15. Ozzy Osbourne- Diary of a Madman(1981)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking

Ozzy Osbourne makes his second appearance in my series as a solo artist, and his fourth overall considering the two Black Sabbath albums I have ranked so far, with Diary of a Madman,  so here comes my usual ranking/rating, followed by more comments and thoughts:

8. Little Dolls- 8(Solid)

7.Believer- 8.5(Very Good)

6. Flying High Again- 9(Great)

5. S.A.T.O.- 9

4. Tonight- 9.5(Fantastic)

3. You Can't Kill Rock'n'Roll- 9.5

2. Over the Mountain- 10(Stellar)

1. Diary of a Madman- 10

ALBUM RATING: 9.18

Ozzy's sophomore solo album includes a series of outstabding tunes, and at the top of everything lies the title track, an ambițios, epic masterpiece with progressive elements, and a highly emotional middle section which sends shivers down my spine every time I hear the song, it's a beautiful piece of music which illustrates the inner turmoil of the protagonist, "the madman", no other than Ozzy himself.

The second perfect song for me on this amazing record, Over the Mountain, opns the album in full strength with a great drum intro and an awesome guitar riff. It's brilliant, catchy, dynamic and it includes an exceptional guitar solo from Rhandy Rhoades- it really makes you feel like flying high over a big mountain!

For the 3rd and 4th place I picked two slower, but also memorable tunes- You Can't Kill Rock'n'Roll and Tonight- which convey a lot of emotion and have remarkable choruses, which stick to my mind for quite a while after hearing them. 

Unlike Ozzy's debut solo album, which contains a track I'm not particularly fond of(read my ranking of Blizzard of Ozz and you will find out which one), here I enjoy every single track, so its high rating of 9.18 isn't surprising at all, placing it clearly above Ozzy's debut, which got a rating of 8.87, and allowing it ți make its way into my top 5 of the 15 records ranked so far. The high raking of Diary of a Madman is an obvious testimony of the brilliance of Ozzy's early solo work as it certified his return to the big league of hard rock/heavy metal giants, and he îs destined to remain there forever!

13. Metallica- Ride the Lightning(1984)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

The almighty Metallica is the second band(after Black Sabbath) to be featured for the second time in my ranking series with- you guessed- its second album, Ride the Lightning, so here is how I rate and rank the tracks from this legendary record:

8. Escape- 7.5(Good)

7. Trapped under Ice- 8(Solid)

6. The Call of Ktulu- 8.5(Very Good)

5. Fade to Black- 9.5(Fantastic)

4. For Whom the Bell Tolls- 9.5

3. Ride the Lightning- 9.5

2. Fight Fire with Fire- 10(Stellar)

1. Creeping Death- 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.06

Once again, the difference between the top 5 tracks on this super album is extremely small for me, but it appears that Creeping Death has wom the battle for my favourite track not only from Ride the Lightning, but- spoiler alert- from the entire Metallica catalogue. How could I not adore such a monstruos track with incredible riffs, a great bridge, fabulous guitar solos and deep biblically-related lyrics? This track has it all, so at least for the time being it has no challenger for the position of greatest Metallica track!

The positions from 2 to 5 have constantly switched throughout the years. Fight Fire with Fire currently occupies the honourable second place thanks to its sheer ferocity and breakneck speed, it's definitely the heaviest song on an already really heavy record! 

The title track takes the bronze medal, followed closely by the hits For Whom the Bell Tolls and Fade to Black. There's so much greatness în. these tunes that I feel tempted to rank'em all in 3rd place, but there has to be a separation, and the fact is enjoy Ride the Lightning slightly more than the other two tracks due to its Foster tempo, remarkable chorus and the fantastic guitar parts from the second half of the song.

As for the other 3 songs, I can briefly say that The Call of Ktulu is a cool instrumental, Trapped under Ice a solid, fast-paced thrasher, and Escape is a pretty good track as well, so obviously there are no skippable moments on Ride the Lightning.

So, is RTL my favourite Metallica record? Its overall rating of 9.06 place it incredibly close ahead of Kill'em All, which has 9.05, so basically they are equal for me, but there are a still a couple of top notch albums to be ranked in the nearby future(it's easy to guess which ones)  so after rating and ranking them as well I will have a clear picture of my favourite Metallica records.

To sum it all up, Ride the Lightning is a superb album, showing the prowess of a young band destined to conquer the world, a record I will never ever stop listening to with immense pleasure!

