The Greatest Metal Anthems of All Time
Ranked and Debated
We may earn an affiliate commission if you make a purchase after clicking on links from our site. Learn more
Help Support Metal Nerdery https://www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast
Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, or wherever you get your Podcasts.
Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182
Follow us on the Socials:
Facebook - Instagram - TikTok
Can’t be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify
Metal Nerdery Munchies on YouTube
What separates a great metal song from a great metal anthem? Simple. An anthem is the one where you don't even need to announce it — the first note hits and 20,000 people lose their minds simultaneously. "Orion" is a masterpiece. It is not an anthem. "Enter Sandman" is an anthem. Know the difference? Good. Let's rank them.
What Makes a Metal Anthem?
A great song and a great anthem are not the same thing. An anthem requires three things: an immediately recognizable opening, a moment the crowd can participate in, and the ability to cross demographic lines. The test is simple — can a non-metal fan hum it? If yes, you might have an anthem. If 20,000 people scream it back at the band every single night, you definitely do.
Metal anthems also carry a weight that regular songs don't. They become tied to memories, to generations, to specific moments in people's lives. When "Paranoid" kicks in at a party, it doesn't matter if you're a metalhead or not — everyone reacts. That's the power of a true anthem.
The Undisputed Mt. Rushmore
These are the four nobody argues about. The conversation starts after these.
The Next Tier — All Legitimate Anthem Arguments
Anthems by Decade
1970s — Where It All Started
The decade metal was born. The anthems are foundational.
- Black Sabbath — "War Pigs" — the greatest antiwar metal song ever written. Iommi's opening riff sounds like the end of the world.
- Led Zeppelin — "Whole Lotta Love" — the riff that defined heavy before anyone had the word for it.
- Deep Purple — "Smoke on the Water" — possibly the most-learned guitar riff in history. A cultural anthem beyond metal.
- Motörhead — "Ace of Spades" — simple, brutal, perfect. Lemmy's most defining moment.
1980s — Metal's Greatest Decade
More consensus anthems produced in one decade than any other. The 80s wins on volume.
- AC/DC — "Back in Black" — the greatest comeback anthem in rock history.
- Judas Priest — "Breaking the Law" — "Breaking the WHAT?!" Every crowd in every country completes that sentence.
- Ozzy — "Crazy Train" — Randy Rhoads' gift to the world.
- Iron Maiden — "The Number of the Beast" — the PMRC's worst nightmare. The crowd's greatest dream.
- Metallica — "Master of Puppets" — the greatest thrash anthem ever recorded.
- Slayer — "Raining Blood" — the most extreme thing on mainstream metal radio in 1986.
- Twisted Sister — "We're Not Gonna Take It" — written as a joke. Now played at sporting events worldwide. The accidental anthem that outlived its genre.
1990s — Two Worlds Collide
Grunge and metal coexisted and both produced massive anthems. The decade's most divisive debate: does "Smells Like Teen Spirit" count?
- Metallica — "Enter Sandman" — the crossover moment. Metal going truly mainstream.
- Pantera — "Walk" — the groove metal anthem. "RE-SPECT!"
- Soundgarden — "Black Hole Sun" — Cornell's voice over one of the strangest, most hypnotic riffs of the decade.
- Nirvana — "Smells Like Teen Spirit" — the most divisive anthem in this list. Greatest rock anthem of the decade AND the song that commercially killed metal simultaneously. Both things are true.
- Judas Priest — "Painkiller" — the greatest late-career metal anthem ever. Scott Travis's drumming redefined what metal could be.
2000s — Fragmentation and New Heroes
Metal splits into a hundred subgenres but some songs still break through to everyone.
- System of a Down — "Chop Suey!" — Rolling Stone's pick for greatest metal song ever. Debate that all you want.
- Slipknot — "Before I Forget" — Grammy winner. The song that proved Slipknot could write a genuine anthem without sacrificing their identity.
- DragonForce — "Through the Fire and Flames" — Guitar Hero made this known to a generation who'd never heard power metal. The accidental anthem of the decade.
The Accidental Anthems — Songs That Became Bigger Than Anyone Intended
Twisted Sister — "We're Not Gonna Take It" — Dee Snider wrote it as a joke parody of a nursery rhyme. Now played at political rallies, sporting events, and graduations worldwide. He did not see that coming.
Def Leppard — "Pour Some Sugar on Me" — didn't chart when it was first released. A year later it was inescapable and has been played at every strip club, sporting event, and wedding everywhere on earth ever since.
Metallica — "Master of Puppets" via Stranger Things — a 1986 album cut that had never been a single suddenly charted for the first time in 2022 after Eddie Munson's Upside Down guitar scene. The greatest accidental comeback of any anthem ever.
DragonForce — "Through the Fire and Flames" via Guitar Hero — became famous to millions of people who had never heard power metal and never would have sought it out. A video game made this an anthem. Metal is everywhere.
