black Sabbath.

 

RP: No, no. I don't agree. I've been playing festivals in Europe for the past year, and I find those audiences want the sensitivity, too. But maybe it's because I've been playing to a lot of Latin people. I played the Isle of Wight Festival last week, and one the songs I did was "Going to California," because it's kind of my bag. Now, whether you would call "Going to California" heavy metal, I don't know; it might be a bit embarrassing at times lyrically, but it did sum up a period of my life when I was 22. And the audience was going absolutely apeshit, and these were punk guys with Mohican haircuts. So I think you're wrong.

 

Spin: Maybe so. But it seems that whenever people talk about the dawn of heavy metal, the logic usually goes like this: Black Sabbath created a certain kind of sound that was replicated by British acts and later nu-metal bands, and Led Zeppelin sort of invented the sound and image for groups like Guns N Roses and Aerosmith. Do you disagree with that?

 

RP: Well, I think the guitarist in Aerosmith makes no attempt to hide his admiration for Jimmy Page, and that's inherent in a lot of their tracks. Aerosmith are basically a pop group. They write pop songs, and they're aiming for the charts and Top 40 television. And when you think of the treachery of hard rock-when you think of bands like Bon Jovi, and when you think of...um...what were some of the other hair bands from that era?

 

Spin: Motley Crue? Ratt?

 

RP: Yeah, yeah. Those bands were hanging on to some real big pop melodies and dressing them up as something aggressive and boyish and testosterone-ridden, but it was still "Livin on a Prayer", you know? And that's not a great place to be coming from.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Wow, quoting an interview with the singer from THE most overrated band in all of music history (since bands, as creators of music and not just the players, began popping up) to say "we can't classify something."

 

Tell scientists we can't classify things. If not for (slightly in-depth) classifications, how the fuck would we even find the bands we like?

 

Would you rather have this conversation:

Joe: Hey, what's this band Iron Maiden sound like?

Larry: Ah, they're some rock n' roll band.

Joe: Like Elvis? I love Elvis...

Larry: No, they're kinda different...

Joe: How so?

Larry: It's hard to explain really...

 

Or THIS conversation:

Joe: Hey, what's this band Iron Maiden sound like?

Larry: They're a power metal band.

Joe: Oh, then I guess I wouldn't like them. I'm more a fan of classic rock n' roll, like Elvis.

Larry: Well, I guess not.

 

One would require in-depth exploration of how the music sounds, and the other requires a small phrase to explain the differences between Iron Maiden and Elvis.

 

EDIT: I just read the quoted portion of the interview in full. What mystery does playing the same two riffs for five minutes have? There's very little emotion to Led Zeppelin's MUSIC, so how can there be mystery if there's barely any feeling? Aside from the fact that using "mystery" to talk about the way music sounds is fucking stupid, Robert Plant needs a good kick in the head. Maybe two. Okay, okay. Three and a knee!

Edited December 15, 2003 by CoreyLazarus416

[Guest Doyo]

But even within the same or similar genres you are going to have very different sounding

artists. Your average "alternative rock" station is going to play everything from R.E.M. to

Allanis Morrisette to Korn to Moby to Nirvana.

 

Joe: "What genre of music is this band Primus?"

Larry: "They are kinda like this funky hard rock band."

Joe: "Oh, I love Red Hot Chilli Peppers."

Larry: "Well they are actually quite a bit different than them..."

Joe: "What about System Of A Down?"

Larry: "They are considered nu or alternative metal."

Joe: "Oh, I love Limp Bizkit and Coal Chamber."

Larry: "They are quite a bit different than them..."

Joe: "How about this King's X?"

Larry: "They are basically a hard rock band."

Joe: "That is good because I love AC/DC."

Larry: "They are more progressive than AC/DC."

Joe: "They are like Dream Theater or Rush?"

Larry: "No, they have more funk or soul than those bands."

Joe: "So they must sound like Red Hot Chilli Peppers then?"

Larry: "Ah not really. If only my musical expert friend Corey Lazarus was here!"

 

One would require in-depth exploration of how the music sounds

 

Now there's a concept - actually listening to music before we decide if we like it or not.

 

There's very little emotion to Led Zeppelin's MUSIC

 

That's the funniest thing I've read in a while.

 

 

who is more qualified to talk about heavy metal?

 

Robert Plant - singer for one of the two most influential bands in history for what became known as "heavy metal."

 

or

 

CoreyLazarus - dude who wasn't even alive when Metallica's first two or three albums came out and was born long after "heavy metal" became a genre.

[Guest Blas]

Just cause Robert Plant was Zeppelin's vocalist doesnt mean his opinion on metal means something. I doubt the fucker can tell the difference between Behemoth and Seance.

[Guest Doyo]

It doesn't necessarily mean his opinion is fact, but if his opinion isn't to be considered then nobody

else's is either. Grandmaster Flash probably doesn't know the difference between Sage Francis

and Styles of Beyond (or whatever underground rap group), but that doesn't mean he his opinions

on rap music are worthless. Ozzy probably can't remember what he was doing five minutes ago,

but I'm sure he still has some interesting thoughts on heavy metal.

[Guest Blas]

It doesn't necessarily mean his opinion is fact, but if his opinion isn't to be considered then nobody

else's is either. Grandmaster Flash probably doesn't know the difference between Sage Francis

and Styles of Beyond (or whatever underground rap group), but that doesn't mean he his opinions

on rap music are worthless. Ozzy probably can't remember what he was doing five minutes ago,

but I'm sure he still has some interesting thoughts on heavy metal.

I should've said that his opinion isnt worth any more than the average metalhead's opinion.

[Red Baron 0]

pfft.