11. Black Sabbath- Paranoid(1970)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

Black Sabbath, the true inventors of heavy metal, are the first band to have a second album ranked in my series. It's also their sophomore album, also released in 1970, am extremely prolific ear for a band eager to make its uniquely heavy music for that time known to the world, so did it manage to get a higher score than 8.62, the overall rating of their self-titled debut? Here comes the answer:

8. Rat Salad- 8(solid)

7. Planet Caravan- 8

6. Iron Man- 8.5(very good)

5. Paranoid- 9(great)

4. Han of Doom- 9.5(fantastic)

3. Fairies Wear Boots- 9.5

2. Electric Funeral- 9.5

1. War Pigs- 10(stellar)

Overall Rating: 9.00

Out of the three hits still heavily played on the radios, there is one I still can't grow tired of: War Pigs, the perfect anti-war song, with its heavily slow pace, crushing riffs and outstanding lyrics that will remain relevant for as long as there are wars on Earth and crazy rulers starting them, gets a well-deserved 10 and the undisputed winning slot.

The other two hits, Paranoid and Iron Man, although highly enjoyable as well for their iconic riffs and catchy melodies, didn't reach my top 3 because they were outtaken by the sheer complexitate and musical prowess of tracks ranked 2 to 4. Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots and Hand of Doom are all remarkable, doomy tracks that seem to be way ahead of them. Ranking them was quite hard because I find them almost equally great, so their positions are interchangeable.

Paranoid definitely represents an impro event from Black Sabbath's strong debut and also a hugely influential record, especially for the genre of doom metal. Many people see it as their best record, but it definitely has some contenders for that honourable title in other 70s Ozzy-era works as well în the 80s shorter Dio period, but one thing is undeniable: it's a timeless record that will live in the hearts of rock music fans for centuries to come!

10. Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power(1992)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

My ranking journey continues wih my first plunge into groove metal and its most famous reprezentative, the mighty Pantera. Here is my rating and ranking of the tracks from one of the Texan band's most successful albums, Vulgar Display of Power:

11. Rise- 8(solid)

10. No Good(Attack the Radical)- 8.5(very good)

   9. Live in a Hole- 8.5

   8. Regular People(Conceit)- 9(great)

   7. F***ing Hostile- 9

   6. This Love- 9

   5. Walk- 9

   4. Hollow- 9.5(fantastic)

   3. By Demons Be Driven- 9.5

   2. A New Level- 10(stellar)

   1. Mouth for War- 10

    OVERALL RATING: 9.09

   

The two masterful tracks which are 10 out of 10 for me, Mouth for War and A New Level, are interchangeable. They are both super heavy, have outstanding riffs and guitar solos, and they are empowering tunes, perfect to listen whenever you need to boost your morale and find that remarkable combination of strength and determination that only great metal songs can generate.

By Demons Be Driven lands in 3rd place thanks mostly to its fabulous chorus, while the semi-ballads Hollow and This Love get really high marks as they Pantera's somewhat more melancholic side, but they still have kickass heavy parts which are in great contrast with the slower, ballady sections.

As for Walk, probably Pantera's biggest "hit", it's only in 5th place on my list because it's less complex than the tracks above it, but still its main riff and anthemic chorus stick to my mind for quite a while after hearing it.

There are obviously no bad tracks on this awesome album, a unique blend of energy, agression and catchiness. No wonder it helped Pantera become hugely popular and carry on the flag of heavy music during the 90s, a dark period for metal otherwise. Vulgar Display of Power remains for me an essential listen, a staple of groove, thrashy metal which I will always enjoy hearing from top to bottom!

6. Deep Purple- In Rock(1970)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

For the sixth episode of my rating/ranking series I go back in time to the year 1970 when, in addition to Black Sabbath's debut, another huge name from the world of hard rock released a special album, so here's my ranking of the tracks from Deep Purple's fourth studio album, 'In Rock':

7. Livin' Wreck- 8(solid)

6. Hard Lovin' Man- 8.5(very good)

5. Flight of the Rat- 9(great)

4. Into the Fire- 9.5(fantastic)

3. Bloodsucker- 9.5

2. Speed King- 9.5

1. Child in Time- 10(stellar)

OVERALL RATING- 9.14

Only seven songs on this album, but a strong tracklist! The Number 1 spot could only belong to 'Child in Time', a truly timeless masterpiece, one of the most beautiful, dramatic and touching Rock songs ever made! It's a 10-minute ride on a rollercoaster of emotions culminating with the final  fast section and Ian Gillan's haunting screams towards the end.

The next positions on my list belong to hard, dynamic, energetic bangers 'Speed King', 'Bloodsucker' and 'Into the Fire.' They all rock hard and may be seen as early heavy metal tunes, although the band doesn't want to be included in that category, but the influence of a track like 'Speed King' on the birth and evolution of 

genres like speed and thrash metal is undeniable.

The rest of the songs are also quite remarkable, so obviously there is no skippable track, and the album's overall rating- a very high 9.14- places it in the first position among the 6 records I analyzed so far, but a lot more will follow and it's interesting to see how long will Deep Purple manage to keep its leading spot.

Deep Purple's 'In Rock' is a breakthrough album, and a perfect illustration of this legendary British band's influence on the growth of hard rock and heavy metal. The  members of the band at that time- Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice- should have their faces carved forever on the Pantheon of rock music. They definitely earned their place in the hearts of millions of fans with this masterpiece, among other great works!

