Top 510 Albums of Hard rock/Heavy Metal

Lately I've been buying a lot of different books, by various authors, all dealing with their opinions on who is who in hard rock and heavy metal music. They list their top albums, bands, and band members and give detailed personal reasons as to why they feel one singer or one guitarist is better than the other. Much like the lists I compiled here on my own blog. But what about best albums overall? What happens when vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and lyrics all gel into one massive, amazing, and influential hard rock jam? You get a classic album! Now, what are some classic albums? Well, I know that's a subjective thing and the board is wide. So below, I have listed what I believe to be the 510 greatest records of hard rock and metal. Started as a list of 500 but surprisingly I ran over! You may not agree 100% with all my picks but if you're into this music, I bet you'll atleast agree on a good portion of them. As always, I'm a cheater. I can't list the albums in order 1-500. Meaning, I'm not saying the number 33 pick is better than the 500th pick. All these albums are stellar though if you were to ask me personally, I'd obviously prefer some to others.

1. Alice Cooper Love it to Death
2. Alice Cooper Killer
3. Alice Cooper Billion Dollar Babies
4. Alice Cooper Welcome to My Nightmare
5. Alice Cooper Dada
6. Alice Cooper Brutal Planet
7. Queen Queen
8. Queen Queen II
9. Queen Sheer Heart Attack
10. Queen A Night At the Opera
11. Queen The Game
12. Judas Priest Sad Wings of Destiny
13. Judas Priest Sin After Sin
14. Judas Priest Stained Class
15. Judas Priest Hell Bent for Leather
16. Judas Priest British Steel
17. Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance
18. Death Spiritual Healing
19. Death Symbolic
20. Death The Sound of Perserverance
21. Rainbow Rising
22. Rainbow Long Live Rock N' Roll
23. Rainbow Down to Earth
24. DIO Holy Diver
25. DIO Last in Line
26. DIO Dream Evil
27. DIO Strange Highways
28. DIO Killing the Dragon
29. Motley Crue Too Fast for Love
30. Motley Crue Shout at the Devil
31. Dokken Tooth and Nail
32. Dokken Under Lock and Key
33. Black Sabbath Black Sabbath
34. Black Sabbath Paranoid
35. Black Sabbath Master of Reality
36. Black Sabbath Sabotage
37. Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell
38. Black Sabbath Mob Rules
39. Black Sabbath Born Again
40. Black Sabbath Dehumanizer
41. Y&T Earthshaker
42. Y&T Black Tiger
43. Uriah Heep Very Eavy' Very Umble'
44. Uriah Heep Look at Yourself
45. Uriah Heep Demons and Wizards
46. UFO Phenomenon
47. UFO Lights Out
48. UFO Force it
49. Celtic Frost Morbid Tales
50. Celtic Frost Into the Pandemonium
51. Celtic Frost Monotheist
52. Slayer South of Heaven
53. Slayer Reign in Blood
54. Slayer Seasons in the Abyss
55. Mercyful Fate Melissa
56. Mercyful Fate Don't Break the Oath
57. Mercyful Fate 9
58. King Diamond Fatal Portrait
59. King Diamond Abigail
60. King Diamond Them
61. King Diamond Conspiracy
