Defining metal music is never easy, but for this all-time list, Gibson.com opted to leave bands like Led Zeppelin and Queen in the hard rock camp and concentrate on the heavier metal sounds – Iron Maiden, Sabbath, Metallica and the like. Gibson.com recently called upon its editors, writers and – most importantly – readers, to weigh in on the greatest metal songs of all time.

Check out both lists below - The first is the Reader's Top 25, while the second is the Top 50 according to Gibson.com editors and writers.

Readers Poll – Top 25 Metal Songs

1. “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Iron Maiden
2. “Paranoid,” Black Sabbath
3. “Master of Puppets,” Metallica
4. “Never in My Life,” Mountain
5. “Iron Man,” Black Sabbath
6. “Enter Sandman,” Metallica
7. “One,” Metallica
8. “Black Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
9. “Crazy Train,” Ozzy Osbourne
10. “Ace of Spades,” Motörhead
11. “Laid to Rest,” Lamb of God
12. “The Number of the Beast,” Iron Maiden
13. “Bang Your Head (Metal Health),” Quiet Riot
14. “Psychosocial,” Slipknot
15. “Children of the Grave,” Black Sabbath
16. “Run to the Hills,” Iron Maiden
17. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Iron Maiden
18. “Stairway to Heaven,” Led Zeppelin
19. “War Pigs,” Black Sabbath
20. “Creek Mary’s Blood,” Nightwish
21. “Whole Lotta Love,” Led Zeppelin
22. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
23. “Mr. Crowley,” Ozzy Osbourne
24. “Peace Sells,” Megadeth
25. “Seek and Destroy,” Metallica

Top 50 Metal Songs of All Time

1. “Master of Puppets,” Metallica

2. “Ace of Spades,” Motörhead

3. “Crazy Train,” Ozzy Osbourne
4. “Iron Man,” Black Sabbath

5. “The Number of the Beast,” Iron Maiden

6. “War Pigs,” Black Sabbath
7. “Paranoid,” Black Sabbath
8. “One,” Metallica

9. “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Iron Maiden
10. “Breaking the Law,” Judas Priest

11. “Children of the Grave,” Black Sabbath
12. “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns N’ Roses

13. “Black Sabbath,” Black Sabbath
14. “Hells Bells,” AC/DC

15. “The Trooper,” Iron Maiden
16. “Painkiller,” Judas Priest
17. “Stargazer,” Rainbow

18. “Enter Sandman,” Metallica
19. “Back in Black,” AC/DC
20. “Runnin’ with the Devil,” Van Halen
21. “The Hellion/Electric Eye,” Judas Priest
22. “Run to the Hills,” Iron Maiden
23. “Let it Go,” Def Leppard
24. “Epic,” Faith No More

25. “Hangar 18,” Megadeth
26. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Iron Maiden
27. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” Judas Priest
28. “Fear of the Dark,” Iron Maiden
29. “Raining Blood,” Slayer
30. “Walk,” Pantera

31. “Holy Diver,” Dio
32. “Highway to Hell,” AC/DC
33. “Heaven and Hell,” Black Sabbath
34. “Bulls on Parade,” Rage Against the Machine

35. “Fade to Black,” Metallica
36. “Angel of Death,” Slayer
37. “Peace Sells,” Megadeth
38. “Freak on a Leash,” Korn

39. “Them Bones,” Alice in Chains
40. “Cemetery Gates,” Pantera
41. “Detroit Rock City,” KISS
42. “Devil’s Child,” Judas Priest
43. “Run with the Wolf,” Rainbow
44. “Would?,” Alice in Chains

45. “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” Twisted Sister
46. “Hell Bent for Leather,” Judas Priest
47. “Beyond the Realms of Death,” Judas Priest
48. “Bomber,” Motörhead
49. “Unchained,” Van Halen
50. “10,000 Days (Wings, Part II),” Tool

If this was a list of best metal videos...Metallica's One would have to be in the #1 slot.

What do you think of this list? Anything you think should be moved or added to it?

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