Black Sabbath’s 1970 self-titled debut album unofficially marked the moment that heavy metal as a genre was born, with the record’s repercussions still being felt more than 50 years later.

Over the course of these decades, metal has evolved and branched out, sharing some infrequent moments in the spotlight with the rest of mainstream music, but most often conquering the underground with the development and evolution of new subgenres.

Now, Rolling Stone has penned what they claim are the 100 greatest metal songs of all time, “from the Sunset Strip to Scandinavia”, as advertised by the music journal.

As we reached the end of the list, the top 10 becomes more familiar, with tunes that have been recognized as certified classics for a long time by heavy metal fans.

However, that also beckons the recurrent question of where do the younger bands place, since heavy music fans seem more attached to the genre’s defining gems if we’re to judge by this list’s top entries.

You can check out the Top 10 greatest heavy metal songs below, as judged by Rolling Stone, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Top 10 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs, According to Rolling Stone

 

  1. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)
  2. Master of Puppets – Metallica (1986)
  3. Ace of Spades – Motörhead (1980)
  4. Breaking the Law – Judas Priest (1980)
  5. War Pigs – Black Sabbath (1970)
  6. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne (1980)
  7. Iron Man – Black Sabbath (1970)
  8. Raining Blood – Slayer (1986)
  9. Holy Diver – Dio (1983)
  10. Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden (1982)