Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' Voted Best '80s Metal Song by Fans
The 1980s are widely regarded as the golden era of heavy metal. That decade produced iconic songs by Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Motörhead, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath. Despite that fierce competition, a fan-voted ranking has named Metallica's "Master of Puppets" the greatest '80s heavy metal song.
Why Heavy Metal Fans Named Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' the ‘Best '80s Metal Song'
In March 2025, Ranker updated its article that allows fans to vote on the greatest heavy metal songs from the 1980s. The ranking, which changes as fan votes continue to come in, has named Metallica's "Master of Puppets" as the "best '80s metal song." The track reached No. 1 as a result of receiving 941 upvotes, while the runner-up track, Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," has garnered 781 upvotes.
Released on March 3, 1986, as part of Metallica's album of the same name, "Master of Puppets" went on to become a hit for the band. In fact, the song managed to chart decades after it first came out. After the track was prominently featured in a season 5 episode of Stranger Things in July 2022, the song reached No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the same time, it hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Metallica's "Master of Puppets" has always been a song that has connected with people who love the band and heavy metal music in general. In 2022, the band announced that, based on a fan vote, "Master of Puppets" had been named Metallica's best song ever. Some of the reasons it is so celebrated include its stunning guitar solo, its frenetic energy, its instantly recognizable main riff, and Cliff Burton's inventive bass playing. On top of that, the track is an eight-minute epic that defies typical rock song structure and features multiple distinct sections that work perfectly together.
Related: Jason Newsted Finally Reveals Real Reason He Left Metallica 25 Years Later ‘I Was Going to Die'
Another pivotal factor in "Master of Puppets" enjoying a lasting legacy is James Hetfield's stunning lyrics about drug addiction robbing people of control of their own lives. A May 2014 Rolling Stone article quoted Hetfield discussing the song's meaning. "It deals pretty much with drugs. How things get switched around, instead of you controlling what you're taking and doing, it's drugs controlling you."
The Top 10: Ranker's Best '80s Metal Songs
- 10. Dio - "Rainbow in the Dark" (1983)
- 9. Motörhead - "Ace of Spades" (1980)
- 8. Iron Maiden - "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (1982)
- 7. Metallica - "Seek & Destroy" (1983)
- 6. Metallica - "Fade to Black" (1984)
- 5. Iron Maiden - "Run to the Hills" (1982)
- 4. Dio - "Holy Diver" (1983)
- 3. Metallica - "One" (1988)
- 2. Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train" (1980)
- 1. Metallica - "Master of Puppets" (1986)
Next: 1983 Hit Named ‘Greatest Bass Guitar Solo of All Time' by Bassists
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 11:43 AM.