A lista a seguir foi criada pelo autor do livro The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time, Martin Popoff, editor-chefe e escritor da revista Brave Words & Bloody Knucles e editor principal do site bravewords.com.
O top 500 foi criado a partir de pesquisas com vários fãs de heavy metal, músicos e jornalistas que votaram nos principais álbuns de todos os tempos. Os votos foram analisados e logo após incluidos em um banco de dados que finalmente, criou o ranking final.
Os 100 principais álbuns, conforme o livro, são os seguintes:
100.Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English Or Die"
99. Rush - "2112"
98.Blind Guardian- "Nightfall In Middle-Earth"
97.SAVATAGE- "Hall OfThe Mountain King"
96.AC/DC- "Powerage"
95.FAITH NO MORE- "The Real Thing"
94.SEPULTURA- "Chaos A.D."
93.DEEP PURPLE- "Burn"
92.QUEENSRYCHE- "Empire"
91.UFO- "Strangers In The Night"
90.MOTLEY CRUE- "Too Fast For Love"
89.HELLOWEEN- "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt.1"
88.DEEP PURPLE- "Made In Japan"
87.IRON MAIDEN- "Live After Death"
86.NEVERMORE- "Dead Heart In A Dead World"
85.W.A.S.P.- "W.A.S.P."
84.RAINBOW- "Long Live Rock N' Roll"
83.BLACK SABBATH- "Born Again"
82.AEROSMITH- "Toys In The Attic"
81.FEAR FACTORY- "Demanufacture"
80.LED ZEPPELIN- "Led Zeppelin"
79.JUDAS PRIEST- "Killing Machine"
78.SCORPIONS- "Blackout"
77.EXODUS- "Bonded By Blood"
76.RIOT- "Fire Down Under"
75.RUSH- "Moving Pictures"
74.PANTERA- "Far Beyond Driven"
73.DIO- "The Last In Line"
72.BRUCE DICKINSON- "Accident Of Birth"
71.AEROSMITH- "Rocks"
70.IRON MAIDEN- "Somewhere In Time"
69.MERCYFUL FATE- "Melissa"
68.TWISTED SISTER- "Stay Hungry"
67.SEPULTURA- "Arise"
66.CARCASS- "Heartwork"
65.METAL CHURCH- "Metal Church"
64.KISS- "Destroyer"
63.IRON MAIDEN- "Iron Maiden"
62.JUDAS PRIEST- "Defenders Of The Faith"
61.BRUCE DICKINSON- "The Chemical Wedding"
60.PANTERA- "Cowboys From Hell"
59.LED ZEPPELIN- "II"
58.ACCEPT- "Balls To The Wall"
57.SLAYER- "Hell Awaits"
56.IRON MAIDEN- "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"
55.DEF LEPPARD- "Pyromania"
54.KING DIAMOND- "Abigail"
53.MEGADETH- "Countdown To Extinction"
52.ALICE IN CHAINS- "Dirt"
51.JUDAS PRIEST- "Stained Class"
50.VENOM- "Black Metal"
49.ANTHRAX- "Among The Living"
48.LED ZEPPELIN- "Physical Graffiti"
47.DREAM THEATER- "Images And Words"
46.BLACK SABBATH- "Vol. 4"
45.BLACK SABBATH- "Mob Rules"
44.SLAYER- "South Of Heaven"
43.MOTORHEAD- "Ace Of Spades"
42.JUDAS PRIEST- "Unleashed In The East"
41.KISS- "Alive!"
40.BLACK SABBATH- "Sabotage"
39.RAINBOW- "Rising"
38.DEEP PURPLE- "In Rock"
37.ACCEPT- "Restless And Wild"
36.HELLOWEEN- "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt.2"
35.MERCYFUL FATE- "Don't Break The Oath"
34.JUDAS PRIEST- "Sad Wings Of Destiny"
33.BLACK SABBATH- "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
32.IRON MAIDEN- "Killers"
31.MEGADETH- "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?"
30.LED ZEPPELIN- "IV"
29.OZZY OSBOURNE- "Diary Of A Madman"
28.SLAYER- "Seasons In The Abyss"
27.METALLICA- "Metallica"
26.JUDAS PRIEST- "Painkiller"
25.BLACK SABBATH- "Master Of Reality"
24.DEEP PURPLE- "Machine Head"
23.AC/DC- "Highway To Hell"
22.MOTLEY CRUE- "Shout At The Devil"
21.JUDAS PRIEST- "British Steel"
20.PANTERA- "Vulgar Display Of Power"
19.METALLICA- "...And Justice For All"
18.METALLICA- "Kill 'Em All"
17.DIO- "Holy Diver"
16.BLACK SABBATH- "Heaven And Hell"
15.QUEENSRYCHE- "Operation:Mindcrime"
14.BLACK SABBATH- "Black Sabbath"
13.IRON MAIDEN- "Powerslave"
12.JUDAS PRIEST- "Screaming For Vengeance"
11.MEGADETH- "Rust in Peace"
10.GUNS N' ROSES- "Appetite For Destruction"
09.VAN HALEN- "Van Halen"
08.IRON MAIDEN- "Piece Of Mind"
07.OZZY OSBOURNE- "Blizzard Of Ozz"
06.BLACK SABBATH- "Paranoid"
05.AC/DC- "Back In Black"
04.METALLICA- "Ride The Lightning"
03.SLAYER- "Reign In Blood"
02.IRON MAIDEN- "Number Of The Beast"
01.METALLICA- "Master Of Puppets"
Fonte: Metal Clube