5 Albums From The '80s Every Heavy Metal Diehard Should Own

People remember the '80s for the birth of MTV, an abundance of happy-go-lucky family sitcoms, and the popularization of video game consoles at home. But do you know what else ruled in this electric and euphoric decade? Heavy metal!

Guitars squealed, drums rattled the senses, and singers summoned the devilish spirit of the Cookie Monster to reach a new level of heaviness. Bands like Metallica and Slayer stepped out of the shadows to grab heavy metal by the throat and kick it into gear, telling everybody to get on board or get lost (in less polite words). With so many artists and music providing the soundtrack for the '80s, the question is, which are the albums from this era that every fan should own?

Combining the opinions of experts, fans, and the resident metalheads at Grunge, as well as Billboard 200 chart achievements, we picked five of the best additions to fill your record collection. These albums may reek of stale beer and cigarette smoke, but they have aged like fine wine, serving as the blueprint of the genre for generations to come. This isn't just metal — it's heavy metal. So throw those horns up in the air and blast the music until even your neighbors come around to appreciate it.

In the '80s, Slayer established themselves as the kind of band that spooked parent groups. This ferocious act trashed organized religion and embraced the occult aesthetic; the more evil the lyrics and music, the better. Unquestionably, their defining moment arrived in 1986 with the release of "Reign in Blood."

This album didn't clock 30 minutes, but it was unnecessary here. In the time that it would take you to watch an episode of "The Cosby Show," Slayer unleashed a master class in nonstop carnage, laying siege on the senses with bazookas like "Angel of Death," "Criminally Insane," and the riff-tastic "Raining Blood." The music was heavier than the feeling after a Thanksgiving dinner, but the songs stuck with the listener. It wasn't just noise for the sake of it; there was genuine artistry and boundary pushing in every moment.

"Reign in Blood" turned out to be Slayer's first album to enter the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at No. 94, but it would also be the catalyst that sent them on the trajectory to become one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time. Rolling Stone readers voted the album as the sixth-best in the genre's history. For fans, the appreciation comes from how everything flows here. "The songs are in a perfect order," a Redditor wrote. "From start to finish. Even though some of them are not bangers on their own — in the order of 'Reign in Blood' they are all 10/10."

Iron Maiden went through many lead singers, but their peak remains the time spent with Bruce Dickinson on the mic. While the British band released an onslaught of classics with Dickinson at the helm, 1982's "The Number of the Beast" — which turned out to be the vocalist's first dance with the band — holds a special place in every metalhead's heart.

Produced by Martin Birch, who worked with everyone from Black Sabbath to Deep Purple, "The Number of the Beast" finds the right balance between galloping heavy metal and Dickinson's operatic vocal qualities. Like being stuck in a fantasy movie, the music understands when to soar, lower its guard, or dare to be brave in its choices. As a result, this album delivers three first-round picks for any Iron Maiden concert: "Run to the Hills," "The Number of the Beast," and "Hallowed Be Thy Name."

Not only did "The Number of the Beast" reach No. 33 on the Billboard 200 chart, but it was also voted by fans as the greatest British album of the previous 60 years in 2012. As Kerrang rightfully declared, "'Number of the Beast' set Iron Maiden on the road to heavy metal glory."

Look, Metallica delivered nothing but bangers in the '80s, so it's almost too easy to say, "Just buy everything from this era." However, if we're being honest here, there's something a little special about 1986's "Master of Puppets." While it's only eight songs long, this album cuts the safety net and thrashes from side to side, unloading a lesson in how to do heavy metal the right way.

Whether it's the brute and blunt force of "Battery," Cliff Burton's jaw-dropping bass solo in "Orion," or the explosive headbanging title track (which is one of the best heavy metal songs of the '80s), "Master of Puppets" has everything in it. This is the type of album that inspires any upcoming musician to take their instrument and career more seriously to follow in Metallica's gigantic footsteps.

"Master of Puppets" hit the No. 29 spot on the Billboard 200, proving to be an important milestone in Metallica's ascension to becoming the kings of heavy metal. Rolling Stone picked it as the second-best metal album of all time, writing that "'Master of Puppets' is the sound of a band in top form, and it's the album that made Metallica." For some fans, it remains the apex of 'tallica, and nothing else can touch it. "'Puppets was their greatest achievement," a Redditor claimed. "It all went downhill from there."

Put yourself in Ozzy Osbourne's shoes in 1980. He and Black Sabbath had parted ways, and his former band had secured the services of the highly talented Ronnie James Dio as his replacement, delivering the standout album "Heaven and Hell." The heat must have been scorching-hot for the Prince of Darkness to produce something extraordinary.

In typical Ozzy fashion, though, he defied the odds to whip up the storm known as "Blizzard of Ozz." This album contains now-classic songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley," but it must be said that Ozzy found his musical soulmate in guitarist Randy Rhoads. While there's no disputing that Ozzy and Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi clicked, Rhoads and Ozzy are connected in musical nirvana in "Blizzard of Ozz"; everything just feels so easy and effortless, even though it's not.

"Blizzard of Ozz" went to No. 21 on the Billboard 200 chart, confirming to anybody who had any doubts that Ozzy didn't need Sabbath to be successful in his own right. Rolling Stone ranked it the ninth-greatest metal album of all time, but one commentator on Reddit gave it the best description yet, writing that "it was incredible: fresh, modern, energetic, the best damn stereo mix ever."

Glenn Danzig doesn't always get his flowers. While he's best remembered for being the frontman of the horror punk legends the Misfits, he had a hand in shaping the sound of metal in the late '80s with his brooding band Danzig.

Doom and gloom are the order of the day for Danzig and his creatures of the night on their 1988 self-titled debut album. Produced by the famous Rick Rubin, "Danzig" takes the listener on a trip to the dark side accompanied by a plethora of beastly tracks such as "Mother" and "Twist of Cain." Danzig and Co. sink their teeth into the gothic themes and doom metal leanings, paving the way for other artists like H.I.M. and My Dying Bride.

Musically, "Danzig" wasn't as fast or technical as many of its contemporaries, but that's what makes it stand out then, now, and for the rest of time. "Everyone else was going for speed, complexity, removing all blues elements from riffs, etc. This album is back down to the roots of heavy metal and must have felt like a breath of fresh air. It's timeless," a Redditor wrote. "Danzig" reached the No. 125 spot on the Billboard 200, while Consequence of Sound named it No. 44 of the 75 greatest heavy metal albums ever made.