Top Ten - 1984

Unlike 1985, 1984 was a huge year in rock and metal. Major players populate the list literally from top to bottom. And I believe this is the strongest top ten so far, with eight albums above a 90 rating (rounding up, of course), and a ninth just barely missing the cut. Even more impressive is that out of the 70 albums I rated, 40 top an 80 rating.



Top Ten - 1984
94.86 -- Iron Maiden - Powerslave
91.64 -- Savatage - The Dungeons are Calling
91.22 -- Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
90.86 -- Metallica - Ride the Lightning
90.54 -- Scorpions - Love at First Sting
89.72 -- Sortilège - Métamorphose
89.60 -- Buzzard - Gambler
89.52 -- Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
89.45 -- Dokken - Tooth and Nail
88.51 -- Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers

Other 1984 releases:
88.21 -- Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken
87.17 -- Metal Church - Metal Church
86.49 -- Saxon - Crusader
86.42 -- W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
86.09 -- Cutty Sark - Die Tonight
86.04 -- Rush - Grace Under Pressure
85.94 -- Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
85.93 -- Riot - Born in America
85.56 -- Killer - Shock Waves
85.07 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
83.67 -- Gravestone - Victim of Chains
83.55 -- Accept - Balls to the Wall
82.73 -- Manowar - Hail to England
82.69 -- Box of Frogs - Box of Frogs
82.08 -- Grim Reaper - See You In Hell
81.88 -- The Rods - Let them Eat Metal
81.85 -- Bow Wow - Beat of Metal Motion
81.71 -- Pat Travers Band - Hot Shot
81.57 -- Brocas Helm - Into Battle
81.48 -- Exciter - Violence & Force
81.39 -- Ostrogoth - Ecstasy and Danger
80.86 -- Krokus - The Blitz
80.68 -- Whitesnake - Slide It In
80.59 -- Triumph - Thunder Seven
80.48 -- Hexx - No Escape
80.28 -- Armored Saint - March of the Saint
80.27 -- Trouble - Psalm 9
80.13 -- Silver Mountain - Universe
79.79 -- Queensrÿche - The Warning
79.63 -- Warlock - Burning the Witches
79.08 -- Ratt - Out of the Cellar
78.47 -- Dio - Last In Line
77.90 -- Helix - Walkin' the Razor's Edge
77.88 -- Van Halen - 1984
77.82 -- Heavy Pettin' - Lettin' Loose
77.69 -- Fastway - All Fired Up
77.56 -- Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown
77.10 -- Great White - Great White
76.87 -- Zebra - No Tellin' Lies
76.35 -- Pretty Maids - Red, Hot And Heavy
74.53 -- Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
73.74 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather
72.53 -- Stone Fury - Burns Like A Star
72.25 -- Torch - Electrikiss
71.87 -- Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead
71.33 -- Kiss - Animalize
70.80 -- Y&T - In Rock We Trust
70.14 -- Billy Squier - Signs of Life
67.89 -- Blackfoot - Vertical Smiles
67.79 -- Ted Nugent - Penetrator
65.01 -- Kim Mitchell - Akimbo Alogo
64.01 -- Tyran' Pace - Eye to Eye
61.76 -- Running Wild - Gates to Purgatory
61.46 -- Lee Aaron - Metal Queen
57.76 -- Manowar - Sign of the Hammer
55.48 -- Molly Hatchet - The Deed is Done
55.31 -- Queen - The Works
51.03 -- Golden Earring - N.E.W.S.
50.27 -- Samson - Don't Get Mad, Get Even
30.90 -- Jethro Tull - Under Wraps

Top Ten - 1990

I rated 45 albums from 1990, and sadly, it was the last great year for three top metal bands - Black Sabbath, Scorpions and Judas Priest. Never again would these bands crack the top ten. Kinda sad, but there's still hope that they'll once again find some of that past metal magic.



