56 Legendary Rock and Metal Albums

In 2026, 56 landmark rock and metal albums released during one of the most intense and contradictory years of the 1980s — 1986 — will celebrate their 40th anniversary. This list does not aim to cover every release of the era, but highlights records that became cornerstones of the genre: from era-defining works by Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden to major hard rock breakthroughs by Bon Jovi, Europe, Van Halen, and Queen that shaped the mainstream sound of the time.

1986 proved to be a rare moment when extreme metal, glam, hard rock, progressive music, and the alternative scene were developing side by side, rather than in isolation from one another. In the same year, albums like Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, and Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? were released alongside Slippery When Wet, Invisible Touch, and So, showing that rock music was operating on multiple levels at once.

Out of the hundreds of albums released in 1986, these 56 have truly stood the test of time, rather than becoming museum pieces. Four decades later, they continue to sound relevant, are regularly reissued, quoted, and celebrated, inspiring new generations of musicians and reminding us of a period when rock and metal were experiencing both a commercial peak and a creative explosion.