62. Death Angel Act III
63. Overkill Taking Over
64. Overkill The Years of Decay
65. Queensryche Operation Mindcrime
66. Queensryche Empire
67. Angel Angel
68. Angel White Hot
69. White Zombie La Sexorcisto Devil Music Vol. 1
70. White Zombie Astrocreep 2000
71. Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe
72. Rob Zombie Sinister Urge
73. Rob Zombie Educated Horses
74. Ratt Out of the Cellar
75. Ratt Invasion of Your Privacy
76. Deep Purple In Rock
77. Deep Purple Machine Head
78. Deep Purple Burn
79. Deep Purple Stormbringer
80. Deep Purple Perfect Strangers
81. Deep Purple The Battle Rages On
82. Scorpions Taken by Force
83. Scorpions Lovedrive
84. Scorpions Animal Magnetism
85. Scorpions Blackout
86. Scorpions Humanity Hour 1
87. Black Flag Damaged
88. Black Flag My War
89. Black Flag Slip it In
90. Rollins Band Life Time
91. Rollins Band The End of Silence
92. Rollins Band Weight
93. Ministry In the Land of Rape and Honey
94. Saxon Strong Arm of the Law
95. Saxon Denim and Leather
96. Saxon Wheels of Steel
97. Hawkwind Doremi Fasol Latido
98. Hawwind In Search of Space
99. Motorhead Ace of Spades
100. Motorhead Iron Fist
101. Motorhead Another Perfect Day
102. Motorhead 1916
103. Testament Practice What You Preach
103. Exodus Pleasures of the Flesh
104. Exodus Fabulous Disaster
105. Metal Church Metal Church
106. Metal Church The Dark
107. Metal Church Blessing in Disguise
108. Witchfinder General Death Penalty
109. Witchfinder General Friends of Hell
110. Elf Elf
111. Lita Ford Lita Ford
112. The Cult Electric
113. The Cult Sonic Temple
114. Morbid Angel Covenant
115. Atheist Elements
116. Lucifer's Friend Lucifer's Friend
117. Amebix Arise!
118. Iron Maiden Iron Maiden
119. Iron Maiden Killers
120. Iron Maiden Number of the Beast
121. Iron Maiden Powerslave
122. Iron Maiden Brave New World
123. Bruce Dickinson Chemical Wedding
124. Carnivore Carnivore
125. The Stooges The Stooges
126. The Stooges Funhouse
127. The Stooges Raw Power
128. Blue Cheer Vincebus Eruptous
129. Blue Cheer Insideoutside
130. Venom Black Metal
131. Venom At War with Satan
132. Diamond Head Diamond Head
133. Faster Pussycat Faster Pussycat
134. Faster Pussycat Wake Me When it's Over
135. W.A.S.P. W.A.S.P.
136. W.A.S.P. The Last Command
137. W.A.S.P. Headless Children
138. Accept Breaker
139. Accept Restless and Wild
140. Accept Balls to the Wall
141. Accept Metal Heart
142. Accept Blood of the Nations
143. Acid Bath When the Kite String Pops
144. Acid Bath Paegan Terrorism Tactics
145. Black Widow Sacrifice
146. Blackfoot Strikes
147. Blackfoot Marauder
148. Type O Negative Slow, Deep, and Hard
149. Type O Negative Bloody Kisses
150. Type O Negative October Rust
151. Type O Negative Life is Killing Me
152. Sisters of Mercy Floodland
153. Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing
154. Cynic Focus
155. Cynic Traced in Air
156. Iggy Pop The Idiot
157. Iggy Pop Brick By Brick
158. Iggy Pop Beat Em' Up
159. Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks!