Top Ten - 1990:
93.55 -- Megadeth - Rust in Peace
90.85 -- Black Sabbath - Tyr
90.04 -- Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World
89.52 -- Warrior Soul - Last Decade Dead Century
89.16 -- Jeff Healey Band - Hell to Pay
87.85 -- Anthem - No Smoke without Fire
87.68 -- Scorpions - Crazy World
86.73 -- Judas Priest - Painkiller
84.90 -- Rage - Reflections of a Shadow
82.93 -- Artillery - By Inheritance

Other 1990 releases:
82.49 -- Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying
82.33 -- Riot - The Privilege of Power
82.23 -- Manilla Road - Courts of Chaos
82.23 -- Deep Purple - Slaves and Masters
82.12 -- Desperado - Bloodied but Unbowed
81.78 -- Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation
81.17 -- Queensrÿche - Empire
81.16 -- Elixir - Lethal Potion
80.20 -- Sanctuary - Into the Mirror Black
80.12 -- Testament - Souls of Black
79.71 -- Warrant - Cherry Pie
79.48 -- Reverend - World Won't Miss You
78.50 -- AC/DC - The Razor's Edge
77.76 -- Bow Wow - Mountain Top
77.74 -- Extreme - Extreme II: Pornograffitti
77.39 -- Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
75.61 -- Spread Eagle - Spread Eagle
72.87 -- Pat Travers Band - School of Hard Knocks
72.21 -- Ratt - Detonator
72.16 -- ZZ Top - Recycler
69.95 -- Dio - Lock Up the Wolves
69.90 -- Blues Traveler - Blues Traveler
69.88 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Eclipse
69.45 -- Vixen - Rev It Up
69.02 -- Pantera - Cowboys from Hell
68.72 -- Slaughter - Stick It to Ya
68.40 -- Blackfoot - Medicine Man
67.96 -- Hawkwind - Space Bandits
67.40 -- Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire
67.27 -- Morgana Lefay - Symphony of the Damned
65.63 -- Pretty Maids - Jump the Gun
63.37 -- Styx - Edge of the Century
58.31 -- Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
57.20 -- Axxis - Axxis II
54.66 -- Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom

To Cry You A Song - Colors

A goofy list to be sure, but what the hell. What makes this work (for me, at least) is that every song is rated 4 or higher*. And even better, three songs (Rat Bat Blue, Running, White Face, City Boy and Golden Country) are Desert Island songs.

There's a little more thought to song order here. I start with black and white, then list the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV, with a substitution of purple for indigo), then other colors, and finally the metallic colors.

*That is, every song except Why Is a Carrot More Orange than an Orange. But it was the only one I had that used the word "orange" in the title, so I didn't have much choice.

The disc isn't completely full, running "only" 62:15, but this is somewhat intentional because I didn't want to repeat any colors. If you know of any other "color" songs that I missed (tan, for example), let me know and maybe I'll add them here.

Color Tracks:
1. AC/DC - Back in Black (4:15)
2. Gillan - Running, White Face, City Boy (3:13)
3. Great White - Lady Red Light (4:54)
4. Amboy Dukes - Why Is a Carrot More Orange than an Orange (2:25)
5. Scorpions - Yellow Butterfly (5:44)
6. Judas Priest - Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) (3:21)
7. Deep Purple - Rat Bat Blue (5:23)
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze (2:50)
9. Blackmore's Night - Under a Violet Moon (4:23)
10. Aerosmith - Pink (3:55)
11. Testament - As the Seasons Grey (6:16)
12. Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar (3:49)
13. April Wine - Silver Dollar (5:14)
14. R.E.O. Speedwagon - Golden Country (6:33)
Disc length - 62:15

Albums:
AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)
Gillan - Glory Road (1980)
Great White - Once Bitten… (1987)
Amboy Dukes - Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968)
Scorpions - Eye II Eye (1999)
Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather (1979)
Deep Purple - Who Do We Think We Are (1973)
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (U.S.) (1967)
Blackmore's Night - Under a Violet Moon (1999)
Aerosmith - Nine Lives (1997)
Testament - The Ritual (1992)
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)
April Wine - First Glance (1978)
R.E.O. Speedwagon - T.W.O. (1972)

Rock Island - Chapter Seven

Everyone's exhausted after a long day of fighting off a tribe of headhunters. They didn't look that threatening with their silly war-painted faces and straw skirts, but they fought hard. You're not sure how, but everyone finally scared them away. Now you're relaxing, nursing a few minor wounds and drinking coconut milk (yuck), and wishing it was spiked with something from Dovey's hidden stash.

