’80s Metal Music Throwdown: UK vs USBy
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Metal hit its commercial peak in the 1980’s, with countless bands from around the globe hitting it big. It was mainstream whether we liked it or not. To this day, the ’80s will always be remembered for metal music, most of it (aside from such massive bands as Scorpions and AC/DC) coming out of the United States and United Kingdom. When it comes to ’80s metal, who reigns supreme, the US or UK?
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COMMENTS (96)
meghan said:
What is this, Sophie’s Choice? I am totally incapable of voting here. It’s like asking me to choose between my kids, I just can’t. Metallica VS Ozzy? That’s just cruel. Kilroy said:
I know the voting isn’t complete yet, but how the heck does Metallica have more votes than Ozzy Osbourne? pJ said:
cause metallica are far superior…. PurplePimp said:
“What is this, Sophie’s Choice? ” “how the heck does Metallica have more votes than Ozzy Osbourne?” Ozzy fucking rules. SAMI said:
PURPLE PIMP: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS WHIPLASH BATTERY BLACKENED:D [...] meant: http://biolog.jamsbio.com/2008/07/28…down-uk-vs-us/ __________________ last.fm Keeper of the black steel, hider of the [...] Kyle said:
I don’t know all that much about 80s metal, but I know what I like. Def Leppard vs. Motley Crue surprised me, though. I always figured Motley Crue were more embraced by the metal community. Some of the selections were unfair; Megadeth vs. Saxon? The typical voter probably doesn’t know a single song by Saxon, whereas Megadeth is a fixture in pop culture. Black Sabbath vs. Van Halen? The two are entirely different. Motorhead vs. Slayer is also a poor choice because of the major songwriting differences between the two. But fun anyway. Ryan said:
Whoa whoa whoa…. black sabbath is beating VH? That’s a rather huge WTF. Roth owns Dio. GOD said:
THIS IS FUCKING RETARDED. Love, God METALLICA ROCK. Jim Jones said:
Def Leppard RULES! Def kills them ALL hands down! Colin Turner said:
Twisted Sister was good?? Yayski said:
Master of Puppets, Ride the Lighting and Kill em All rates higher than anything Ozzy did in the same period. New Metallica sucks though lol. Also I rate motorhead over slayer. Otherwise good poll probably needed Dio(like holy diver period) not Black Sabbath(dio years) possibly Black Sabbath (ozzy years) over ozzy by himself. Cameron said:
PurplePimp: I’m listening to Master of Puppets now, actually, thank you very much. Battery, Master of Puppets, Orion, The Thing that should not be, Leper Messiah, Damage INC. Welcome Home Sanitarium… need I name more? How about Creeping Death, Call of Ktulu, One, Ride the Lightning, And Justice For All, Dyers Eve, The Four Horsemen, Trapped Under Ice, Jump in the Fire. Don’t just assume things, bud, plenty of people know Metallica Pre-TBA Eileen said:
What I don’t understand is why albums up to six years apart are being compared. Matt said:
you can not make a comment about Metallica winning due to later albums, they didn’t even start getting radio play till And Justice for all. by which time they were already the number one metal band in the world. Ozzy Rocks! But Metallica has always been About metal Ozzy has never been that heavy. nick said:
metallica has more votes precisely because those pre-black album tracks that nobody can name are so good. master of puppets is one of the finest metal albums ever created. Mega said:
“I’d be willing to bet that more than half of those voting here couldn’t name a single song from any of the pre-Black albums.” I own all metallica albums. Some of my favorite Pre-Black Album songs - The Four Horsemen, Whiplash, Seek and Destroy, Ride the Lightening, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black, Creeping Death, The Call of Ktulu, Every song on Master, and everything on Justice except Eye of the Beholder and To Live is to Die. I voted for Metallica over Ozzy solo years. I fucking love pre and post black album so all you fucking people who say metallica sold out to get radio play FUCK YOU! I hear more One and Master on the radio than I hear Fuel and St. Anger. Fuck off! you have no frame of reference you just run your mouth about how metallica cut their hair and made radio friendly music BULLSHIT you are all just in denial that metallica gets better and better and the moment a new album hits from any god dam band these days all the kids cry “SELL OUT!!” just keep your bullshit to yourselves and shut the fuck up while the rest of us true fans enjoy the show. netkram said:
To Matt: That’s why Purple Pimp said “more than half”, not “all”. Ben said:
Nick! I Agree. Euan said:
I’m a Brit and I voted for Metallica. Master of Puppets is one of the best albums, ever. I still remember the first time I heard the title track on my mate’s Walkman (yes it was a Sony.) Serg said:
Maiden>All else /poll Marius said:
I can’t f..ing believe how many people voted kiss, are you deaf or what? Cunts couldn’t play (except for Ace who was OK). vasandgvd said:
master of puppets is the best album posted here… kilt42 said:
metallica sucks compared to Ozzy overall but since we are talking exclusively about the 80’s metallica has to take the cake. Mike said:
@PurplePimp Sold out? Where does the line begin for “selling out”? Personally speaking i think its wrong to say Metallica “Sold out” when ozzy osbourne had his own reality show on MTV. Metallica forever! jdcboh said:
kilroy: why do Metallica have more votes than Ozzy? Er… because they were about a million times better than him, or Sabbath. Doran666 said:
Slayer > Metallica = Maiden > Megadeth = Ozzy redmond katz said:
Black Sabbath with Ozzy. Greatest. Metal. Band. Ever. They sound like electric mud. Evil, evil electirc mud. meghan said:
I rest my case. NYHC said:
@Mega Get over yourself. I wanna meet your dealer if you think that any of this new shit they have spewed is even fit to wipe the asses of any of their early albums. Whether or not they sold out out doesn’t change the fact that Metallica fucking blows now. They have not had a solid album in 20 years. And no, I’m not some fucking newbie fan, I saw them for the first time in 1986 and too many times to count since then. No denying up until the Black Album they were one of the best fucking bands in the world–but they are not the first band to turn to shit. Oh, and BTW, they did SELL OUT. Who are they touring with next? Good Charlotte? rob said:
WHAT THE FUCK! MAIDEN AND GNR? THATS NOT EVEN A QUESTION! GNR METAL? LOL LOL LOL LOL [...] out the 80s Metal Throwdown and vote on where you stand. Some are no contest as far as I’m [...] Dave said:
Oh, that’s just cruel…Ozzy vs. Metallica? Come on now! Why would you make me do such a thing? Both were great, had suffered tragic losses early…that’s like making me choose who would survive…Cliff or Randy. Shoot, I’d take Lars out, and maybe let a bus fall on Randy Castillo. Sick sick girl Marcy, sick. Jesus said:
I think you all are missing the point. I think not. Sincerely, Jesus H. Christ Jesus said:
Oh and because he tried to go to college on MTV. But was to stupid from listening to Metal that he had to drop out and make “music” again. I would be suprised if Ozzy or Lars could go to college and not make it. Tommy is the only one with an IQ “low” enough, and by low enough I mean “badass” enough. Yeah these guys may be able to jam out on a Fender but would they have any idea how to move a crowd like Richie Hawtin, or could they look as faux european as him? What about if they needed to spin on some CDJ 1000’s? I think Ozzy would foam at the mouth because his brain stem would be over stimulated. Seizures people, seizures. And how many young, cute, successfull Euro girls would line up at a concert hall to pop ecstacy and watch Iron Maiden poink eachother on stage? 24. Thats it. Not a big crowd. Not at all. And also, Metal music isnt going any where. It is the same equation as it was circa 1979, that eqauation is electric guitars+Tight pants+ Frustration= Metal music. Where as the equation for techno is this Awesome equipment+Intelligent brains+ Sexy people+ designer drugs+ money+ wannabe Europeans = TECHNO! A Your Truly, Jesus H. Christ aka “The Son” Ker Kernel said:
Who is the idiot fah who came up with these comparisons? Some of them don’t make any sense at all. Metallica vs Ozzy?!? completely different styles. the Bolsheviks are marching… Bob said:
What the hell ?! You can’t match Motorhead against Slayer or Maiden against Guns N’ Roses! Whoever matched the bands on this list is a moron. Sinister Minister said:
My $.02 on the Ozzy vs. Metallica thing — if we’re only talking 80s, we’ve got Blizzard and Diary (only relevant albums Ozzy made in the decade) vs. Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets (then Cliff died, they broke up and were never heard from again, as far as I know) Ozzy is seminal, sure, but head to head you’ve got to give the nod to Metallica. MOTLEY-CREW-FANATIC said:
