Here's my AotY for each year from 1970, with a runner up (or two) following.
Pink Floyd and Yes aren't here, King Crimson is, so I'll include King Crimson

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Deep Purple - In Rock

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards

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1.AC/DC - Highway To Hell

2.AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

3.Triumph - Just A Game

4.AC/DC - High Voltage

5.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

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1.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

4.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4

5.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

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This is the most unquestionably difficult ranking I could undertake. The # of albums I consider borderline flawless from each of these bands is ridiculous. Over a dozen albums from these 3 bands have legitimate arguments to be considered the greatest traditional heavy metal album of all time.

I have a few rankings that are likely hot takes here
** Yes, I like Dance of Death more than most folks. Title track and Paschendale are both top 10 Maiden songs, and Montsegur is only a small step behind that. Those 3 songs are better than anything on Brave New World to me, but the rest of BNW is better and higher quality.
** Yes I kinda like Turbo. It's silly but it's fun and the guitar work and Rob's vocals are absolutely stellar. That kinda sucks about Ram It Down, it's got some of Priests' best lead guitar work and I don't think Rob ever sounded better, but dear lord, some of those songs...
As for the top 6 albums here, honestly put them in whatever order you want. They're that close to me and mood depending it could change

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Judas Priest - Painkiller

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

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This is an alphabetical list of metal songs and albums that inspired the names of other artists.

Please feel free to suggest more examples.

1.Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings

2.Anathema - Alternative 4

3.Arch Enemy - Black Earth

4.Architects - Ruin

5.Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

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This is an alphabetical list dedicated for the celebration of great instrumental songs that have been included by vocal groups as original contribution to an album. Therefore, this list does not include instrumental-based groups like Apocalyptica, songs that have a significant part with spoken words / human voices or instrumental versions of vocal songs or other bonus material.

Please feel free to suggest more of your favorite songs for this list !

1.Accept - Objection Overruled

2.Anathema - Judgement

3.Arch Enemy - War Eternal

4.Arch Enemy - Will To Power

5.As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us

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My favorite picks for the best albums of 1975.

1.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

2.Blackfoot - No Reservations

3.Budgie - Bandolier

4.Rush - Fly by Night

5.Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

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1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

3.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

4.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

3.Black Sabbath - Headless Cross

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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Best Heavy or Hard Songs of the wonderful 70’s

1.Rainbow - Rising

2.Motörhead - Overkill

3.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

4.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

5.Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

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1.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

4.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4

5.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

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My personal hard rock/heavy metal album of the year that I own.
Truthfully, for several years, I just gave up trying to figure out what was in 2nd place (and sometimes, even in 1st).
Some years have so many options....

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

3.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4

4.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

5.Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties

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Black Sabbath albums from best to worst. VERY difficult list to make and I've been changing places on the albums pretty much every time i've opened the list. But this will do for now

1.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Black Sabbath - The Eternal Idol

4.Black Sabbath - Headless Cross

5.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

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1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Motörhead - Inferno

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Current Top 100 as of September 2019. Having listened to metal for 45 years or so - here are my favourites (favourite track). One album limit per band. Enjoy!

1.Absu - Absu

2.AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It

3.Agalloch - The Mantle

4.Akercocke - Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone

5.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

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