The 101 Greatest Metal Songs Of All Time

[Old Thunder]

If you know anything about me, it's that metal is my favorite genre of music. Muppet Central isn't the biggest metal metropolis, but there are a few people (besides me, @LittleJerry92 is probably heading the charge).

So why would you want to see a list of the greatest metal songs ever? Well, you probably don't! However, luckily for you, I'm bored and am doing it anyway.

If I know anything about myself, it's that this list is going to be drastically different in the near future. But that's okay! When that happens, we can do this all again.

Maybe.

These songs were chosen for their importance to the genre, innovation, and popularity - including how highly they are thought of. These are...

The 101 Greatest Metal Songs Of All Time​

 

[Old Thunder]

I've tried to limit the amount of hair metal songs on this list, but some of them are undeniably important to the genre. Take the title track to Quiet Riot's breakthrough album. Metal Health was the first metal album to reach #1 in the charts and its title track was a classic of headbanger culture. It's had some different titles of the years, but the chorus is always the same. Bang your heads, guys.

#101

 

[Old Thunder]

I absolutely hate the production of this song, but these two guitarists are fricking on fire, I will not deny. This song is famous for its technical prowess, after all. Just give it a listen.

#100

 

[Old Thunder]

Of course you need to have this German industrial metal powerhouse of a band on this list. Rammstein are one of the few non-English speaking bands that have truly cracked into the English market, probably all down to their creativity, originality, and overall awesomeness - and this song demonstrates all that down to a T.

#99

 

[Old Thunder]

Yeah, Metallica. Oh boy. This song starts off with a nice little acoustic thing before transforming into an epic thrash number that takes absolutely no prisoners whatsoever and storms its way through, slaughtering all in its way. Pretty good for this band.

#98

 

[Old Thunder]

It's a cliche, but this is my favorite Maiden song. Not only did it get me into the band, it's a classic of their early days and still a live staple. The chorus is epic, and opening riff is one of the best in their discography. Cool stuff.

#97

 

[Old Thunder]

The title track to possibly their best album, this doesn't surprisingly have Halford's most memorable screams, but it's a killer song nonetheless. Fast number, good for pumping you up.

#96

 

[Old Thunder]

Of course, metal does have quite a few women within its ranks, and one of them is the incomparable Tarja Turunen. Her days with Nightwish crafted together some amazing tracks, including this one. And stop thinking of Finding Nemo, because the word means "nobody" and that's what it's referring to.

#95

 

[Old Thunder]

Is this the greatest metal solo in the history of metal solos? I'd say so. Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman are great on their own, but together they slay all competition.

#94

 

[Old Thunder]

King Diamond is a god, but so are the rest of the members of Mercyful Fate. Taken directly from their debut album Melissa, this album opener was the perfect way to announce themselves to the world. Well, there was that EP, but whatever, this is a good song.

#93