SV

One record per artist

Best of each artist

Every artist appears only once – with their best record. The list is ranked by the editors’ Still holds up score, then First listen and the readers’ ratings.

All 91Rock 14Pop 8Soul, funk and R&B 7Jazz 4Hip hop 4Electronic 5Folk, country and song 5Reggae and world 2Hard rock and metal 42
  1. 1 Def Leppard Pyromania 1983 · Hard rock and metal 2 records by this artist → Still holds up Timeless classic
  2. 2 Gemini Syndrome Lux 2013 · Hard rock and metal Still holds up Modern classic
  3. 3 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II 1969 · Hard rock and metal 2 records by this artist → Timeless classic
  4. 4 Black Sabbath Paranoid 1970 · Hard rock and metal 2 records by this artist → Timeless classic
  5. 5 Deep Purple Machine Head 1972 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  6. 6 Aerosmith Toys in the Attic 1975 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  7. 7 Kiss Destroyer 1976 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  8. 8 Rainbow Rising 1976 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  9. 9 Thin Lizzy Jailbreak 1976 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  10. 10 Van Halen Van Halen 1978 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  11. 11 AC/DC Highway to Hell 1979 · Hard rock and metal 2 records by this artist → Timeless classic
  12. 12 Judas Priest British Steel 1980 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  13. 13 Motörhead Ace of Spades 1980 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  14. 14 Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz 1980 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  15. 15 Rush Moving Pictures 1981 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  16. 16 Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast 1982 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  17. 17 Dio Holy Diver 1983 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  18. 18 Mercyful Fate Melissa 1983 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  19. 19 Scorpions Love at First Sting 1984 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  20. 20 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  21. 21 Europe The Final Countdown 1986 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  22. 22 Metallica Master of Puppets 1986 · Hard rock and metal 2 records by this artist → Timeless classic
  23. 23 Slayer Reign in Blood 1986 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  24. 24 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 1987 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  25. 25 Bathory Blood Fire Death 1988 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  26. 26 Faith No More The Real Thing 1989 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  27. 27 Entombed Left Hand Path 1990 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  28. 28 Megadeth Rust in Peace 1990 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  29. 29 Alice in Chains Dirt 1992 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  30. 30 Pantera Vulgar Display of Power 1992 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  31. 31 Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine 1992 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  32. 32 Soundgarden Superunknown 1994 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  33. 33 At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul 1995 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  34. 34 Sepultura Roots 1996 · Hard rock and metal Timeless classic
  35. 35 Deftones White Pony 2000 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  36. 36 Opeth Blackwater Park 2001 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  37. 37 Rammstein Mutter 2001 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  38. 38 System of a Down Toxicity 2001 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  39. 39 Tool Lateralus 2001 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  40. 40 Mastodon Leviathan 2004 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  41. 41 Gojira From Mars to Sirius 2005 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic
  42. 42 Ghost Meliora 2015 · Hard rock and metal Modern classic

91 artists in the collection.