Cinnamon sits down next to you, also drinking coconut milk (the fresh water ran out long ago and it takes time for the infrequent rains to replenish the supply). She asks you about other songs on your MP3 player. You pick up from where you left off:

• Guns 'n' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle; Sweet Child O' Mine; You Could Be Mine
• Heavenly - Chapter One: Lust for Life
• Helloween - Time of the Oath; Departed (Sun Is Going Down); King for a 1000 Years; Occasion Avenue; The Bells of the Seven Hells
• Iced Earth - I Died for You; Melancholy (Holy Martyr); Devil to Pay; Hold at All Costs; High Water Mark
• Iron Maiden - Remember Tomorrow; Wrathchild; Killers; The Number of the Beast; Run to the Hills; Hallowed Be Thy Name; Where Eagles Dare; Flight of Icarus; To Tame a Land; Aces High; 2 Minutes to Midnight; Powerslave; Rime of the Ancient Mariner; Seventh Son of a Seventh Son; Tailgunner; Futureal
• Jaguar - Eighties
• Joe Stump - Blackmore's Boogie
• Jon Oliva's Pain - Through the Eyes of the King
• Judas Priest - Victim of Changes; Sinner; Exciter; Hell Bent for Leather; Breaking the Law; Hellion/Electric Eye; Freewheel Burning; Love Bites; Painkiller; Night Crawler
• Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy; Silent Goddess; Desert Reign; Nights of Arabia; Lunar Sanctum; Forever; Mirror Mirror (Elizabeth Part I); Requiem for the Innocent (Elizabeth Part II); Fall from Grace (Elizabeth Part III); Center of the Universe; Farewell; III Ways to Epica; Rule the World

It's late and everyone's tired, so once again it's time to stop. But it's good to look forward to tomorrow (as long as there are no headhunters).

Rock Island - Chapter Three

You're sick of coconuts. Coconut milk for breakfast. Coconut-crusted fish for lunch and dinner. Big hairy balls of... and suddenly you're lost in thought. Big Balls. AC/DC. But it's not on your MP3 player. Should it be? It's a great song. You'll have to consider adding it. And then the thought passes as Cinnamon asks if you want to join her in gathering coconuts. You immediately say yes, you love coconuts.

She asks about the music you listen to. You smile and tell her you're a metalhead, and rattle off some classic metal bands. You have Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Metallica and Scorpions with you. But wait, there's more. You also have some great Euro-metal bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray, Kamelot, Nightwish, Stratovarious, and Threshold. "I'd love to hear them sometime," she says. You leave happy, in spite of the coconuts.

Top Ten - 2001

Five lesser-known bands made the top ten, along with solid efforts by veteran bands. And 49 album reviews without a single rating above 90 (unless you round up) may look like a down year in music, but that's misleading as many bands ended up in the 80 - 85 range. (For anyone who looked at this list previously, you may notice a change. I recently got a chance to listen to and review Anthem CDs, and as you can see, I liked Seven Hills a lot.)

