Reed's Favorite 100 Metal Songs of All Time - Finished

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#16: Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

"Sabbath this low?  You're smoking crack man!  They're the most important metal band of all time.  Man."

Yeah, don't care.  This is my favorite songs.  Not the most important songs.  Not the most popular songs.  Not some random Boomer's favorite songs.  It's why Venom and Motorhead(!) didn't even appear on this list.

Don't get me wrong, Sabbath is great.  I listened to this album five thousand times out once upon a time.  Love Ozzy's vocals here.  It's a timeless sound.

But I prefer Ozzy's ridiculous solo material.  And the stuff put out by other metal giants.  Plus, this is still a very lofty position.  It took a lot of consideration to put this above stuff like "Love?".  I didn't do that lightly.

Honorable mentions: Iron Man, Heaven and Hell, Electric Funeral

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

Also, I'll go ahead and spoil things right now and let you all know that Led Zeppelin, BOC, Scorpions, Van Halen, Soundgarden, etc. are not in this list.  I don't really consider them to be metal, and even if I did my favorite songs of theirs are of a questionable metalness.

Don't get me wrong, I love Zeppelin and the Scorpions.  I was on the fence for including them.  But it was just muddying the waters too much.

Sabbath, Faith No More, and Alice in Chains are included, and where the cutover lies.  It was a judgment call.  I'm happy with it.

[Brickman | 3,986]

3 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Also, I'll go ahead and spoil things right now and let you all know that Led Zeppelin, BOC, Scorpions, Van Halen, Soundgarden, etc. are not in this list.  I don't really consider them to be metal, and even if I did my favorite songs of theirs are of a questionable metalness.

Don't get me wrong, I love Zeppelin and the Scorpions.  I was on the fence for including them.  But it was just muddying the waters too much.

Sabbath, Faith No More, and Alice in Chains are included, and where the cutover lies.  It was a judgment call.  I'm happy with it.

Led Zeppelin are literally the god fathers of metal with deep purple and sabbath. To not include them is just odd imo, but that’s your call. But you can’t say they aren’t metal when they literally helped create the genre 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

4 minutes ago, Brickman said:

Led Zeppelin are literally the god fathers of metal with deep purple and sabbath. To not include them is just odd imo, but that’s your call. But you can’t say they aren’t metal when they literally helped create the genre 

Again, once we dive into the grey areas it brings a lot of judgment calls into play.  And I got tired of wrestling with it

Plus I really didn't want to have to write about my 9th favorite Zeppelin song...

"Let's see, favorite Zeppelin song... Misty Mountain Hop.  Well,that's not metal, so what's next... Thank You?  Shit.  In the Light?  Hey Hey What Can I Do?  Shit I give up."

If you want to pretend Bring It on Home or The Ocean or whatever else is here, just throw it in the top 20 somewhere.

[Brickman | 3,986]

31 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Again, once we dive into the grey areas it brings a lot of judgment calls into play.  And I got tired of wrestling with it

Plus I really didn't want to have to write about my 9th favorite Zeppelin song...

"Let's see, favorite Zeppelin song... Misty Mountain Hop.  Well,that's not metal, so what's next... Thank You?  Shit.  In the Light?  Hey Hey What Can I Do?  Shit I give up."

If you want to pretend Bring It on Home or The Ocean or whatever else is here, just throw it in the top 20 somewhere.

Yeah that’s fair enough, it’s your list and now you’ve changed the title I’m definitely not going to get into a debate with you over it because these are your own personal songs that are your favourites. 

I just wanted to say that Led Zeppelin are a heavy metal band. They’d definitely be on my list but I’m also not crazy enough to write this list  respect for doing what you’ve done.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#15: Kalmah - Moon of my Nights (2003)

Here we go.  The one metal song I have listened to more than any other, no exceptions.  This isn't a guess, it's a cold hard fact.  I used to have iTunes and last.fm (and several other tools) all working together to track this sort of thing, and Kalmah stood alone atop the leaderboard.

Now, have I listened to it as much in the last 5-10 years?  Admittedly, no.  But there was still a major case for making this my #1 song.  Hell, I'm still considering it.  But I truly love each and every track down here at this end of this project, and I've really wrestled with where to place each of them.  So it slipped, a bit.  Not far: this is still a hell of position.  But I hesitate to call it one of my ten favorite metal songs when I'm forced to order them like this.

Either way, do yourself a favor, turn your speakers or headphones up, and rock this guy at a high volume.  I assure you it's worth it.

Also, these guys have the best song of all time about fishing:

Honorable mentions: The Black Waltz, Hook the Monster, Time Takes Us All, Bird of Ill Omen

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#14: Wintersun - Battle Against Time (2004)

Jari truly ruled the world of metal back in the early 2000s.  I don't know what the fuck he's been doing since, but that's neither here nor there.  Just enjoy this debut album, which truly is one of the most enjoyable power progressive melodic death metal kinds of things.  Even if they never could reach these heights again.

