Metal Hammer readers vote for 50 greatest thrash albums

Metal Hammer readers voted for the 50 greatest thrash albums of all time. Slayer's Reign In Blood (1990) is ranked first among them. Metal Hammer was founded in 1983.

The Big 4 of thrash metal are Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. The Big 4 first appeared together on the same bill on June 16, 2010, at Warsaw's Bemowo Airport in Poland as part of the Sonisphere Festival. Metallica have sold over 125 million albums.

Rick Hunolt, erstwhile Exodus guitarist, points to Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine as the Godfather of thrash metal. Scott Ian wrote in his memoir I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax that without Dave Mustaine, thrash metal maybe never would have happened.