10 Essential Rock + Metal Records Every New Vinyl Collector Should Own
Starting a record collection, but don't know which albums to buy first? Here are 10 essential rock and metal records every new vinyl collector should own.
By the late '80s, vinyl sales started to decrease due to the growing popularity of CDs, according to the American Enterprise Institute. But LPs are now the leading tangible music format again — a report by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) states that 43.6 million EPs and LPs were purchased in 2024 in the U.S. alone, up from 10.3 million back in 2014.
So whether you're looking to beef up your current collection or are just starting out and need some pointers, we've got you covered.
Below, we listed 10 rock and metal albums we firmly believe every rock and metal fan should own a copy of. Underneath the album art is a list of the key tracks on the album so that you can see why we chose them, as well as a link to purchase them through Loudwire's online vinyl store.
We tried to include a little bit of everything — a little classic rock and metal, thrash, grunge, nu-metal — so that there's something for fans of all different styles. You'll see releases by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, Pantera and some others.
Happy listening!
Led Zeppelin, IV (1971)
Key Tracks: "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," "When the Levee Breaks"
Black Sabbath, Master of Reality (1971)
Key Tracks: "Sweet Leaf," "Children of the Grave," "Into the Void"
Van Halen, Van Halen (1978)
Key Tracks: "Runnin' With the Devil," "Eruption/You Really Got Me," "Jamie's Cryin'"
READ MORE: 25 Essential Rock + Metal '90s Albums to Pass on to Your Children
AC/DC, Highway to Hell (1979)
Key Tracks: "Highway to Hell," "Girls Got Rhythm," "Touch Too Much"
Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast (1982)
Key Tracks: "The Number of the Beast," "Run to the Hills," "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
Metallica, Ride the Lightning (1984)
Key Tracks: "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Fade to Black," "Creeping Death"
Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Key Tracks: "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Paradise City"
Alice In Chains, Dirt (1992)
Key Tracks: "Them Bones," "Down in a Hole," "Rooster"
Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Key Tracks: "Walk," "Fucking Hostile," "This Love"
Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory (2000)
Key Tracks: "Papercut," "Crawling," "In the End"
The Best Hard Rock Album of Each Year Since 1970
Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
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