The 'Big 4' Bands of '80s Metal

These are our picks for the "Big 4" bands (and artists) of 1980s metal.

We have a particular type of metal to thank for the phrase Big 4, which was originally used to describe the four groups that are considered the foundation of thrash: Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth.

That of course doesn't mean that there are only four legendary thrash bands, it just means they're the bands that are most associated with the origins of the subgenre and its influence.

Just for fun, we've applied the phrase to a myriad of other subgenres of rock and metal, years and even the different generations of Dad Rock. It's challenging to come up with four artists to represent a single timeframe or style in music — it often causes a lot of debate, but that's what keeps things interesting.

Since the four thrash bands found their footing during the 1980s, which four groups would represent all of metal during the decade? Thrash surely has a place within the '80s Big 4, but there were other styles of metal that were prominent at the time too.

READ MORE: The 'Big 4' of '80s Rock

When it came to choosing the Big 4 of '80s metal, we looked at which artists created the biggest buzz during the decade, put out massive albums and carved out a legacy that influenced generations and decades of musicians to come — and are still doing so to this day.

These artists may not have created heavy metal, but they certainly helped refine it. Keep scrolling to see our picks for the Big 4 of '80s metal (and why we chose them).

For more '80s metal, check out the best metal and hard rock albums of the decade below.

Top 80 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 1980s

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