MOTLEY CRUE is way better than Def Leppard. For starters, Motley Crue’s latest album, Saints of Los Angeles, has been on the top-10 for the last 3 weeks. In fact, I don’t think Motley Crue ever made an album that didn’t reach the top-10. In addition, look at all of the accomplishments of Nikki Sixx! One of his latest projects, Sixx AM, had a number 1 hit in the last 5-months. When was the last time a member from did Def Leppard did that? Sorry, but this poll is crap!! kirker187 said:
The sad part is that Twisted Sister and Megadeth will move on and Ozzy will not because of the ridiculous comparisons. The final four should have been Ozzy, Metallica, Maiden and Slayer. TIMBO said:
At time of my votes, UK artists lead every single clash!!!! GET IN THERE! [...] metal. UK vs. US ’80s Metal Music Throwdown: UK vs US | JamsBio Biolog __________________ This community cannot survive without your continued support. galleries || [...] Remy333 said:
What the hell ?! You can’t match Motorhead against Slayer or Maiden against Guns N’ Roses! Whoever matched the bands on this list is a moron. Denim and Leather said:
I agree with what Kyle said earlier, most people voting hear have probably never even heard of Saxon. It’s a real tough choice, but I voted for them over Megadeth. Rudolpho Lesparay said:
Def Leppard Fan: Northern Lady said:
Saxon over Megadeth was easy……… Wish Biff et al would come back to the States again!! Albion said:
I would have compared Def Leppard to Autograph, not Motley Crue. shearyadi said:
It is hard for me to pick between Pyromania and Shout at the Devil, but I think Leppard has gain their success with On through the Night, so I decide Motley Crue’s phenomenal album I’m kind a surprise to see the tight results between Maiden’s the Number of the Beast and GNR’s Appetite album, in my opinion Maiden is by far the best and better group than GNR. Musicgoat said:
It is extremely hard to choose between any of these albums. They are all pretty damn good in their own right. I vote for all of them. lémis said:
metallica is full of sh.t !! Filth Montane said:
how in the hell is slayer beating motorhead Nadia said:
Not into metal. The end. D said:
Metallica is winning (I hope) on the strength of all albums prior to the black album. Those albums are better then almost everything else on this list including Ozzy. Of course, after the Black album… they suck. Jim C said:
Why doesn’t anyone ever give more props to Van Halen, especially the Roth yrs? Shit, they were the biggest force in music for a good 4 yrs. No band could make the fierceness and energy they put out. By far the best American rock band listed here. They influenced everyone after them. Oo said:
omfg. megadeth > * Coops said:
I couldn’t decide between Iron Maiden and Guns N Roses. They both rock. Satan said:
BLACK METAL ALL UP YOURS! Satan said:
BLACK METAL ALL UP YOUR ARSES! Joe Pike said:
“Whoa whoa whoa…. black sabbath is beating VH? That’s a rather huge WTF” No, that was an easy one. VH is super overrated. Metallica vs Ozzy. That was Cruel. I agree w/ Meghan. avisioncame said:
I wouldn’t consider some of these bads “metal”. Sure a lot of these bands influenced heavy metal, but are really just hard rock. Whitesnake, Kiss, GnR…not really metal. candyhammer said:
wow– listing Metallica songs doesn’t really seem to contribute anything to the discussion. just saying. Motorhead vs. Slayer is completely ridiculous– like Dallas Cowboys vs. Jack Nichols.. not the same game. Same goes for Ozzy vs. Metallica, really. Douglas said:
Funny that candyhammer should use a sports metaphor when decrying the ridiculous match up of Motorhead vs Slayer. I agree that a lot of the match ups might not make sense, but in sports (especially at the ESPY Awards) these type of comparisons are made all the time (Best Female Athlete, Best Championship Performance), so why not do it with rock and roll? Dill said:
I love how when someone makes a possibly negative comment about metallica fans every metallica fan has to individually back up his right to be a fan. its pretty funny…. and sad. I like them but theyr also very overhyped, theres better bands. Leon said:
Whats the purpose? Twitch said:
Meh. This isn’t the best list in the world, and doesn’t even touch the good metal in the 80s. Testament? Ministry? Death? Bathory? Blind Guardian? Also, like Leon said, what’s with all the glam? This had potential, but doesn’t really deliver. =/ shaun said:
Why is Metallica beating Ozzy? Pj says because “Metallica are far superior”…the proof is right there, the masses are retarded. Ozzy IS far superior to Metallica Arkz said:
ok i voted for metallica over ozzy, i love sabbath but his solo years not so much, plus im not one of those posers, my favorite album is kill them all and i find the black album subpar and i really don’t count anything from there after words, ok i do but not as much. the best years ended when burton died, just because a band sells out or makes ne bad album doesnt mean the old stuff turns to crap isa said:
I sort of agree with Twitch, wtf, where is Death/Bathory/BG/Testament etc? Probably written by someone with only a minimal knowledge of metal music… as evidenced by these ludicrous comparisons. Sush said:
motorhead vs slayer….black sabbath vs Van Halen…IRON MAIDEN vs Guns n roses.I have to choose…..Are you kidding me??? Apathy said:
@Coops. Heh, i had the same problem. Freedom said:
Judas Priest Vs KISS? Creatures is a heavy KISS album, but at that time Ace was out and Judas had a mild hit or two with their album , although I feel it sounds heavier than Judas! Listem to Eric Carr’s drum… Peelee said:
I voted for a lot more American bands than I would have thought, given the choices. Wish I could have gone for GNR, but they were up against Maiden, and if its you vs. Maiden, you invariably lose. Best bands on here, in order, are Maiden, Ozzy, Priest, and Van Halen. Metallica’s good, yeah, really good. But they’re not legendary. Ozzy has had some of the best of the best (for the time period we’re given, he should at least win for teaming up with Randy Rhodes). Van Halen not only had guitar wizardry beyond comparison but also amazing vocals in Roth, even if most of the songs were about sex. Judas Priest nearly single-handedly (well, with Maiden… double-handedly) pioneered speed metal, and their new album, “Nostradamus,” proves that they only get better with age. And Iron Maiden is IRON friggin MAIDEN. Steve Harris is INSANE on the bass; I almost didn’t believe he could fingerstrum THAT DAMN FAST, and he was doing it not four feet in front of me (Madison Square Garden, June 15 - greatest night of my life), Nicko’s drum lines are flat-out ridiculous, Bruce Dickinson is by far the greatest singer in all of rock (along with being a commercial airline pilot for a British airline, and an Olympic fencer…. OK, he’s not an Olympic fencer, because he DECLINED when offered the chance. In other words, he’s better than you in just about every way), and three guitarists laying down surprisingly simple yet fast-as-hell riffs with unbelievable solos, all combining to make pure awesome. Throw in a badass mascot, WAY over-the-top shows with pyros every three songs and four different versions of said badass mascot, including one 24-foot version that walks around onstage, while throwing nearly everything that isn’t nailed down into the crowd at the end (drumsticks, wristbands, caps, guitar picks, the soccerball they played with with when the sound blew at the end of Powerslave till it came back on, a MASSIVE British flag Bruce waved during The Trooper, drumheads that Nicko took off his drum, etc.) and to top it off, a much, MUCH calmer new album, “A Matter of Life and Death,” that still manages to be more badass than any other band on this list, and you have an unbeatable force. As an end note, you haven’t seen sheer force of personality until you’ve seen Bruce Dickinson work a room of 20,000 people with no audio. They didn’t play soccer that whole time, ya know. Shaolin_sKunk said:
No Megadeth love? I’m ashamed of you guys, I don’t care how many fanboys tell me different, Megadeth is infinitely better than Metallica. dudley said:
ozzy & black sabbath = gods of metal Viagra said:
I can not believe Metallica blows Ozzy over by that much. I mean i know that Metallica was great. But, they will never be Ozzy. Sorry guys i strongly disagree with the consensus. Matt said:
This is about the 80s. Ozzy was cool in the 70s when in Black Sabbath. And those complaining about Metallica past the Black Album should remind themselves that Ozzy sold out by becoming a Soap Opera Star. How is that Metal? Slash said:
Iron maiden is a amazing band!! but i dont believe maiden beating guns n roses. In this album guns play welcome to the jungle, and this music rocks!!! Brazilian Headbanger said:
Gun´n´Roses isn´t a Heavy Metal band, it´s a Shit Pop MTV Band! Motorheadbanger! said:
Lemmy IS god!!! Brazillian fucking idiots said:
Guns N’ Rose > Shit Maiden. God I hate that band. I have all their CDs, and even bought some of their DVDs, all trying to force myself to figure out the big deal — didn’t work, they’re shit. And Guns N’ Roses a shit pop MTV band? Get real. MOTLEY-CREW-FANATIC said:
LONG LIVE NIKKI SIXX & MOTLEY CRUE! TIGI BEDHEAD LOVES YOU GUYS! Fonseca said:
I agree: Guns n’ Roses is not a heavy metal band. It’s hard rock. They can never be compared do Maiden, because it’s not the same style… Evan said:
OK, Metallica vs. Ozzy should not really be a vote, because it depends. If you are talking pre-Black album for Metallica, that is one thing. Moreover, are you tlaking about Ozzy with Randy, or the later albums? This is really an unfair vote, since they have both changed over the years. Azzy said:
This is like asking what sort of faggotry you prefer more, every single band here sucks. Timmay said:
This IS kinda silly- Saxon vs Megadeth? Im sure Dave Mustaine would tell you Saxon was Sure, some great American bands- but many were nothing more than Most of the US bands owed their very existence to the UK greats. And yes, I am an American musician. ps said:
Metallica and Ozzy both sold out the same. Fucking Ozzy on a reality show making an ass out of himself… It’s pathetic. And Metallica went too gay during the Load years and becoming MTV whores. Both were gods in their time, but don’t say Metallica sold out and Ozzy didn’t. Ozzfests invite crap MTV Nu-Metal bands all the time, and you say Ozzy didn’t sold out? What a joke. ScabNainz said:
The one that got to me was Slayer vs. Motorhead…War Ensemble vs. Ace of Spades…Tom Araya vs. Lemy…how the fuck am I going to decide? Draco Thatus said:
That’s just not right man… Slayer or Motorhead? It’s a tough decision but if you think about each band’s lyrics and music it becomes easier. Slayer takes on complex topics like serial killers, religion, politics, and war (which is all the same thing), and Motorhead writes songs about squeezing lizards. They are both great bands, don’t get me wrong, sometimes you should have someone that can focus on writing lyrics that are as great as the music. Chris said:
There is one thing missing from this questionnaire: in addition to the 2 bands that are listed, you forgot to add NONE OF THE ABOVEas a selection! For example, Def Leppard vs. Motley Crue? They BOTH suck, so I am anable to answer that question. Def Leppardwasn’t metal, they were just another pop-oriented band that uses an electric guitar; most of their songs were quite sappy, too. Motley Crue was the king of Glam Rock, & they intended to insult the Establishment with their looks rather than focus on writing good music. The same could be said for the Whitesnake vs. Twisted Sister, too: just like Def Leppard, Whitesnake was a prissy-oriented band that appealed to women…while Twisted Sister wore those FUGLY costumes as an attention getter rather than let their music do the talking! Nothing but made-for-radio fake rockers, I would say. How sad. joe said:
actually i voted for metallica for what happened before black, not all the bullshit after, cuz the before still counts. Nobody said:
For God’s sake. It’s not between styles and it’s between countries. :B Nick said:
I know this is late but umm, the morons who said anything about “I bet those who voted Metallica can’t name a single pre-Black album song” are just trying to justify their worthless opinion. I can name not only a single song, but EVERY song before the black album, and almost every song after. Despite their newer albums being nowhere near as good as their old ones (and definitely not metal at all), I’m not one of the jackasses who disowned them for sounding different. After 4 or 5 albums of the same stuff you start to wonder what else you can do, and I respect them for risking it, even if the albums did wind up sucking compared to the old school stuff. Dave said:
It is solo Ozzy vs Metallica. The Four Horsemen > Crazy train. Tai said:
I’ve noticed a lot, not all by far, people here aren’t realizing that this is supposed to be ’80s music… not they’re current shit. So, if Metallica sucks ass now, but was fucking amazing in the ’80’s, and Ozzy sucked in the ’80’s and kicks ass now, then vote for Metallica. I’m not going to say my preferences because I listen to mainly, Sonata Arctica, Angra (Which is actually from Brazil), Stratovarious, Iron Maiden, Dragonforce, and a few others that I have some songs of. So, yeah, consider the albums that were released/made during the ’80s, not their stuff now. And I’ll never return to this site most likely, so if you have something to say to my comment, sucks for you I’ll never read it. John said:
Iron Maiden is the best band of all time. <period. |
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