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Media Snobs

Top music of the 1980s

Ranked by weighted grade · 40 works with 3+ grades · updated October 4, 2026

40 albums
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Active filters:1980s

Results

Ride the Lightning
#1

Ride the Lightning

Metallica

A •
Master of Puppets
#2

Master of Puppets

Metallica

A •
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?
#3

Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?

Megadeth

A •
Thriller
#4

Thriller

Michael Jackson

A •
Screaming for Vengeance
#5

Screaming for Vengeance

Judas Priest

A •
Holy Diver
#6

Holy Diver

Dio

A •
Severed Survival
#7

Severed Survival

Autopsy

A •
Walk Among Us
#8

Walk Among Us

Misfits

A •
Bad
#9

Bad

Michael Jackson

A •
Reign in Blood
#10

Reign in Blood

Slayer

A •
Back in Black
#11

Back in Black

AC/DC

A •
Licensed to Ill
#12

Licensed to Ill

Beastie Boys

A •
Altars of Madness
#13

Altars of Madness

Morbid Angel

A •
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
#14

Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing

Discharge

A •
Powerslave
#15

Powerslave

Iron Maiden

A •
Songs From the Big Chair
#16

Songs From the Big Chair

Tears for Fears

A •
You’re Living All Over Me
#17

You’re Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

A •
Kill ’Em All
#18

Kill ’Em All

Metallica

A- •
Bad Brains
#19

Bad Brains

Bad Brains

A- •
Defenders of the Faith
#20

Defenders of the Faith

Judas Priest

A- •
South of Heaven
#21

South of Heaven

Slayer

A- •
Heaven and Hell
#22

Heaven and Hell

Black Sabbath

A- •
Danzig
#23

Danzig

Danzig

A- •
Paul’s Boutique
#24

Paul’s Boutique

Beastie Boys

A- •
Piece of Mind
#25

Piece of Mind

Iron Maiden

A- •
The Number of the Beast
#26

The Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden

A- •
…And Justice for All
#27

…And Justice for All

Metallica

A- •
British Steel
#28

British Steel

Judas Priest

A- •
Killers
#29

Killers

Iron Maiden

A- •
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
#30

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC

A- •
Iron Maiden
#31

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

A- •
Mob Rules
#32

Mob Rules

Black Sabbath

A- •
Bleach
#33

Bleach

Nirvana

B+ •
Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!
#34

Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!

Megadeth

B+ •
Point of Entry
#35

Point of Entry

Judas Priest

B+ •
Turbo
#36

Turbo

Judas Priest

B+ •
So Far, So Good… So What!
#37

So Far, So Good… So What!

Megadeth

B+ •
Flick of the Switch
#38

Flick of the Switch

AC/DC

B+ •
Fly on the Wall
#39

Fly on the Wall

AC/DC

B+ •
Blow Up Your Video
#40

Blow Up Your Video

AC/DC

B+ •