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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 17:44:45 GMT -5
41. Avenged Sevenfold - “Bat Country”
The second single from City of Evil provided a hefty shove to break the band into the mainstream consciousness. Most likely the band’s most successful song commercially, it’s also just a great road trip rocker, featuring one of the group’s best guitar duels.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 17:50:23 GMT -5
40. Pantera - “Walk”
After the success of Cowboys of Hell, Pantera were dominating the globe, and older friends weren’t exactly happy with them. On the follow-up record, Anselmo and the crew delivered an effective “Fuck you!” in the form of this iconic single, featuring one of Dimebag Darrell’s greatest riffs.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 17:55:07 GMT -5
39. Death - “Crystal Mountain”
Symbolic was the culmination of Death’s progressive death metal streak, and on it Schuldiner & Co. pushed their genre’s boundary to as far as it would go, and then back again. “Crystal Mountain” remains the album’s most beloved song and one of Death’s greatest compositions overall. Never has a criticism of organized religion been so fucking tight, yo.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:01:34 GMT -5
38. Celtic Frost - “Circle of the Tyrants”
One of the foundational album of both black metal and death metal, To Mega Therion was a heavy, extreme slab of music that no one else was fully embracing yet in 1985. With songs like this classic housed within its sleeves, it wasn’t long before future artists had latched onto the sound and expanded upon it.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:05:35 GMT -5
37. Meshuggah - “New Millennium Cyanide Christ”
Meshuggah may have inspired thousands of djent breakdowns, but at heart the Swedes were true prog metal masterminds. They created a sound all their own, filled with complex time signatures, that became a rhythmic, hypnotic extreme metal vibe. Their uniqueness translated well to the mainstream and this is one of the songs that helped throttle them into the spotlight.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:24:11 GMT -5
36. Helloween - “I Want Out”
The Keeper albums helped invent the power metal genre, and amidst all the glory and epicness, this rocker stole the spotlight. A blazing declaration of freedom, it became a fan favorite instantly and remains one of the band’s most recognizable songs. In reality, the lyrics reflected Kai Hansen’s feelings about the evolving nature of Helloween: he left the band shortly after its release and didn’t return until 2016.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:27:48 GMT -5
35. Megadeth - “Peace Sells”
Dave Mustaine didn’t hold back when responding to critics of metal. The title track to Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? is a concise metal rocker that helped shove the band into the thrash metal spotlight. Proof that Mustaine still had a career after Metallica.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:31:19 GMT -5
34. Iron Maiden - “The Trooper”
Maiden’s most iconic single immortalized them as the historians of heavy metal. Written about the charge of the Light Brigade, this is an intense, galloping ride through the battlefield that remains one of their ultimate concert staples.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:36:50 GMT -5
33. Queensrÿche - “Eyes of a Stranger”
After riding the rollercoaster of emotions and storytelling that makes up Operation: Mindcrime, arguably the greatest concept record in metal, ending on anything other than a high note would have ruined the whole affair. And then the twin guitar riff of “Eyes of a Stranger” kicks in and Queensrÿche nail the album’s final landing. It’s no wonder that this remains their most beloved song.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:41:50 GMT -5
32. White Zombie - “Thunder Kiss ‘65”
Propelled to success by Beavis and Butthead, ‘90s metal oddballs White Zombie dropped their most iconic song from La Sexorcisto, and the world has yet to catch up.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 5, 2022 18:45:15 GMT -5
31. Judas Priest - “Breaking the Law”
Priest’s standout anthem from 1980’s British Steel is a tight, short-but-sweep rocker with a terrific riff and an even catchier chorus. No wonder it’s the ultimate heavy metal earworm.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 3:58:46 GMT -5
30. Sepultura - “Arise”
Arise was the album that took the mainstream by storm, garnering rave reviews, and the title track is a breakneck stormer that remains one of the band’s most beloved fan favorites. Interestingly enough, this was also their first official single, even though they were already on their fourth album.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 4:01:58 GMT -5
29. Black Sabbath - “Iron Man”
Few riffs are half as iconic and influential as the one embedded in this Black Sabbath classic. Paranoid was the proof that this new band was something special, and songs like “Iron Man” are the reason. I mean, come on, everyone’s heard that riff!
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:01:08 GMT -5
28. Venom - “Witching Hour”
Venom thought they were only recording a demo, but the material was released as a full album, Welcome to Hell. That unpolished sound would go on to inspire an onslaught of future black metal artists, and the speed and aggressive rawness of songs like this one would make it one of the biggest game changers in metal history.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:05:23 GMT -5
27. Accept - “Balls to the Wall”
Like the wrecking ball from the video, Accept came swinging with the title track from their fifth album. It’s an political anthem calling on the weak to overthrow those in power, and remains their signature song.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:10:13 GMT -5
26. Metallica - “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
One of Metallica’s greatest anti-war songs, this Hemingway inspired classic remains one of their best beloved tracks. The opening anvil strike and Cliff Burton’s bass intro made for a powerful intro, and the rest of the track never lets up. A standout from the classic-filled Ride the Lightning.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:15:13 GMT -5
25. Exodus - “Bonded by Blood”
At the dawn of the thrash metal wave, Exodus were leaders of the scene. Then their debut record was delayed until 1985, and it stunted their career and allowed bands like Metallica and Slayer to steal the scene. Yet “Bonded by Blood” remains one of the very best thrash classics, a remnant of a time when Exodus were titans in a newly forged world.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:19:39 GMT -5
24. Rammstein - “Du hast”
In the history of industrial metal, no band has managed to create such a unique and instantly recognizable sound as Rammstein have. By combining downtuned guitars with synths and dance-pop rhythms, they created a robotic sound that propelled them to stardom in spite of the fact that they sang solely in German. And their simplicity is their greatest strength — as showcased by this hit that made them famous around the globe for the mantra-like verses.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:25:12 GMT -5
23. KoЯn - “Freak on a Leash”
As grunge started to slip into the obscure, a new mainstream rock genre was only just sprouting. At the forefront of what became called ‘nu metal’ was Korn. With almost tribal rhythms and heavy, downtuned guitars, not to mention Jonathan Davis’s unique vocals, they crafted one of the genre’s greatest songs in the form of “Freak on a Leash”, and it’s still a classic.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Jul 6, 2022 5:28:32 GMT -5
22. Emperor - “I Am the Black Wizards”
Emperor introduced a symphonic element into black metal, and their resulting debut In the Nightside Eclipse instantly made them one of the leaders of the Norwegian scene. The penultimate song on the album is an apocalyptic monster that underscores their importance in the evolution of the genre.
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