Top 20 Heavy Metal Anthems
#20: “Warriors of the World United” (2002)
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Manowar It could be argued that the entire discography of New York’s Manowar consists of stone-cold heavy metal anthems. While “Warriors of the World United” may have showed up a bit later in the band’s discography, it still stands as one of their most powerful works. The song hangs upon a sturdy mid-paced riff and Joey DeMaio’s driving bass. Thanks to this combination, we get fist-pumping aggression before the chorus hits with grandeur and magic. Vocalist Eric Adams proves he’s one of the genre’s best by delivering emotional pathos and high-octane power with ease. That’s wonderfully showcased in the song’s surprisingly tender bridge section. In the end, “Warriors of the World United” brings it all back for a rousing third act.
#19: “Rock You Like a Hurricane” (1984)
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Scorpions Germany’s Scorpions possess a long and prestigious musical history that dates all the way back to the 1970s. The band’s progressive and Krautrock roots were long gone by the time “Rock You Like a Hurricane '' swept the globe back in 1984. At this point, the Scorpions were primed for the international heavy metal market and equally at home performing arena-packing rockers and tender, emotional ballads. “Rock You Like a Hurricane '' sits proudly in the former camp. This crowd-pleaser manages to be both commercial and creatively satisfying to Scorpions’ hard rockin’ pedigree. This is crossover Euro-metal that’s slick, yet in control. It’s a muscular anthem to rocking, rolling and all of that good stuff in between.
#18: “Cowboys From Hell” (1990)
Pantera It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Pantera when it comes to the landscape of 1990s heavy metal. The band’s hair metal roots were all but abandoned here in favor of a power-groove attack that, quite frankly, changed the game. “Cowboys From Hell” served as a call-to-arms. It was a musical statement of intent that influenced legions of artists in its wake. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell’s tone was crunchy, his riffs were catchy and his flair felt undeniable. Meanwhile, front man Phil Anselmo took his classic vocal influences from icons like Rob Halford. He melded those sensibilities with his own talent and created an intensely visceral performance all his own. It’s hardcore and high-octane post-thrash for a new generation of metalheads.
#17: “Raining Blood” (1986)
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Slayer The world of thrash metal was not ready for Slayer’s “Reign in Blood '' when it was released back in 1996. Nor was it ready for that album’s relentless closing track, “Raining Blood.” This was beyond thrash, and beyond speed metal. This was something different. A take-no-prisoners assault that pulled no punches, “Raining Blood” was a heavy metal anthem for legions of ‘80s headbangers. The serenity of falling rain belies just how much “Raining Blood” goes for the throat as its dark opening riff takes hold. Then there’s that bruising breakdown that hits just after the two minute mark. [1] Some may say it’s the sound of all hell breaking loose. Well, if that’s true, then we say that hell a’int a bad place to be.
#16: “Round and Round” (1984)
Ratt The 1980s hair metal boom was a fertile period for commercially successful metal bands to craft some of the most enduring genre anthems of all time. “Round and Round” is definitely one of these tunes. While this absolute rock radio staple was marketed as a single, it possessed just as much bite as any of Ratt’s killer album cuts. This is thanks largely to the guitar work of Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini. Their tandem offense made “Round and Round” feel simultaneously heavy, anthemic and melodic. Additionally, the dual harmony section at about 2:40 in the song never fails to give us goosebumps each and every time.
#15: “Live Wire” (1982)
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Mötley Crüe While fans can debate whether “Live Wire” serves as Mötley Crüe’s heaviest moment, it’s unquestionably one of the band’s best. This is a fast, aggressive and anthemic cut that’s equal parts heavy metal thunder and glam rock bombast. The Crüe feel hungry and dangerous on “Live Wire,”. It’s a song that presented a band living on the edge where tomorrow wasn’t promised and indulgence was key. While Tommy Lee’s drumming feels breakneck on “Live Wire,” Mick Mars’ main riff slices through it all like a stiletto. Meanwhile, Vince Neil proves that he, quite simply, WAS the voice of Mötley Crüe. He delivers a performance that’s all guts, glory and bravado.
#14: “The Final Countdown” (1986)
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Europe Europe was a band primed from the world of traditional hard rock and heavy metal, boasting influences from artists like Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple. “The Final Countdown,” however, was the anthem to end all anthems. This keyboard laden 1980s jam that knew exactly what it was doing. “The Final Countdown” was arena-friendly and proud of it. Although Mic Michaeli’s keyboards do a lot of the heavy lifting here, there’s also a killer guitar solo from John Norum. And we can’t forget about the indescribably smooth vocal charm of front man/dreamboat Joey Tempest. “The Final Countdown” still continues to resonate with audiences today. Whenever you go to a sporting event, it’s almost a guarantee that this track will get the fans pumped up.
