100 Greatest Hard Rock Albums

As I have noticed a pattern in VH1's "Greatest " series, beginning with the 100 Greatest Artists of Rock and Roll, followed by 100 Greatest Songs, then Hard Rock Artists, then Greatest Albums and most recently the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs (a very questionable list full of poor taste), I wish to bet VH1 to the punch on making a list of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Albums.

Defining "hard rock" is not too difficult of a task, as anything that's loud and hard and rock is hard rock.

Defining a good album is not as easy of a task and picking 100 out of several hundred that come to mind is very hard. I will try to make the list as diverse as possible by not allowing any seniority for any band or album to influence it's ranking and limit the number of albums per artist. Also, I will try to be as objective as possible and limit the influence of my personal taste. This means Metallica, Guns N Roses and Def Leppard will be on the list.


100. Gretchen Goes to Nebraska- King's X (1989)
99. Never Turn Your Back On A Friend - Budgie (1973)
98. Burn My Eyes - Machine Head (1994)
97. Bricks are Heavy - L7 (1993)
96. Stay Hungry - Twisted Sister (1984)
95. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche (1988)
94. Desolation Boulevard - Sweet (1971)
93. James Gang Rides Again - James Gang (1970)
92. Tyranny and Mutation - Blue Oyster Cult (1972)
91. Eliminator - Z.Z. Top (1983)
90. Album - Joan Jett (1983)
89. Vulgar Display of Power - Pantera (1992)
88. Love It To Death - Alice Cooper (1971)
87. Frances the Mute - The Mars Volta (2005)
86. Psalm 69 - Ministry (1992)
85. Cocked and Loaded - L.A. Guns (1989)
84. Cheap Thrills - Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
83. Aenima - Tool (1996)
82. Suzi Quatro - Suzi Quatro (1973)
81. Lullabies to Paralyze - Queens of the Stone Age (2005)
80. Strange Days - The Doors (1967)
79. Atomizer - Big Black (1986)
78. High Voltage - AC/DC (1976)
77. Master of Reality - Black Sabbath (1972)
76. Houdini - The Melvins (1993)
75. Balls to the Wall - Accept (1986)
74. Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails (1989)
73. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
72. Vitalogy - Pearl Jam (1994)
71. Antichrist Superstar - Marilyn Manson (1995)
70. Hysteria - Def Leppard (1987)
69. They Only Come Out at Night - Edgar Winter Group (1972)
68. All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople (1972)
67. Whitesnake - Whitesnake (1987)
66. Fun House - The Stooges (1970)
65. Destroyer - Kiss (1976)
64. Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991)
63. Rust in Peace - Megadeth (1992)
62. Among the Living- Anthrax (1987)
61. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath (1981)
60. 1984 - Van Halen (1984)
59. Pearl - Janis Joplin (1970)
58. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf (1977)
57. Diary of a Madman - Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
56. Demons and Wizards - Uriah Heep (1972)
55. Reign in Blood - Slayer (1986)
54. In Utero - Nirvana (1993)
53. Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy (1976)
52. Dookie - Green Day (1994)
51. Sheer Heart Attack - Queen (1974)
50. Bad Co. - Bad Company (1975)
49. Secret Treaties - Blue Oyster Cult (1974)
48. Spiderland - Slint (1991)
47. Day Dream Nation - Sonic Youth (1988)
46. Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd (1967)
45. Kill 'em All - Metallica (1983)
44. Dirt - Alice in Chains (1992)
43. Dr. Feelgood - Motley Crue (1989)
42. Elephant - The White Stripes (2004)
41. Dreamboat Annie - Heart (1976)
40. Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin (1973)
39. Superunknown - Soundgarden (1994)
38. Ride the Lightning - Metallica (1984)
37. Damaged - Black Flag (1982)
36. Never Mind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
35. Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979)
34. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC (1976)
33. The Clash - The Clash (1977)
32. Disraeli Gears - Cream (1966)
31. Holy Diver - Dio (1982)
30. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - Smashing Pumpkins (1995)
29. Truth - Jeff Beck (1968)
28. Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin (1976)
27. Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith (1976)
26. Badmotorfinger - Soundgarden (1991)
25. Vincebus Eruptum - Blue Cheer (1968)
24. Moving Pictures - Rush (1981)
23. Machine Head - Deep Purple (1972)
22. Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne (1980)
21. Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson (1969)
20. A Night at the Opera - Queen (1975)
19. Aqualung - Jethro Tull (1971)
18. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)
17. Boston - Boston (1976)
16. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
15. Pyromania - Def Leppard (1983)
14. Raw Power - The Stooges (1973)
13. Nevermind - Nirvana (1991)
12. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin (1971)
11. Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)
10. Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden (1982)
9. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969)
8. Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)
7. Who's Next? - The Who (1971)
6. Back in Black - AC/DC (1980)
5. Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin (1969)
4. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N Roses (1987)
3. Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970)
2. The Wall - Pink Floyd (1979)
1. Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix (1967)