 

Robert Plant can suck his own nutsack for all I care.

 

 

 

Actually it may not be "metal" by today's standards because of the diveristy in metal, but back in the early 80's metal mainly consited of, Heavy, Power, Thrash. I mean sure, Motley Crue may not be Heavy Metal standards, but the riffs such as Dr. Feelgood, Wildside, Shout At The Devil are Heavy Metal songs.

 

and even back in the 60's, Cream was the most heaviest band before Zeppelin and Sabbath. I mean Sunshine of Your Love, is damn heavy back in the day.

[Guest Blas]

back in the early 80's metal mainly consited of, Heavy, Power, Thrash.

Death Metal was also around during the early 80s. (Death, Possessed, Morbid Angel, Vader) shit, Bathory was bringing in Black Metal in the early 80s.

 

Though it got more popular in the late 80s and 90s. I dont know many power metal bands started in the early 80s, probably because I dont follow that genre.

 

And a lot of people consider Motley Crue metal. They had something and their sound stood out from the other heaps of hair bands.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Who would be a better source for what is and isn't metal:

 

Robert Plant, the frontman of Led Zeppelin (a band many falsely identify as metal, who anybody that listens to metal wouldn't call metal)

 

-or-

 

CoreyLazarus, a kid that's been an avid fan of the style since he started listening to music, and has done a few research papers on it for school assignments.

 

Hmmm...frontman of non-metal band, or kid that's listened to the music for years...

 

That'd be like taking Neve Campbell's opinion on horror seriously, just because she was the star of Scream.

 

And, like I've said, I consider Crue to be a "borderline" band, as they were overall not metal, but have a few songs I'd consider metal (with "Shout At The Devil" being prominent).

[SpikeFayeJettEdBebop 0]

OFF TOPIC: Lazarus I have been wondering for some time now, who is Joseph Sylvia???

 

You talkin bout the Smoke Jumper guy????

 

Also- I would have to go with Lazarus in the above question. I personally don't like Led Zepplin ver much(if at all).......Now im just waiting for the bashing...although I doubt ill be waiting too long.

Edited December 15, 2003 by SpikeFayeJettEdBebop

[Guest Doyo]

Robert Plant, the frontman of Led Zeppelin (a band many falsely identify as metal, who anybody that listens to metal wouldn't call metal)

I actually pretty much agree with your definition of what is and is not metal, and so does Robert

Plant to an extent, if you look at his comments. That doesn't change the fact that many sources

(such as the fans and musicians polled for this list, allmusic.com's extensive musical history guides,

amazon.com, Metal Edge magazine and tons of others) have a much broader definition of what can

be considered "metal." http://www.metaljudgment.com/ is a site run by diehard metal fans and

has hundreds of reviews of bands such as Akercocke, Grimfist and Gorgoroth. But if you look in

their classic metal section you can find reviews of bands like Van Halen and Led Zeppelin.

 

Hmmm...frontman of non-metal band, or kid that's listened to the music for years...

 

Haha, aren't you like 17? Most people don't really get heavily into music untill they are around

12, so that would be 5 whole years. You would have been around 5 years old when Nirvana's

"Nevermind" came out. Many people (not myself) say that the release of that album marked

the death of heavy metal as a form of mainstream music.

 

How much of a wrestling expert can anyone be considered if they've only been following it since

1998? Yeah they might be able to name the whole Ring of Honor roster while Ric Flair couldn't,

but Flair should have more all-around knowledge. Someone that has only been into wrestling

since 1998 is only going to go by the 1998-2003 definition of what is a high-flying wrestler. It

might be hard to explain to them why Jimmy Snuka was considered a great flyer when he only did

a flying body press and dropkicks.

 

 

That'd be like taking Neve Campbell's opinion on horror seriously, just because she was the star of Scream.

 

A more accurate comparison would be Alfred Hitchcock, if he was still alive. A lot of his films that

were once considered "horror" may now be just thought of as "suspense", but that doesn't

change the fact that he greatly influenced today's horror movies.

[Guest Blas]

(such as the fans and musicians polled for this list, allmusic.com's extensive musical history guides,

amazon.com, Metal Edge magazine and tons of others) have a much broader definition of what can

be considered "metal."

Haha, dont use fucken Metal Edge as an example of a good resource as to what metal is.

 

Allmusic's metal section is okay, but needs more attention.

 

Metal Judgement, I know a fucker who works there (Kefka X). Trying to get me to write for 'em.

 

For metal I hang around metal-archives, they've got it pretty damn down and its runned by tons of metalheads and managed by some pretty die-hard metalheads. Great site for looking up bands, always being updated.

 

Led Zeppelin aint even classic metal to me, and a lot of other people I know. Its Hard Rock, probably the only 'metal' song they have is Immigrant Song, which I count as metal in some ways since its a hell of a lot heavier than Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" (though that was just an album filler).

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Spike, Joseph Sylvia was my grandfather, and he passed away on 4/25/03. Needless to say, I was extremely close to him, and his death came as something of a shock to me, as he was just about to be discharged from the hospital before his heart gave out. I'd appreciate it if you would no longer bring the topic up, as it's still an overly touchy subject that I do not even discuss with the closest of family members (read: my sister).

 

As for Zeppelin/Halen/etc., I've already said they could be classified in the loose (VERY loose) style of "proto-metal," meaning work they did helped build the archetype for metal in the later years (ESPECIALLY with Van Halen's affinity for tapping during the solo's), but were not metal themselves. If one were to recommend albums that could help them understand metal, I wouldn't care if these were listed, but when talking about the best songs of metal the non-metal songs CANNOT be listed.

 

Speaking of non-metal songs...

NP: Thin Lizzy - "Whiskey In The Jar"