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Rank every Metallica album

23 Metallica full-lengths released between 1983 and 2023, two at a time, until you have a finished order. No scores to second-guess: pick the record you rate higher and the ranking builds itself.

Leave in the records you have heard. Anything you switch off stays out of the duels, which is the difference between a run you finish and one you abandon.

12 records · about 33 picks

How our raters order them

Average score across every Riffiter rating, best first. Worth reading after you finish your own run, not before it.

  1. 1Master of PuppetsMaster of Puppets2.2
  2. 2Ride the LightningRide the Lightning2.2
  3. 3…and Justice for All…and Justice for All2.1
  4. 4Death MagneticDeath Magnetic2.1
  5. 5Some Kind of MonsterSome Kind of Monster2.0
  6. 6ReloadReload1.9
  7. 7Beyond MagneticBeyond Magnetic1.9
  8. 8MetallicaMetallica1.9
  9. 9Kill 'em AllKill 'em All1.9
  10. 1072 Seasons72 Seasons1.8
  11. 11St. AngerSt. Anger1.8
  12. 12LoadLoad1.8
  13. 13S&M2S&M21.7
  14. 14Hardwired… to Self‐DestructHardwired… to Self‐Destruct1.6
  15. 15Freeze 'Em AllFreeze 'Em All1.0
  16. 16LuluLulu0.9

Questions

How does the Metallica album ranker work?
You see two Metallica records at a time and pick the one you rate higher. It opens with 12 albums switched on, which takes about 33 picks; keep all 23 in and it is about 85. It never asks you a question it can already work out: once you have put one record above another, it uses that everywhere it applies.
Why compare two albums instead of giving each one a score?
Scores drift. Most people bunch everything they like into the top of a five-star scale, and a four you gave three years ago rarely means what a four means to you today. A choice between two records asks the same question every time, so the order that comes out is sharper than the one your ratings imply.
Do I need an account?
Not to rank. The sorting happens in your browser and nothing is stored while you play. A free account is what lets you keep the finished ranking as a list on your profile, where other people can read it, like it and fork it.
Which Metallica releases are included?
Full-length studio albums with artwork, canonical pressings only. Singles, EPs and the deluxe or remastered editions of a record already in the list are left out, so you are not asked to choose between two versions of the same album.

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