100 Greatest Heavy Metal Anthems

Top 100 Heavy Metal Anthems

It’s the lyrical and musical elements of songs that transform them into anthems. This article brings to life a list of the best heavy metal anthems.

The roots of heavy metal took shape in the 60s.  Bands started experimenting with a hard hitting sound that evolved in the decades to follow. The blues rock explosion in the 70s led to many bands taking musical ideas to a whole new level. The heavy metal movement became widespread in the 70s with many bands adopting the catchy chorus-verse routine in songs. The rhythm section in heavy metal music has been the focal point in giving the genre its signature sound. Guitar riffs backed with bass lines and power-packed drumming formed the core sound of heavy metal in the early years. Gradually keyboards made their presence in the realms of heavy metal giving the genre a raw-polished sound.

Throughout the 70s many rock bands paved the way for a new brand of heavy metal.

The lyrics and musical structure of few bands made their songs heavy metal anthems. A heavy metal anthem is best described as a song that impacts audiences in different ways. It’s the lyrical element or the riff that makes a song an anthem. Lyrical themes in heavy metal are diverse. Over the years a number of songwriters and musicians have enchanted audiences with their lyrics and music.

The heavy metal sound has evolved in every decade and given rise to extreme subgenres that have become insanely popular globally. Few rock bands of the 60s and 70s are considered the purveyors of the heavy metal sound. The classic heavy metal bands are often cited as influences by new metal bands. The aggressive-yet soothing sound of heavy metal has inspired musicians from other genres to craft a new sound. Heavy metal anthems are hugely popular at extreme metal concerts… the mayhem will never end. Keep metal alive!

The list below showcases an epic list of the best heavy metal anthems from various subgenres.

100 Greatest Heavy Metal Anthems

  1. Paranoid- Black Sabbath
  2. Holy Diver- Dio
  3. Ace of Spades- Motorhead
  4. One- Metallica
  5. Highway Star- Deep Purple
  6. Run To The Hills- Iron Maiden
  7. War Pigs- Black Sabbath
  8. Crazy Train- Ozzy Osbourne
  9. Enter Sandman- Metallica
  10. Am I Evil- Diamond Head
  11. Breaking The Law- Judas Priest
  12. Walk- Pantera
  13. Symphony of Destruction- Megadeth
  14. Welcome To The Jungle- Guns N’ Roses
  15. Symphony of Destruction- Megadeth
  16. We’re Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister
  17. Raining Blood- Slayer
  18. For Whom The Bells Toll- Metallica
  19. Iron Man- Black Sabbath
  20. Hammer Smashed Face- Cannibal Corpse
  21. The Number of the Beast- Iron Maiden
  22. Painkiller- Judas Priest
  23. Beyond the Realms of Death- Judas Priest
  24. Pull Me Under- Dream Theater
  25. Cowboys from Hell- Pantera
  26. Black Wind, Fire and Steel- Manowar
  27. Stargazer- Rainbow
  28. The Last In Line- Dio
  29. The Trooper- Iron Maiden
  30. Mr. Crowley- Ozzy Osbourne
  31. Angel of Death- Slayer
  32. Blackwater Park- Opeth
  33. Nightfall- Blind Guardian
  34. I Am The Black Wizards- Emperor
  35. Fast As A Shark- Accept
  36. Master of Puppets- Metallica
  37. Pull The Plug- Death
  38. Before I Forget- Slipknot
  39. Transilvanian Hunger- Darkthrone
  40. Hallowed Be Thy Name- Iron Maiden
  41. Blinded By Fear- At The Gates
  42. Keeper of the Seven Keys- Helloween
  43. Seek & Destroy- Metallica
  44. Hells Bells- AC/DC
  45. Freezing Moon- Mayhem
  46. Hangar 18- Megadeth
  47. Bodies- Drowning Pool
  48. Chapel of Ghouls- Morbid Angel
  49. Solitude- Candlemass
  50. Eyes of A Stranger- Queensryche
  51. Back in Black- AC/DC
  52. Heartwork- Carcass
  53. Metropolis Part 1- Dream Theater
  54. Bark At The Moon- Ozzy Osbourne
  55. Divine Wings of Tragedy- Symphony X
  56. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming- Judas Priest
  57. Black Metal- Venom
  58. Night Crawler- Judas Priest
  59. Crystal Mountain- Death
  60. Over The Wall- Testament
  61. Slaughter of the Soul- At The Gates
  62. Hail To The King- Avenged Sevenfold
  63. Five Minutes Alone- Pantera
  64. Down With The Sickness- Disturbed
  65. Caught In A Mosh- Anthrax
  66. Metal Warriors- Manowar
  67. The Drapery Falls- Opeth
  68. Bonded By Blood- Exodus
  69. Elimination- Overkill
  70. Kill The King- Rainbow
  71. Rime of the Ancient Mariner- Iron Maiden
  72. Hall of The Mountain King- Savatage
  73. Souls of Black- Testament
  74. Guardian- Fates Warning
  75. Spit It Out- Slipknot
  76. Mother- Danzig
  77. No More Tears- Ozzy Osbourne
  78. Alison Hell- Annihilator
  79. Your Betrayal- Bullet For My Valentine
  80. In Your Face- Children of Bodom
  81. A Fine Day to Die- Bathory
  82. Tornado of Souls- Megadeth
  83. A Little Piece of Heaven- Avenged Sevenfold
  84. Push It- Static X
  85. Eve of the Apocalypse- Malevolent Creation
  86. The Oath- Mercyful Fate
  87. Warzone- Armored Saint
  88. Locust- Machine Head  
  89. Stricken- Disturbed
  90. The Philosopher- Death
  91. Not Alone- All That Remains
  92. Nemesis- Arch Enemy
  93. Ten Thousand Fists- Disturbed
  94. Evil- Mercyful Fate
  95. Sweet Leaf- Black Sabbath
  96. Sign of An Open Eye- Gorgoroth
  97. Awake- Godsmack
  98. Hail To The King- Avenged Sevenfold
  99. Duality- Slipknot
  100. Gutter Ballet- Savatage

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