#13: “I Wanna Be Somebody” (1984)
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W.A.S.P. Front man Blackie Lawless and crew were just as much influenced by the shock rock of Alice Cooper as they were by contemporary heaviness. When they combined the best parts of both worlds, the music of W.A.S.P. began to feel a bit more varied. This compact and anthemic rocker from ’84 really demonstrates their talents. “I Wanna Be Somebody” is simple and to-the-point: W.A.S.P. was here, and they weren’t going to play nice. The guitars of Chris Holmes and Randy Piper are nasty and gnarled-up, which was a far cry from the often-slick sound of the Sunset Strip. Meanwhile, Lawless’ vocals sound like they can peel paint. His voice rings a perverse charisma all his own.
#12: “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (1984)
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Twisted Sister It seems incredible to think that the Parents Music Resource Center felt legitimately threatened by the music of Twisted Sister. After all, when you watch the video for “We’re Not Gonna Take It,”it almost feels like you tuned into a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon. It seems unfair that this empowering anthem ever got flack. “We’re Not Gonna Take It” feels like it delicately balances 1970s glam and metal sound. In fact, that’s partially why the song works so well. Dee Snider’s taunting vocals and the song’s simplistic arrangement makes it easy for everyone to sing along. Each and every time we hear the opening notes to “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” we go on to have a grand old time.
#11: “Peace Sells” (1986)
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Megadeth Thrash metal in the 1980s was a place where many bands felt comfortable writing songs that could convey their social and political beliefs. Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine certainly didn’t shy away from this approach for “Peace Sells”. Full of quirky and memorable turns of phrase, this track feels just as vital lyrically as it does musically. And the opening bass line was so iconic that it became a part of MTV’s “Music News” segments for years. Although “Peace Sells” never moves at a million-miles-an-hour, it didn’t have to. All it had to do was prove that thrash could progress and evolve just like any other branch from the heavy metal tree.
#10: “All We Are” (1987)
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Warlock The often testosterone-fueled world of heavy metal wasn’t a place bereft of iconic and respected women. Doro Pesch was a trailblazer back in the 1980s with the German metal band Warlock. Near the end of the decade, the group gave us their biggest and most defining hit, “All We Are.” This anthem of perseverance and empowerment served as a calling card for Doro, whose vocals absolutely steal the show. “All We Are” pounds the pavement with its crunching main riff. However, it’s truly Pesch’s immeasurable charisma and insanely powerful voice that made this track impossible to skip.
#9: “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” (1983)
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Quiet Riot Someone had to kick down the doors. Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health” LP was the first album from the genre to top the Billboard charts, thanks largely to the success of singles like this title track. “Metal Health” possesses an arrangement that feels similar to Def Leppard’s “Let It Go,” while simultaneously refreshing that template for a metal-hungry American audience. The song’s main riff feels ready-to-play with an instantly memorable melody. At the same time, lead singer Kevin DuBrow’s screeching vocals are perfect. And the breakdown near the end is the perfect way to pump things up for “Metal Health’s” final and triumphant charge towards heavy metal glory. Bang your heads, indeed!
#8: “We Rock” (1984)
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Dio There’s no denying that Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark” is a certified heavy metal anthem. [xref] However, “We Rock” is simply too powerful to ignore. Ronnie James Dio was one of the defining voices of heavy metal who was able to make utter magic with his hard-earned talent. “We Rock” feels more streamlined than Dio’s earlier work with either Rainbow or Black Sabbath because it captures an almost speed metal level intensity. This is thanks to the blazing axemanship of future Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell. All the while, Dio himself soars above it all like a true and utter professional.
#7: “Youth Gone Wild” (1989)
Skid Row “Youth Gone Wild” was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle songs. It’s an anthem that meant so much to those who were young or, young at heart during heavy metal’s heyday. This was a song that spoke to a generation for whom heavy metal and hard rock was a religious experience. As a result, Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach feels like a rock ‘n roll preacher. He comes off as a six-foot-three badass with lungs capable of carrying the toughest of tunes. “Youth Gone Wild” leaves plenty of room for Bach to show others how it’s done with a most excellent and, career-defining performance. The actual arrangements of “Youth Gone Wild” aren’t too shabby, either. A lock-tight set of riffs service the song in a punchy and brilliant way.