Honorable Mentions: Beyond the Dark Star

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#13: Cynic - Veil of Maya (1993)

Cynic has such an interesting story.  Paul and Sean break off from Death to do this bizarro technical death metal jazzy... thing.  All the way back in 1993.  And they opt for vocoder vocals, unheard of in metal.  Basically inventing a new genre of metal, with an album that does not sound like anything else out there.

Then they disband.

Then they come back in 2008 and create a second album that once again does not sound like anything else out there, including themselves.  With up-pitched vocals.

That's amazing.  It's hard enough to capture lightning in a bottle, but these guys managed to do it twice.  And though I do prefer that second album overall (by a hair), I think the opener off of their debut remains the most fun track they've done.

So, shout out to two of the greatest metal albums of all time.

Honorable mentions: I'm But a Wave To, How Could I, Integral Birth, Evolutionary Sleeper

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#12: Ghost - Rats (2018)

The best band of the last 10 years, and the fastest rising star in the world of metal.  I love what Tobias is doing, I love that he gives zero fucks about any and all metal conventions (kazoos?  tricycles? disco?), and I love that he draws from a huge swathe of musical knowledge to draw inspiration from.

Because the Ghost pool is deep.  They have 40 songs that could have made this list, all for different reasons:

• He Is - maybe the best song they've ever done, but perhaps not quite metal enough for this list.  Only they could turn gospel into a banger.
• Cirice - the Grammy winner.  Probably their most celebrated song.
• Rats - the Grammy nominee.  Should have won.  Queen meets Ozzy.
• Call Me Little Sunshine - the Grammy nominee.  Should have won. Ghost does The Black Album.
• Square Hammer - The banger they close the show with, named the metal song of the decade by Loudwire or whoever.
• Mary On a Cross - 330,000,000+ Spotify streams.  Your daughter's favorite song.
• Monstrance Clock - the other song about oral sex.
• Ritual - the song that started it all.
• Kiss the Go-Goat - Ghost time travels to the 1960s
• Dance Macabre - the disco bop.
• Miasma - the saxophone Beat it bop.
• Spillways - the Bon Jovi Toto Pokemon bop.
• Watcher in the Sky - triple guitars.
• Respite in the Spitalfields - the other, other best song they've ever done.  Asia Whitesnake bop.
• Zenith - the deep cut cult classic that everyone celebrates.

And so on.

Honorable mentions: Watcher in the Sky, Deus In Absentia, Zenith

[guitarzombie | 924]

Nah

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

22 minutes ago, guitarzombie said:

Nah

You just got Cynic! 

[guitarzombie | 924]

38 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

You just got Cynic! 

That IS true haha.  I dug Traced in Air.  I can't really get into Focus because the recording is pretty poor.  I wish there was a more 'updated' version. A lot of the cool guitar harmony and stuff gets lost.  Maybe i'll try it again.  Actually my favorite "Cynic" thing is actually "Circles Gone" which is not even really a Cynic thing.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention I saw Cynic with Meshuggah maybe 10 years ago.  Cool idea.  I love that Meshuggah takes bands in the same vein but sound much more different than them. 
 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by guitarzombie

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#11: Children of Bodom - Bodom After Midnight (2000)

So, I knew that shortly before Alexi's passing (RIP) that several of his longtime bandmates had left/retired/whatever.  What I wasn't aware of, was Bodom reforming under a new name: Bodom After Midnight.

And that makes perfect sense.  They (re)named themselves after their best song.  They knew it.

CoB was another band that was absolutely on fire for 3-4 albums.  Peaking with 2000's Follow the Reaper.  It wasn't the first Bodom album I owned (that would be Are You Dead Yet?), but it absolutely is the one I return to again and again. 

This is the song that you use to get people to reconsider their stance on "extreme" metal.

Honorable mentions: Follow the Reaper, Angels Don't Kill, Downfall

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#10: Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon (1983)

Writeup pending

Honorable mentions: Crazy Train, Shot in the Dark, Road to Nowhere

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

On 5/16/2023 at 8:21 AM, Reed Rothchild said:

#11: Children of Bodom - Bodom After Midnight (2000)

So, I knew that shortly before Alexi's passing (RIP) that several of his longtime bandmates had /left/retired)whatever.  What I wasn't aware of, was Bodom reforming under a new name: Bodom After Midnight.

And that makes perfect sense.  They (re)named themselves after their best song.  They knew it.

CoB was another band that was absolutely on fire for 3-4 albums.  Peaking with 2000's Follow the Reaper.  It wasn't the first Bodom album I owned (that would be Are You Dead Yet?), but it absolutely is the one I return to again and again. 

This is the song that you use to get people to reconsider their stance on "extreme" metal.

