10 Best Metal Albums For Non-Metal Heads

At the start of the '80s, metal's distinctive look was to be found in England. Before the hair metal movement was getting underway, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was erupting from Europe, bringing with it classic acts like Diamond Head and Iron Maiden. Then again, that kind of aggression was never going to find its way into the top charts...until Def Leppard came along.

While Leppard's first few records were a lot more metallic than Pyromania, this is what really gave them their pop appeal. On every single track, Leppard worked with pop producer Mutt Lange to deliver some of the most infectious music to ever have the term metal associated with it. As opposed to your standard metal record that pummels you over the head with riffs, there's an oddly calculated nature to this record, with every instrument dialed in to hit at the exact right time.

Even though it may be considered a cardinal sin, this record has a lot of great vocal harmony work too, as each member pushes their voice to create an amazing wall of sound for you to take in. Whether it's the deep cuts of Billy's Got a Gun or the mainstream smash of Photograph, the whole album sounds like what Queen would do if they were forced to make a metal record. It might not be the heaviest thing out there, but you wouldn't find too many people who can really say anything bad about this piece of metal brilliance.