10 Most Underrated Megadeth Songs

Headbangers is their business... and business is good.

By John Cunningham /

When it comes to turning lemons into lemonade, there are few better musical examples than Metallica firing lead guitarist Dave Mustaine.

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The red-headed wild man didn't even make it onto Metallica's debut album and was, like anyone would be, devastated by the setback. Determined to stick it out and pursue his metal icon dreams still, he formed Megadeth, an epic group that have more than given James Hetfield and co. a run for their money over the years.

On a technical level, few thrash bands have ever reached the creativity, top tier riffs and complexities that Megadeth have. Their songs have ranged from blisteringly fast to staggeringly epic, all while displaying the kind of guitar shredding goodness most can barely even dream of putting together.

Lyrically, Dave Mustaine has consistently provided the right kind of bad attitude for the group's ear-wrecking sound. Topics have ranged from the political to Marvel characters like The Punisher. No matter the story being told, the intensity is always cranked up to 11.

With more than 30 years of causing chaos behind them, the group have a countless litany of awesome tracks and albums to sift through. Such a staggering output of work, however, can lead to certain songs not quite securing the praise they deserve. Here are 10 such gems.

10. 13

For those unsure, 'Th1rt3en' was Megadeth's thirteenth album. If only they'd provided some clue...

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The titular track is one of the best on the 2011 release. Mustaine himself has often believed 13 to be his number thanks to, among other things, his birthday (September 13). The track provides multiple takes on the traditionally unlucky number in a song focused on the history of the band.

Founding member and bassist Dave Ellefson returned after a 10 year hiatus from the group here. He doesn't miss a step either, providing an on point backbone to both Chris Broderick's slick acoustics and Mustaine's searing chords. The song builds at a slow burning pace, ultimately reaching a grand scale climax that perfectly caps off both the track and the album as a whole.

One of the strongest entries in Megadeth's later years, 'Th1rt3en' has a titular track that deserves far more of a look-in than it has received. One can't help but feel that a singles release would've done the trick. This tune is considerably more eyebrow-raising than safer options like 'Public Enemy No.1' that were given the music video treatment instead.

'13' is an especially strong example of Megadeth's explosive abilities and attitude through the years.

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