🥊 "Paranoid" vs "Master of Puppets" — which is the greatest metal anthem ever?
Paranoid reaches further — everyone knows it regardless of whether they like metal. Master of Puppets is the greater song. Which quality matters more for anthem status — reach or depth? This is the core debate of the episode.
🤔 Does "Smells Like Teen Spirit" belong on this list?
It's the greatest rock anthem of the 90s. It also commercially killed metal's mainstream moment. You can hate what it did AND respect what it is. The most complicated anthem in rock history.
🎸 "Enter Sandman" vs "Master of Puppets" — Metallica's greatest anthem?
Enter Sandman reaches more people. Master is the more significant song. Hetfield has said Enter Sandman almost didn't make the Black Album. Imagine that world.
📱 Is it still possible to create a true metal anthem in the streaming era?
An anthem needs mass consensus. Streaming creates micro-communities. Sleep Token's "The Summoning" went from 280k to 2 million monthly listeners overnight — is that the new anthem model? Or has the era of the true metal anthem passed?
🏆 What's the ONE song you'd play to convert a non-metal fan?
The ultimate test of an anthem. Not your favourite metal song — the one with the best chance of making someone who doesn't like metal understand why you do. Our answer is on the episode. What's yours?
- The definition: An anthem is a song the entire crowd sings back at the band without being asked
- The test: Can a non-metal fan hum it?
- "Paranoid" was written in: 20 minutes — as filler
- "Master of Puppets" certifications: 8× Platinum — with zero radio airplay
- Most accidental anthem: "We're Not Gonna Take It" — written as a joke
- Best Guitar Hero anthem: "Through the Fire and Flames" — power metal via video game
- The most complicated anthem: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" — greatest rock anthem of the 90s AND the song that killed metal's commercial moment simultaneously
Related Metal Nerdery Episodes
Whether it’s the song we all rise for at sports ball events, the first song on Rush’s “Fly By Night” album (not to mention the first song on Anthrax’s EP of classic rock covers), or the sing-along, encore at the end of a rock show, ANTHEMS represent a clarion call, a rallying cry that unites fans in unspeakable joy, unity, and celebration. It’s almost always the song that EVERYONE knows (even your grandmother) and is very much NOT a deep cut.
In fact, ANTHEMS are those kinds of songs where, if you hear one in a public place: at a bar, a restaurant, the grocery store, or a friend’s party, you’re not going to NOT like it. Sure, it’s probably the most well-known, popular, played into the ground, mainstream “hit” that EVERYONE (again, probably even your grandmother) is familiar with, but no matter what song it is or where you might hear it, ANTHEMS are guaranteed to get you fired up, lift your spirit, and bring a smile to your face.
Find out what’s happening “THIS FRIDAY”, realize that birthdays are the anniversaries of life, and JOIN US for a Bunkerpoon birthday celebration full of cake, refreshments, and good cheer as we cuss and discuss the unifying power behind rock and metal ANTHEMS.
Show Notes:
(00:01): “I think I just turned it up…”/ “I’m upright and taking nourishment…”/
“I’ll give myself the bean…”/ “I’ll put it wherever you want…you want it on the inside or the outside?” / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** / #keepitthrashy / “Maybe he just unlocked another dimension with his weed…”/ “Dr. Pepper, Captain Morgan, and PB&J’s…”/ #yeah / #McDonalds #DirtyDrPepper #Rim / “Was the rim the best part?” / “If you have foam down there, you should really go see your doctor…to have him finish you to completion…”/ ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST AND THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE!!!*** / #happybirthday / #birthdayepisode / “I eat once a day…I’m the lightest I’ve been in 3 years…”/ “A handful of food, 5 times a day…”/ #cavemandiet / “Fasting is the way…”/ “Now they’re saying that sugar is WORSE than heroin…”/ “It’s all mental…”
(07:37): ***PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast *** / #SpiritInTheSky /
“I was looking at the name: I thought it said ‘My Boss’…”/ ***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #MetalNerderyPodcast on #YouTube #Facebook #InstaGram and #TikTok *** / #drysockets and #wisdomteeth #viralaf / #Pyscroptic GATHERING A VENOMOUS HERD / (The Pulse of Annihilation – 2026) / #technicaldeathmetal / #Tasmania #Australia #AussieMetal / “They got a Wiki page, that’s saying something…”/ Tasmania, Australia (“Yeah…”) / “How any albums do they have?” / “Let’s go through the album titles…”/
“You wanna watch a video?”/ #youwatchamovie / ARCHITECTS OF EXTINCTION /
“Those guys are re-tah-diculous!” / The reaction of laughter to unbelievable riffs and technical prowess
(18:18): “So here’s what we’ve got to contend with…I’m gonna ask you, right here in front of everybody…” / “You think God listens to this podcast, dude?”/ “I wanna do a little birthday squig in the beginning…”/ “This year marks the 25th anniversary of Pig Destroyer’s Prowler In The Yard, which is like the Reign In Blood of grindcore…”/ “I’ve got a kink now, where I can’t get off unless Stephen Hawking is watching…”/ “I hate this so bad…”/ “This is beautiful…this is art.” /
#PigDestroyer JENNIFER/CHEERLEADER CORPSES (Prowler In The Yard – 2001) /
#TwentyFifthAnniversary #ProwlerInTheYard / “Oh, I farted…”/ “A little bit of WHAT?” /
PISS ANGEL / “Is that better or worse?”/ “Should we start calling birthdays anniversaries instead of birthdays?”