#6: “Enter Sandman” (1991)
Metallica Although it’s debatable whether “Enter Sandman” is Metallica’s best song, it’s definitely an internationally known ‘90s heavy metal anthem that ushered in harder sounds to the mainstream. This, as well as the entire self-titled “Metallica” album, streamlined the band for a new generation. Gone were the intricate and progressive arrangements of old. In their place was a more song-focused approach. During “Enter Sandman”, there’s absolutely no fat wasted. The main riff alone is IMMENSE. This is a metal song designed to fill arenas and ruin car stereos. While detractors may have argued that Metallica’s thrash was in the past, this mattered little to the millions of fans. “Enter Sandman” was a gateway song for many to get into the genre.
#5: “Ace of Spades” (1980)
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Motorhead Motorhead is another band that is so classic and iconic that it feels so difficult to just pick just one song. So, we’re gonna take a second to acknowledge that “Hellraiser” is absolutely badass. However, it’s also undeniable that the band’s most well-known anthem just has to be “Ace of Spades.” It’s a song that’s honestly gone on to enjoy a life of its own outside of Motorhead. “Ace of Spades’” overblown bass intro and devil-may-care attitude just feels mainlined into heavy metal’s bloodstream at this point. However, we also admit that it’s fun to imagine how many minds were blown the first time they heard it. Lemmy, “Fast” Eddie Clark and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor deserve a lot of credit for crushing this one.
#4: “Crazy Train” (1980)
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Ozzy Osbourne “Crazy Train” is another case where an artist’s best and best known song may not be one-and-the-same. While Ozzy Osbourne has been at the helm of so many stone-cold metal classics, it just might be “Crazy Train” that’s presented first on the man’s resume. There’s an immediacy to that iconic thumping bassline that’s instantly recognizable. Once it’s followed by Osbourne’s equally iconic wail and the screaming guitar of Randy Rhoads, we’re off to the races. “Crazy Train” isn’t cut from the same doom-and-gloom cloth of Ozzy’s previous band, Black Sabbath. The song has a catchiness that’s impossible to deny. Meanwhile, the aforementioned and much-missed Rhoads lets it rip with one of his most defining and melodic solos. It’s basically Heavy Metal 101.
#3: “Painkiller” (1990)
Judas Priest Judas Priest were already elder statesmen of heavy metal when they released their twelfth LP, “Painkiller,” in 1990. As a result, the album turned out some of the band’s heaviest material in years, an artistic statement that felt like it was stepping up to its younger contemporaries. The title track certainly felt this way. “Painkiller” rips out of the starting gate with an accompanied drum solo that said, in no uncertain terms: Priest. Was. Back. The guitars of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton respond in kind. Meanwhile, vocal legend Rob Halford lets loose with a harrowing scream of madness. “Painkiller” was Judas Priest at a boiling point, a sharpened steel spike into the heart of anyone who felt they couldn’t compete at an elite level.
#2: “The Number of the Beast” (1982)
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Iron Maiden You can sense it, right from the beginning. Right from Bruce Dickinson’s throat-ripping wail of anguish: this is something special. Iron Maiden had a couple of important albums prior to Dickinson joining for 1982’s “The Number of the Beast.” But this track has gone on not only to help put Iron Maiden on the Mount Rushmore of Heavy Metal, but it also helped define the genre as a whole. There’s an intelligence and wit to Maiden’s riff wizardly and arcane lyrical references that sets them apart. Meanwhile, the actual composition of “The Number of the Beast” is a lean, mean and primal example of heavy metal with a capital H and a capital M. It’s the sort of song upon which entire careers are based.
#1: “War Pigs” (1970)
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Black Sabbath It all had to start somewhere. Some point to Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple as embryonic entry points for heavy metal to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the world. However, it’s Black Sabbath where the sound and vision of what was to come truly takes hold and is birthed in earnest. The title track to Sabbath’s 1970 debut, all doom ‘n gloom, certainly sounds this clarion call. [xref] “War Pigs,” however, takes that doomy sound and filters it into something different. This is a jam that’s dark, heavy and brooding. But it’s also fully sing-a-long-able. Ozzy’s wail, Bill Ward’s jazzy drumming, Geezer Butler’s blasting bass and Tony Iommi’s riff sorcery are all on display. Their talents combine to make inimitable magic that we’re still talking about today. Oh. Lord. Yeah.