2001 Top Ten:
89.83 -- Anthem - Seven Hills
89.71 -- Magnitude 9 - Reality in Focus
87.92 -- Wayne - Metal Church
87.77 -- Gamma Ray - No World Order
87.62 -- W.A.S.P. - Unholy Terror
87.25 -- Iced Earth - Horror Show
86.64 -- Labyrinth - Sons of Thunder
86.62 -- Racer X - Superheroes
86.47 -- Silver Mountain - Breakin' Chains
86.09 -- Threshold - Hypothetical

Other 2001 releases:
85.54 -- Annihilator - Carnival Diablos
85.13 -- Savatage - Poets and Madmen
84.63 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Curse of the Hidden Mirror
84.27 -- Mahogany Rush - Eye of the Storm
84.24 -- Aria - Chimera
84.11 -- Saxon - Killing Ground
83.85 -- Dogface - Unleashed
83.81 -- Edguy - Mandrake
83.20 -- Brainstorm - Metus Mortis
83.01 -- Falconer - Falconer
82.77 -- Cydonia - Cydonia
82.73 -- Wizard - Head of the Deceiver
82.54 -- Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
82.38 -- Helloïse - Fata Morgana
81.80 -- Kamelot - Karma
81.76 -- Megadeth - The World Needs A Hero
81.22 -- Silent Force - Infatuator
80.77 -- Angra - Rebirth
80.24 -- Iron Savior - Dark Assault
80.13 -- Primal Fear - Nuclear Fire
78.41 -- Heavenly - Sign of the Winner
78.17 -- Balance of Power - Perfect Balance
77.65 -- Rage - Welcome to the Other Side
77.32 -- Nostradameus - The Prophet of Evil
77.11 -- Sonata Arctica - Silence
77.10 -- Michael Schenker Group - Be Aware of Scorpions
76.89 -- Arachnes - Parallel Worlds
76.69 -- Goat Horn - Voyage to Nowhere
76.28 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Down to Earth
76.26 -- Avantasia - The Metal Opera
75.68 -- Alice Cooper - Dragontown
75.53 -- Blackmore's Night - Fires at Midnight
70.44 -- Anvil - Plenty of Power
69.76 -- Manilla Road - Atlantis Rising
68.88 -- Judas Priest - Demolition
67.77 -- Aerosmith - Just Push Play
67.26 -- Beto Vázquez Infinity - Infinity
65.82 -- Demon - Spaced Out Monkey
52.33 -- Bow Wow - Another Place

Top Ten - 2005

I rated 45 albums from 2005. Some big names made it to the top of the list that year. Other efforts were decent to good, but fell short of the top spots.

2005 Top Ten:
90.51 -- Gamma Ray - Majestic
90.41 -- Bow Wow - Era
89.72 -- Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy
89.26 -- Axehammer - Windrider
88.59 -- Hibria - Defying the Rules
87.57 -- Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
87.09 -- Kamelot - The Black Halo
86.36 -- Thy Majestie - Jeanne d’Arc
85.74 -- Diamond Head - All Will Be Revealed
84.33 -- Shaman - Reason

Other 2005 releases:
83.72 -- Astral Doors - Evil Is Forever
83.07 -- Nocturnal Rites - Grand Illusion
82.99 -- Stratovarius - Stratovarius
82.79 -- Jon Oliva's Pain - 'Tage Mahal
82.38 -- Wolfmother - Wolfmother
81.91 -- Presto Ballet - Peace Among the Ruins
81.77 -- Circle II Circle - The Middle Of Nowhere
81.29 -- Jørn - The Duke
81.17 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Unleash the Fury
80.61 -- Tony Martin - Scream
80.58 -- Tierra Santa - Apocalipsis
80.35 -- 35007 - Phase V
79.85 -- Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
79.77 -- Brainstorm - Liquid Monster
78.96 -- Molly Hatchet - Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge
78.93 -- Slough Feg - Atavism
78.34 -- Blitzkrieg - Sins and Greed
78.10 -- Dark Moor - Beyond the Sea
77.87 -- Running Wild - Rogues En Vogue
77.04 -- Dream Theater - Octavarium
75.99 -- Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia
75.55 -- Angra - Temple of Shadows
75.23 -- Mägo de Oz - Gaia II - La Voz Dormida
75.14 -- Allen / Lande - The Battle
74.92 -- Platitude - Silence Speaks
73.92 -- Wizard - Magic Circle
73.78 -- Demons & Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
72.01 -- Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds
71.77 -- Anubis Gate - A Perfect Forever
71.57 -- Labyrinth - Freeman
70.07 -- Demon - Better the Devil You Know
69.06 -- Axenstar - The Inquisition
62.67 -- Seven Witches - Amped
54.22 -- Manilla Road - Gates of Fire

