10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of The 80s

Metallica is undeniably one of the premier acts of the 80's hard rock scene. Even though the band didn't hit their commercial peak until the 90's rolled around, the band already had an arena-sized following before they even had a radio hit. Though people single out Master of Puppets as the band's definitive statement, Ride the Lightning is the true blend of musical sophistication and thrash metal venom.

You know what you're in for from the very start of the album, which goes from a classical guitar intro to maniacal power chords on "Fight Fire with Fire." The band never lets up from there, as they deliver some of their heaviest material on "Trapped Under Ice" and the ominous instrumental "The Call of Ktulu." While every band member is fantastic on this record, the entire album owes a lot to bassist Cliff Burton, whose trademark basslines became the major hooks of songs like "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

Foreshadowing where they would go in the future, "Fade to Black" is the first of the band's softer songs while containing a suicidal subject matter. There may be better songs on later Metallica releases, but this record is the pure distillation of what made the band better than the rest.