Honorable mentions: Follow the Reaper, Angels Don't Kill, Downfall

Always had so much respect for Alexi. Singing while brutally ripping face melting solos. Watched a few of his instructional videos and his playing was so effortless. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

#9: Alice in Chains - Rain When I Die (1992)

I've made it no secret that Alice in Chains is my all-time, #1, most favorite band in the whole wide world.  Layne and Jerry led something very special back in the 90s, and Jerry put together a great new version of the band with William in the 21st century.  That signature sound, with the signature harmonies, and Jerry's signature guitar... there's a reason so much of their material is so celebrated nowadays.  Especially in the metal scene.

Is most of their material metal?  Not really.  But a lot of it is.  Led by this banger and personal favorite.

Honorable mentions (metal): Love, Hate Love, Grind, Stone, Sunshine

[Brickman | 3,986]

3 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I've made it no secret that Alice in Chains is my all-time, #1, most favorite band in the whole wide world. 

 

3 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

 

#9: Alice in Chains

 

 

That makes no sense  These guys would easily be a top 5 for me I think. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

Ghost, AiC and Faith No More are my three favorite bands.  But a large part of that is the depth of their libraries.  So, they may not have my overall top song,but they have a ton of songs that are up there.  Make sense?

It would be like saying the Soulsborne series (if you can call it a series) is possibly my favorite, despite none of the games being in my top 5.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

Plus, my favorite AiC songs might just be Would?, Nutshell, No Excuses, and Down In a Hole.  So, their top "metal" song is only my 9th favorite, but it's barely even a top 5 AiC overall 

[Brickman | 3,986]

28 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Ghost, AiC and Faith No More are my three favorite bands.  But a large part of that is the depth of their libraries.  So, they may not have my overall top song,but they have a ton of songs that are up there.  Make sense?

It would be like saying the Soulsborne series (if you can call it a series) is possibly my favorite, despite none of the games being in my top 5.

To me that makes no sense haha. I think you're been too rigid on what is a "metal" song. Black Sabbath for example, a lot of their stuff is nowhere near as heavy as AiC, even AiC's lighter stuff. Same goes with Faith No More.

And that Soulsborne statement is even weirder  how can that be your favourite series if none of them are your top 5 games? The very nature of the word favourite means it is your favourite haha.

I think I just got more confused haha.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

25 minutes ago, Brickman said:

To me that makes no sense haha. I think you're been too rigid on what is a "metal" song. Black Sabbath for example, a lot of their stuff is nowhere near as heavy as AiC, even AiC's lighter stuff. Same goes with Faith No More.

And that Soulsborne statement is even weirder  how can that be your favourite series if none of them are your top 5 games? The very nature of the word favourite means it is your favourite haha.

I think I just got more confused haha.

Well, if I think Final Fantasy VI is better than every Soulsborne game, but every Soulsborne game is better than the remaining Final Fantasy games (for the most part)...

Someone back me up here.  I feel like I'm the logical one and Brick is the crazy one  

I certainly would never call FF my favorite series, based on my lukewarm reception of many of them.

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

1 hour ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Well, if I think Final Fantasy VI is better than every Soulsborne game, but every Soulsborne game is better than the remaining Final Fantasy games (for the most part)...

Someone back me up here.  I feel like I'm the logical one and Brick is the crazy one  

I certainly would never call FF my favorite series, based on my lukewarm reception of many of them.

At least we made it to the top 10 before the inevitable "what is and isn't metal" argument happened!

[Brickman | 3,986]

42 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Well, if I think Final Fantasy VI is better than every Soulsborne game, but every Soulsborne game is better than the remaining Final Fantasy games

This sounds like the start of a maths problem  If FF6 is traveling at 65kms an hour how many apples are left after 2 hours? 

I think I can sort of see your logic (although personally I like most FF games) but I still think if Soulsbourne is your favourite genre that one of the Dark Souls games has to be in your top 5. Same goes with bands. How can a favourite metal band of yours not have a top 5 favourite song?

If I think of my favourite bands, The Beatles and Pink Floyd. Both of them would be in my top 5 songs of all time. Same would definitely apply to metal. If Dark Tranquility is one of my top 3 metal bands, I couldn't put them at 9.

51 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I feel like I'm the logical one and Brick is the crazy one

Honestly, you probably are. It wouldn't be the first time my thinking has been weird compared to the norm 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

Speaking of...

I'm working on the games list, but it's hard.  If I can't get to Dark Souls III 'til next year, a bunch more must-play games will release in that time.  Catch 22.

[Brickman | 3,986]

4 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Speaking of...

I'm working on the games list, but it's hard.  If I can't get to Dark Souls III 'til next year, a bunch more must-play games will release in that time.  Catch 22.

If you put a disclaimer that it is ranking only games you have actually played, you should hopefully have less pitchforks thrown at you