1. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)
2. Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)
3. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
4. Montrose - Montrose (1973)
5. Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
6. Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)
7. Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1968)
9. Aerosmith - Rocks (1976)
10. AC/DC - Back in Black (1980)
11. Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation (1987)
12. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969)
13. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
14. Rainbow - Rising (1976)
15. Deep Purple - In Rock (1970)
16. Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)
17. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
18. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969)
19. Def Leppard - Pyromania (1983)
20. Aerosmith - Live Bootleg (1978)
21. Kiss - Alive! (1975)
22. Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties (1974)
23. Motorhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (1981)
24. Rush - 2112 (1976)
25. New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973)
26. AC/DC - Powerage (1978)
27. Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986)
28. UFO - Lights Out (1977)
29. Metallica - Kill 'Em All (1983)
30. Van Halen - Women and Children First (1980)
31. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)
32. Journey - Escape (1982)
33. Legs Diamond - Legs Diamond (1977)
34. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
35. Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)
36. Kiss - Destroyer (1976)
37. Aerosmith - Draw the Line (1977)
38. Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1978)
39. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
40. Bad Company - Bad Company (1974)
41. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (1967)
42. Metallica - ...And Justice for All (1988)
43. Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
44. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)
45. Motorhead - Overkill (1979)
46. Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
47. UFO - Strangers in the Night (1978)
48. Black Sabbath - Vol 4 (1972)
49. Bryan Adams - Reckless (1985)
50. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous (1978)
51. Mott the Hoople - Live (1974)
52. Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic (1975)
53. Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)
54. Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi (1984)
55. The Stooges - Funhouse (1970)
56. UFO - Obsession (1978)
57. Black Sabbath - Sabotage (1975)
58. Motorhead - Ace of Spades (1980)
59. Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent (1975)
60. Iggy and the Stooges - Raw Power (1973)
61. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (1969)
62. Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune (1976)
63. Angel - Angel (1975)
64. Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East (1979)
65. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (1982)
66. Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry (1981)
67. Van Halen - 1984 (1984)
68. Magnum - Chase the Dragon (1982)
69. Iggy Pop - Instinct (1988)
70. David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em and Smile (1986)
71. Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning (1983)
72. Blue Oyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening (1978)
73. Judas Priest - Stained Class (1978)
74. Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973)
75. Deep Purple - Made in Japan (1972)
76. Van Halen - Van Halen 2 (1979)
77. Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night (1985)
78. Michael Bolton - Everybody's Crazy (1985)
79. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules (1981)
80. ZZ Top - Eliminator (1983)
81. Whitesnake - Ready an' Willing (1980)
82. Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1985)
83. Boston - Boston (1976)
84. Starz - Violation (1977)
85. Rush - Rush (1974)
86. Anthrax - Spreading the Disease (1985)
87. Foghat - Foghat Live (1977)
88. Queensryche - Rage for Order (1986)
89. David Lee Roth - Skyscraper (1988)
90. Mother's Finest - Iron Age (1981)
91. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (1980)
92. Blue Oyster Cult - On Your Feet or On Your Knees (1975)
93. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Smash Hits (1968)
94. Starz - Starz (1976)
95. Saxon - Wheels of Steel (1980)
96. AC/DC - If You Want Blood (You Got It) (1978)
97. Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself (1971)
98. Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975)
99. Iron Maiden - Killers (1981)
100. Vinnie Vincent Invasion - Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986)

The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time (1988)

This one seems both fair and accurate to me. Most amazing, most of the contents stand up today.

I've heard all but a handful of these albums and there are very few that I wouldn't accept as valid choices (Vinnie Vincent, too much Blue Oyster Cult). There are notable absences though: no Let There Be Rock, no Powerslave, no Hail to England. At least AC/DC and Iron Maiden are well covered, though Manowar don't appear. It's also good to see the Stooges and the MC5 present as major roots of a lot of the other bands. Now I just have to track down Mother's Finest, Starz and Angel to hear just what they sound like to be included in this company.

Kudos to Kerrang! for getting this one right.