160. Bloodrock Bloodrock 2
161. Angel Witch Angel Witch
162. Angel Witch Screamin' and Bleedin'
163. Arthur Brown The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
164. King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King
165. King Crimson Red
166. Fate's Warning Awaken the Guardian
167. Fate's Warning Parallels
168. Control Denied The Fragile Art of Existence
169. The Fields of the Nephilim The Nephilim
170. The Fields of the Nephilim Mourning Sun
171. Axe Offering
172. Bachman Turner Overdrive Bachman Turner Overdrive II
173. Bachman Turner Overdrive Not Fragile
174. Quiet Riot Metal Health
175. AC/DC Live Wire
176. AC/DC Powerage
177. Geordie Don't Be Fooled by the Name
178. KISS Destroyer
179. KISS Love Gun
180. KISS Creatures of the Night
181. Cream Disraeli Gears
182. Cream Wheels of Fire
183. Blue Murder Blue Murder
184. Budgie Budgie
185. Budgie Never Turn Your Back on A Friend
185. Budgie In for the Kill
186. Rush Rush
187. Rush Fly by Night
188. Rush Caress of Steel
189. Rush 2112
190. Rush Hemispheres
191. Rush Moving Pictures
192. Dream Theater Images and Words
193. Dream Theater Train of Thought
194. Annihilator Alice in Hell
195. Grim Reaper See You in Hell
196. Praying Mantis Time Tells No Lies
197. Bathory Hammerheart
198. Bathory Twilight of the Gods
199. Bathory Blood and Ice
200. Winter Into Darkness
201. Triumph Allied Forces
202. Helloween Walls of Jericho
203. Helloween Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1
204. Helloween Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2
205. Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
206. Pentagram Relentless
207. Fastway Fastway
208. Sammy Hagar Three Lock Box
209. Sammy Hagar Standing Hampton
210. Montrose Montrose
211. Spooky Tooth Spooky Two
212. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV
213. Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy
214. Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door
215. High Tide Sea Shanties
216. Michael Bolton Everybody's Crazy
216. Candlemass Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
217. Candlemass Nightfall
218. Mountain Climbing
219. Mountain Nantucket Sleighride
220. Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland
221. Trouble Psalm 9
222. Trouble Trouble
223. Riot Fire Down Under
224. Riot Thundersteel
225. Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Oz
226. Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman
227. Ozzy Osbourne The Ultimate Sin
228. Pantera Metal Magic
229. Pantera Cowboys from Hell
230. Pantera Vulgar Display of Power
231. Fight War of Words
232. Halford Resurrection
233. Blue Oyster Cult Tyranny and Mutation
234. Blue Oyster Cult Agents of Fortune
235. Blue Oyster Cult Specters
236. Blue Oyster Cult Fire of Unknown Origin
237. Demon Night of the Demon
238. Demon Unexpected Guest
239. Slaughter Stick it to Ya
240. Twisted Sister Under the Blade
241. Twisted Sister Stay Hungry
242. Europe The Final Countdown
243. Flower Travellin' Band Satori
244. Jeff Beck Truth
245. Jeff Beck Beckola
246. Humble Pie Smokin'
247. Humble Pie Rock On
248. Iced Earth Night of the Stormrider
249. Iced Earth The Dark Saga
250. Saint Vitus Born Too Late
251. Anthrax Spreading the Disease
252. Anthrax Among the Living
253. Ted Nugent Cat Scratch Fever
254. Ted Nugent Free-for-All
255. LA Guns LA Guns
256. Steppenwolf Steppenwolf
257. Steppenwolf Second
258. Steppenwolf Monster
259. Stryper The Yellow and Black Attack
260. Stryper To Hell with the Devil
261. Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny
262. Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine
263. Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral
264. Warlock Trimuph and Agony
265. Michael Schenker Group Built to Destroy
266. Michael Schenker Group Assault Attack
267. Bad Company Bad Company
268. Bad Company Straight Shooter
269. Warrant Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
270. Warrant Cherry Pie
