Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' named the Greatest Heavy Metal Album of All Time
By a 100-member jury
Last updated 21st Jun 2024
Metallica’s 1986 tour-de-force ‘Master of Puppets’ has been named as the Greatest Heavy Metal Album of All Time.
To celebrate the 500th issue of the German version of Metal Hammer, the magazine assembled a 100-member jury of editors, musicians, industry professionals, and notable metal fans to help decide the 500 best metal albums ever.
Explaining why Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ was voted at Number 1, Metal Hammer praised the album's "complex structures, musical depth, yet massive sing-along potential — and guitar solos for the ages.
"The compositional lessons instilled in James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich by Cliff Burton since the band's inception reach their full bloom here. For Metal Hammer, this is now officially the best opus in metal history!"
Other eminent bands that feature inside the Top 500 include metal torchearers Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Megadeth, Judas Priest and Motörhead, alongside more contemporary acts like Slipknot, Sleep Token, Ghost and Nightwish.
Commenting on the list, Metal Hammer editor-in-chief Sebastian Kessler said: "Compiling this list was certainly a mammoth task – but one we gladly took on for the extra-thick 500th issue.
"What an intense trip through the history of metal; perfect for celebrating Metal Hammer's 40th anniversary! There's rarely been so much discussion, philosophy, weighing, and argumentation. And with the release of the results, it's likely just the beginning."
The 500th issue of the German version of Metal Hammer is available to buy now.
Back in May 2023, Planet Rock listeners voted for The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time, and the results were played out on air during a Bank Holiday Monday special.
Two Metallica albums featured on the countdown, however AC/DC dominated the list with five entries. Check it out in full below.
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time:
50: Marillion - ‘Misplaced Childhood’ (1985)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
49: Thunder - ‘Backstreet Symphony’ (1990)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
48: Hawkwind - ‘Space Ritual’ (1973)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
47: Black Sabbath - ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ (1973)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
46: Thin Lizzy - ‘Jailbreak’ (1976)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
45: The Rolling Stones - ‘Exile on Main St.’ (1972)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
44: Pearl Jam - ‘Ten’ (1991)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
43: AC/DC - ‘If You Want Blood You've Got It’ (1978)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
42: Queen - ‘Queen II’ (1974)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
41: AC/DC - ‘Let There Be Rock’ (1977)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
40: Eagles - ‘Hotel California’ (1976)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
39: Bruce Springsteen - ‘Born to Run’ (1975)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
38: Bon Jovi - ‘Slippery When Wet’ (1986)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
37: Iron Maiden - ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ (1988)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
36: The Who – ‘Quadrophenia’ (1973)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
35: David Bowie – ‘The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars’ (1972)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
34: Van Halen – ‘Van Halen’ (1978)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
33: The Who – ‘Who’s Next’ (1971)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
32: Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin’ (1969)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
31: Black Sabbath – ‘Paranoid’ (1970)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
30: Queensrÿche - 'Operation: Mindcrime' (1988)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
29: Wishbone Ash – ‘Argus’ (1972)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
28: Rush – ‘2112’ (1976)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
27: Black Sabbath – ‘Black Sabbath’ (1970)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
26: AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’ (1979)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
25: AC/DC – ‘Powerage’ (1978)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
24: Black Sabbath – ‘Heaven & Hell’ (1980)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
23: Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
22: Pink Floyd – ‘The Wall’ (1979)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
21: Metallica – ‘Metallica’ (aka The Black Album) (1991)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
20: Metallica – ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
19: UFO – ‘Strangers in the Night’ (1979)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
18: Deep Purple – ‘Machine Head’ (1972)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
17: Rush – ‘Moving Pictures’ (1981)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
16: Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin II’ (1969)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
15: Iron Maiden – ‘The Number of the Beast’ (1982)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
14: Deep Purple – ‘Made in Japan’ (1972)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
13: Deep Purple – ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ (1970)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
12: Def Leppard – ‘Hysteria’ (1987)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
11: Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’ (1991)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
10: Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’ (1977)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
9: Thin Lizzy – ‘Live and Dangerous’ (1978)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
8: Queen – ‘A Night at the Opera’ (1975)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
7: Led Zeppelin – ‘Physical Graffiti’ (1975)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
6: Rainbow – ‘Rising’ (1976)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
5: Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
4: Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ (1971)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
3: Gun N' Roses – ‘Appetite for Destruction’ (1987)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
2: AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1980)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time
1: Pink Floyd – ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ (1973)
The 50 Greatest Rock Albums of All Time