(24:00): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: ANTHEMS / “It’s gotta be bolth…” / #rockanthems #heavymetalanthems / “What is an anthem? What do you think of when you hear the word ‘anthem’ (if it’s metal or rock)?”/ “Everybody knows it…it gets people fired up…”/ “When the band plays the song where you all become a part of the show…that’s the sing along…”/ “What is the first anthem you can think of?” /
“Everybody knows it…it’s the one that your grandmother has heard…it’s the non-deep cut…”/ “What would Van Halen’s anthem be?”/ #BetterOffDead /
“What would AC/DC’s anthem be?”/ “AC/DC’s kind of an anthem band…they have at least one on every album…”/ “Did we just unlock a new dimension here?”
(30:06): “What’s a Zeppelin anthem?” / “We’re all humans, who cares?”/ #markthetime /
“Anthems are one of those things…if you hear it at a public place like in a bar, a restaurant, or even at the grocery store…”/ “Cart…buggy…”/ “You can’t NOT like it…even if you’re a #Rush super deep cut fan…”/ #BlackSabbath WAR PIGS (Paranoid – 1970) /
“Now we’re smiling, all of a sudden…”/ “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard this before…about that song…those first few words…it almost has a country vibe to it…the vocal…”/
“They put the Eventide voice machines on him…”/ “All the guitar nerds will get that…”/
“What’s an Eventide? Is that like a dildo or something? What do you do with that?”/
“What about Ozzy anthems?”
(38:48): #Motorhead ACE OF SPADES (Ace Of Spades – 1980) / “This is one of the most metal parts, evah!”/ “If your doctor doesn’t recommend metal to you as a lifestyle improvement and a medical treatment, find a different doctor.”/ “Was the Van Hagar more anthem-y than the Roth era?” / “Yeah…you’ve got to, with the hairdryer and the whole thing…you don’t remember the video?” / #hairdryerASMR / “Soooo…for metal bands…”/
#IronMaiden THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (The Number Of The Beast – 1982) / “Everybody in America is like: ‘You went to the pub and got pissed off? What’s wrong with you?’ / “I’ve got one…”/ #QuietRiot METAL HEALTH (Metal Health – 1983) / “Assgrinder?”/
“That’s a sing-along…”/ “Which do you think was bigger?” / “I think that’s what possibly killed Twisted Sister…”/ #TwistedSister I WANNA ROCK (Stay Hungry – 1984) / #No / “How much fun was that?” / “Every band probably has their own anthem…”/ “Testament, what would be theirs?” / “For the mainstream customer…but for their fans, it would be…”/
“It is a weird anthem…that’s probably one of their encores…”
(51:55): “Everybody knows the Pantera one…”/ “At a bar, at a party, at a friend’s house…if I hear it in a public place…I’m not complaining…I’m cool with that.”/ “It still feels like it belongs to you…”/ “Do you feel like they (Metallica) are almost in the AC/DC bucket?” / “Does your grandmother know Dyer’s Eve?” / “What’s Creed’s anthem?”/
#Pantera COWBOYS FROM HELL (Cowboys From Hell – 1990) / “I wanna hear THAT at my grocery store, when I’m going for the meat section…”/ #markthetime / “Fun and anthems kinda go together…”/ “I don’t NOT like ‘Walk’…”
(58:58): “I got another one for us metal heads…”/ #StormtroopersOfDeath MARCH OF THE S.O.D. (Speak English Or Die – 1985) / “Does #Anthrax have an anthem?” / “Okay, so how about Priest?” / #abigone / “Let me know if you think this is THEIR anthem…it’s gotta be…”/
“THIS FRIDAY!” / #keepitin / “That was awesome…”/ #KoRn BLIND (KoRn – 1994) / “That’s gotta be, right?” / “Are you ready!?” / “This Friday…are you ready?”
(1:04:00): “What is the most recent rock or metal anthem you can think of?” /
“Has everybody lost their ability to do anthems?”/ “The anthem is the call to arms…”/
“Here’s my answer to that question…in my opinion…”/ “See, I thought that was Cake…” / #TheWhiteStripes SEVEN NATION ARMY (Elephant – 2003) / “I’ll take the bottom off?” /
“What’s the band that everybody fucks with…everybody hates on them…?”/ “Nickelback has some anthems, for sure…now that you mention it, maybe not…”/ “That’s how I clap, by the way…”/ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / #untilthenext #outroreel