Going year by year through metal’s most iconic decade — the 80s — we’ve not only named the best album from each, but the best song as well. In some instances, the best metal song of the year also happened to be featured on the best metal album of that same year, even amid competition with other timeless classics.
Of course, the “best” of anything is purely subjective. We understand that, which is why we take several factors into consideration, including sales and charts figures, popularity of the album in live setlists, critical and fan acclaim, and how it stacks up against what peers were doing at a similar time.
The Evolution of Heavy Metal
While there is no universal benchmark for true greatness, some of these album and song selections are purely undeniable. They also tell the story of heavy metal’s evolution throughout the decade, from setting the standard of traditional metal to offshoots in prog metal, thrash, and death metal. For the sake of this list, hair metal has been resigned to the “hard rock” category.
Below, you’ll find the best metal album of each year of the 1980s, followed by the best metal song of each year of the 1980s.
Going year-by-year through the ’80s, naming the best metal song of each year (and the runner-up)! Contributions by Joe DiVita, Katy Irizarry, Ed Rivadavia and Jon Wiederhorn.
The 1980s remain the most significant era for the genre, cementing the foundation for everything that followed. Whether you are a fan of the thrash explosion that began in 1983 or the traditional heavy metal that dominated the early part of the decade, these selections represent the pinnacle of the craft.