271. Sanctuary Refuge Denied
271. Sanctuary Into the Mirror Black
271. Wishbone Ash Argus
272. Stone Temple Pilots Core
273. Stone Temple Pilots Purple
274. Tony Iommi/Glenn Hughes Fused
275. Reverend Bizarre In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend
276. Powerman 5000 Tonight, the Stars Revolt!
277. Joan Jett Bad Reputation
278. Joan Jett I Love Rock N' Roll
279. Joan Jett Album
280. Galactic Cowboys Space in Your Face
281. Skid Row Skid Row
282. Skid Row Slave to the Grind
283. Kyuss Blues for the Red Sun
284. Kyuss Welcome to Sky Valley
285. Keel Right to Rock
286. Satan Court in the Act
287. Thin Lizzy Jailbreak
288. Thin Lizzy Thunder and Lightning
289. Lizzy Borden Visual Lies
290. Lizzy Borden Love You to Pieces
291. Melvins Houdini
292. Skinny Puppy Mind the Perpetual Intercourse
293. Skinny Puppy The Process
294. Alice in Chains Facelift
295. Alice in Chains Dirt
296. Free Fire and Water
297. Whitesnake Whitesnake
298. Whitesnake Good to be Bad
299. Trapeze Medusa
300. Electric Wizard Dopethrone
301. Electric Wizard Come My Fanatics
302. The Edgar Winter Group They Only Come Out at Night
303. Winters Bane Heart of a Killer
304. Jethro Tull Aqualung
305. Jethro Tull Crest of a Knave
306. Killer Dwarfs Dirty Weapons
307. Van Halen Van Halen
308. Van Halen 1984
309. Van Halen 5150
310. Sweet Desolation Boulevard
311. Vain No Respect
312. MC5 Kick Out the Jams
313. New York Dolls New York Dolls
314. St. Paradise St. Paradise
315. Poison Look What the Cat Dragged In
316. A Perfect Circle Me De Noms
317. A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step
318. Triptykon Eparistera Daimones
319. Truth and Janey No Rest for the Wicked
320. Yngwie Malmsteen Odyssey
321. Yngwie Malmsteen Trilogy
322. Marilyn Manson The Golden Age of Grotesque
323. Marilyn Manson Eat Me Drink Me
324. Vixen Vixen
325. Firehouse Firehouse
326. Def Leppard Pyromania
327. Def Leppard Hysteria
328. Zebra Zebra
329. Savatage Sirens
330. Savatage The Dungeons Are Calling
331. Savatage Hall of the Mountain King
332. Vinnie Vincent Invasion All Systems Go
333. Gary Moore Victims of the Future
334. Avantasia The Scarecrow
335. Angel Dust Bleed
336. Death SS Black Mass
337. Ramjam Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram
338. Meatloaf Bat Out of Hell
339. Meatloaf Bat Out of Hell II
340. Meatloaf Bat Out of Hell III
341. Tool Undertow
342. Tool Aenima
343. Bad Brains Bad Brains
344. Dethklok Metalocalypse The Dethalbum
345. Dethklok Dethalbum II
346. Atomic Rooster Death Walks Behind You
347. Skunk Anansie Post Orgasmic Chill
348. Bedemon Child of Darkness
349. Wizzard Wizzard Brew
350. Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet
351. Porcupine Tree In Absentia
352. Killing Joke Killing Joke
353. Killing Joke Night Time
354. Cheap Trick Cheap Trick
355. Cheap Trick Heaven Tonight
356. Warhorse Warhorse
357. Queenadrena Butcher and the Butterfly
358. Heavy Metal Kids Heavy Metal Kids
359. Cactus Cactus
360. Cactus One Way or Another
361. Prong Beg to Differ
362. Prong Cleansing
363. Shrinebuilder Shrinebuilder
364. Genitorturers 120 Days of Genitorture
365. Genitorturers Sin City
366. Fate Fate
367. Flotsam and Jetsam Doomsday for the Deceiver
368. Dark Star Dark Star
369. April Wine Nature of the Beast
370. West, Bruce, and Lainge Why Dontcha
371. Robin Trower Bride of Sighs
372. Glenn Hughes Hughes and Thrall
373. Captain Beyond Captain Beyond
374. Black Label Society Blessed Hellride
375. Black Label Society 1919 Eternal
376. Gillan Doble Trouble
377. Ian Gillan Toolbox
378. Tommy Bolin Teaser
379. Hanoi Rocks Two Steps from the Move
380. David Bowie The Man Who Sold the World
381. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
382. D.R.I. Thrashzone
383. Hard Stuff Bulletproof
384. Bullet Entrance to Hell
385. Buffalo Volcanic Rock
386. Buffalo Only Want You for Your Body
387. Exciter Long Live the Loud
388. Exciter Unveiling the Wicked
389. Extreme Extreme II