Ranking Rock/Metal Albums: #4. Metallica- Kill'em All(1983)

My rock/metal album ranking/rating series continues with the debut of no other than the biggest band of the planet, Metallica, so here comes my track ranking and rating:

 10. (Anesthesia)- Pulling Teeth- 8(solid)

    9. Phantom Lord- 8

    8. Hit The Lights- 8.5(very good)

    7. Metal Militia- 9(great)

    6. Jump in the Fire- 9

    5. Motorbreath- 9

    4. Seek & Destroy- 9.5(fantastic)

    3. The Four Horsemen- 9.5

    2. No Remorse- 10(stellar)

    1. Whiplash- 10

    OVERALL RATING: 9.05

    The fourth album in my series is also the first one with no song whose rating goes lower than 8, which says a lot about how much I love this album.

    The breakneck pace and crushing inensity of 'Whiplash' have made it my favorite track, although 'No Remorse', with its incredible riffs, outstanding soros and great chorus is also a strong candidate for the first place, and the epicness of 'The Four Horsemen', another absolute banger, has installed it in third position, ahead if mid tempo, anthemic rockers like 'Seek & Destroy' and 'Jump in the Fire'. Anyway, no weak track whatsoever, so my ranking can change at any time, and lower placed tunes can also advance in my hierarchy in the future.

'Kill'em All', with its raw, fierce sound and sheer, youthful energy, remains an essential  album, whose influence on the growth of speed and thrash metal is massive. It will always have its place in my playlists and my heart!

Ranking Rock/Metal Albums: #3. Iron Maiden- The Number of the Beast(1982)

The mighty Iron Maiden makes its debut in Episode 3 of my series dedicated to rock and metal albums with 'The Number of the Beast', Bruce Dickinson's introduction to the band, so here is my ranking of the songs:

8. Invaders- 7(OK)

7. Gangland- 7

6. Run To The Hills- 8.5(very good)

5. The Number of the Beast- 9(great)

4. The Prisoner- 9

3. Children of the Damned- 9

2. 22 Acacia Avenue- 9.5(fantastic)

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name- 10(stellar)

OVERALL RATING: 8.62

'Hallowed Be Thy Name', a 7-minute long masterpiece with mind-blowing guitarwork and the fabulous voice of Bruce Dickinson impersonating a man who is meditating on his life as he  is about to be sent to the gallows, is simply Maiden at its finest hour and one of my favorite tunes of all time. 

'22 Acacia Avenue' occupies the second place maybe because it's more complex and interesting than the two well-known singles of the album, the title track and 'Run To The Hills', while ' Children of the Damned', a slower, ballady, beautiful track, also managed to reach of my top 3 ahead of the aforementioned hits, which, along with 'The Prisoner', are obviously not bad either. On the contrary, they are catchy tunes with singalong choruses that also got high ratings from me.

There are, however, two tracks, 'Invaders' and 'Gangland', which I don't find bad, but which don't excite me either. It was quite hard for me to decide which one of these two tracks should take the last spot, but I finally chose 'Invaders' because I think it was a weaker chorus than 'Gangland'.

To summarise, 'The Number of the Beast' is definitely a classic Iron Maiden album, just like basically all their works from the 80s, and even if it has a couple of less impressive songs, I still enjoy it a lot and I frequently listen to it with great pleasure!

Ranking Rock/Metal Albums: #2. AC/DC- Back in Black(1980)

The second episode of my rock/metal albums  exploration is dedicated to the classical 'Back in Black', the first AC/DC album after the premature death of Bon Scott and the introduction of Brian Johson as the new lead singer, so here is ranking and rating of the 10 tracks:

10. Givin the Dog a Bone- 7.5(good)

   9. Shake a Leg- 8(solid)

   8. Have a Drink on Me- 8.5(very good)

   7. Shoot to Thrill- 8.5

   6. You Shook Me All Night Long- 8.5

   5. What Do You Do For Money Honey- 9(great)

   4. Let Me Put My Love Into You- 9

   3. Rock'n'Roll Ain't Noise Pollution- 9

   2. Back In Black- 9.5(fantastic)

   1. Hells Bells- 10(stellar)   

    OVERALL RATING: 8.75

 I don't think there's anything left to say about the greatness of 'Hells Bells' and ' Back in Black', two touching tributes to the late Bon Scott, and undoubtedly some of the most memorable songs in the AC/DC catalogue. ' Rock'n'Roll Ain't Noise Pollution', a slower anthem whose message is as relevant as it was in 1980, gets the bronze medal from me, and as for the big hit 'You Shook Me All Night Long', I generally skip it when it appears in my playlists because of the overplayed factor, but if I listen to it once in a while I enjoy its feel good vibe.

As a conclusion, 'Back in Black' is undoubtedly one of the greatest hard rock albums ever made, a fantastic tribute to the one and only Bon Scott and at the same time of the Brian Johnson era, which continues to this day. Rock on wherever you are!