Top Ten - 2008

I rated 61 albums released in 2008. There were some pretty big releases last year, and while I like a lot of them, not many of the big names made my top ten. (Note: There was a recent change to the Top Ten as Anthem knocked out Ross the Boss).



2008 Top Ten:
91.45 -- Uriah Heep - Wake the Sleeper
89.75 -- Rage - Carved In Stone
89.57 -- Blood Ceremony - Blood Ceremony
89.36 -- Grand Magus - Iron Will
89.26 -- Anthem - Black Empire
89.21 -- Billy Lee Janey - Soul Driver
88.19 -- Order of Nine - A Means To Know End
87.36 -- Overdrive - Let the Metal Do the Talking
87.15 -- Metal Church - This Present Wasteland
87.03 -- Avantasia - The Scarecrow

Other 2008 releases:
86.97 -- Ross the Boss - New Metal Leader
86.64 -- Blaze Bayley - The Man Who Would Not Die
86.55 -- Circle II Circle - Delusions of Grandeur
86.25 -- Firewind - The Premonition
86.06 -- Motörhead - Motorizer
85.90 -- Thy Majestie - Dawn
85.75 -- Metallica - Death Magnetic
85.58 -- Warrior Soul - Chinese Democracy
85.46 -- Crystallion - Hattin
85.42 -- Brainstorm - Downburst
85.33 -- Black Tide - Light from Above
84.35 -- Graveyard - Graveyard
84.29 -- Dominici - O3 - A Trilogy Part 3
84.17 -- Mötley Crüe - Saints of Los Angeles
83.88 -- Crystal Eyes - Chained
83.35 -- Benedictum - Seasons of Tragedy
82.77 -- Robin Trower - Seven Moons
82.62 -- Hibria - The Skull Collectors
81.81 -- Whitesnake - Good to Be Bad
81.53 -- Pyramaze - Immortal
81.30 -- Michael Schenker Group - In the Midst of Beauty
80.84 -- Iced Earth - The Crucible of Man - Something Wicked Part II
80.74 -- Ten Years After - Evolution
79.94 -- Edguy - Tinnitus Sanctus
79.32 -- Judas Priest - Nostradamus
79.12 -- Sabaton - The Art of War
79.11 -- Helstar - The King of Hell
78.57 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Perpetual Flame
78.50 -- Lääz Rockit - Left for Dead
77.17 -- Jørn - Lonely are the Brave
76.58 -- Revolution Renaissance - New Era
76.30 -- Royal Hunt - Collision Course: Paradox II
76.00 -- Bassinvaders - Hellbassbeaters
74.84 -- Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown
74.53 -- Hydrogyn - Deadly Passions
74.13 -- Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider
72.91 -- Queen - The Cosmos Rocks
71.60 -- Jon Oliva's Pain - Global Warning
71.37 -- Dokken - Lightning Strikes Again
69.47 -- Blackmore's Night - Secret Voyage
68.72 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Chinese Democracy
68.32 -- Bob Catley - Immortal
67.33 -- AC/DC - Black Ice
65.95 -- Def Leppard - Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
65.50 -- Lauren Harris - Calm Before the Storm
65.17 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Tales of the Crown
64.31 -- Chris Caffery - House of Insanity
63.54 -- Manilla Road - Voyager
61.78 -- Presto Ballet - The Lost Art of Time Travel
60.05 -- Haggard - Tales of Ithiria
29.90 -- Vigilante - IV