390. Leaf Hound Growers of Mushroom
391. Jaguar Power Games
392. Avenger Blood Sport
393. Alcatrazz No Parole from Rock N' Roll
394. Lee Aaron Metal Queen
395. Legs Diamond Town Bad Girl
396. Steeler Steeler
397. Sweet Savage Killing Time
398. The Birthday Party Junkyard
399. King Kobra Ready to Strike
400. Shotgun Messiah Violent New Breed
401. The Atomic Bitchwax Spit Blood
402. Orange Goblin Time Traveller Blues
403. Hades Resisting Success
404. Bulletboys Bulletboys
405. Mentors You Axed for It
406. Ramones Ramones
407. Ramones Brain Drain
408. Vicious Rumors Vicious Rumors
409. Possessed Exploration
410. Savage Loose N' Lethal
411. Voivod War and Pain
412. Voivod Nothingface
413. Helstar Nosferartu
414. Cirith Ungol Frost and Fire
415. Cirith Ungol King of the Dead
416. T.N.T. Realized Fantasies
417. Paul Stanley Paul Stanley
418. Paul Stanley Live to Win
419. Winger Pull
420. Kingdom Come Kingdom Come
421. Pretty Maids Red, Hot, and Heavy
422. Manowar Battle Hymns
423. Manowar Kings of Metal
424. Ace Frehley Frehley's Comet
425. Great White Once Bitten
426. Great White Twice Shy
427. Anvil Metal on Metal
428. Anvil Hard N' Heavy
429. Cathedral Carnival Bizarre
430. Rose Tattoo Rose Tattoo
431. Raven Rock Until You Drop
432. Bon Jovi New Jersey
433. Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet
434. Mahogany Rush Strange Universe
435. Grand Funk Railroad We're An American Band
436. Witchfynde Give Em' Hell
437. Gun Race with the Devil
438. Buzzcocks Another Music in a Different Kitchen
439. Chastain Mystery of Illusion
440. Theatre of Tragedy Velvet Darkness They Fear
441. Virgin Steele Age of Consent
442. Primus Sailing the Seas of Cheese
443. Primus Pork Soda
444. Cycle Sluts from Hell Cycle Sluts from Hell
445. Hell Human Remains
446. Coven Blessed is the Black
447. Impellitterri System X
448. Rock Goddess Rock Goddess
449. Kix Blow My Fuse
450. Steelheart Steelheart
451. Crimson Glory Transcendence
452. Amboy Dukes The Journey to the Center of Your Mind
453. Sword Metallized
454. Tank Filth Hounds of Hades
455. The Obsessed The Obsessed
456. Saraya Saraya
457. Saigon Kick The Lizard
458. T. Rex Electric Warrior
459. Leatherwolf Leatherwolf
460. Loudness Thunder in the East
461. Wolf Wolf
462. Tokyo Blade Tokyo Blade
463. Faces A Nod is As Good as a Wink to a Horse
464. Bonham The Disregard of Timekeeping
465. Night Ranger Midnight Madness
466. Autograph Sign in Please
467. Hurricane Over the Edge
468. Danger Danger Screw it!
469. Acid King Busse Woods
470. Muse The Resistance
471. Jerusalem Jerusalem
472. Coney Hatch Coney Hatch
473. The Rods Wild Dogs
474. Rigor Mortis Rigor Mortis vs. The Earth
475. Dust Hard Attack
476. Sea Hags Sea Hags
477. Poobah Let Me In
478. Heaven and Hell The Devil You Know
479. Slade Slayed
480. Rough Cutt Rough Cutt
481. Kreator Enemy of God
482. Kamelot Black Halo
483. Cinderella Long Cold Winter
484. Possessed Seven Churches
485. Jucifer I Name Your Destroyer
486. Beck, Bogart, and Appice Beck Bogart and Appice
487. Vanilla Fudge Vanilla Fudge
488. The Damned Damned Damned Damned
489. The Electric Hellfire Club Kiss the Goat
490. Enuff Z'Nuff Enuff Z'Nuff
491. Bang Tango Psycho Cafe
492. TT Quick Metal of Honor
493. Riggs Riggs
494. Quartz Stand Up and Fight
495. Nazareth Hair of the Dog
496. Krokus Headhunter
497. Tesla The Great Radio Controversy
498. Faith No More Real Thing
499. White Lion Pride
500. Savage Grace Master of Disguise
501. Omen Warning of Danger
502. Hellion The Witching Hour
503. Stormtroopers of Death Speak English or Die
504. Running Wild Under Jolly Roger
505. Black N Blue Black N Blue
506. Lard Pure Chewing Satisfaction
507. Neurosis Souls at Zero
508. Nailbomb Point Blank
509. Yardbirds For Your Love
510. Artillery By Inheritance
511. In This Moment Beautiful Tragedy
512. Megadeth Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
513. Foo Fighters In Your Honor
514. Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps
515. Aerosmith Rocks