The Best: Hard Rock

THE RULES OF THE GAME

Each participating editor or contributor draws up a list of titles connected to the theme, representative of their own perspective. To encourage variety overall, we allow only one or two albums per band. The lists are collected, and the first twenty albums mentioned are assigned a score: twenty points to the one ranked first, nineteen to the next, and so on. If an album is mentioned by more than one participant, the points received from each are added together. Ranking the titles from the one with the most points down, we get the final chart.
What you're reading, then, is a representation of the points of convergence and the diversity of views among Ondarock's contributors. It isn't a list put together behind closed doors, and there are no corrections or backroom deals. The only agreed element is the set of rules above.
It's a game, and we hope the outcome intrigues readers as much as it does the participants. For those who feel like digging deeper, the individual contributors' personal charts can be goldmines of discoveries. Happy exploring!

EDITORS' PICKS

Deep Purple Machine Head
The second lineup of Deep Purple – legendary to the point of sounding like a nursery rhyme: Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice – takes the top spot with "Machine Head", a masterpiece defined by untamed virtuosity. Next come the doom atmospheres of "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath, already voted on OndaRock as one of the ten best metal albums. A real coup for Guns N' Roses, who grab a spot on the podium thanks to their massively successful debut album.
Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You
44
28
Omega - Omega 6: Nem tudom a neved
35
Deep Purple Machine Head
The second lineup of Deep Purple – legendary to the point of sounding like a nursery rhyme: Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice – takes the top spot with "Machine Head", a masterpiece defined by untamed virtuosity. Next come the doom atmospheres of "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath, already voted on OndaRock as one of the ten best metal albums. A real coup for Guns N' Roses, who grab a spot on the podium thanks to their massively successful debut album.
35
Extremoduro - La ley innata
27
36
Medina Azahara - Medina Azahara
26
Mountain - Climbing!
26
41
Ufo - Phenomenon
24
43
Whitesnake - Slide It In
23
Skid Row - Skid Row
20
Pappo's Blues - Vol. 3
20
Clutch - Blast Tyrant
20

THE EDITORIAL STAFF'S FAVORITE ARTISTS

Deep Purple
Thanks to a trio of historic studio albums ("In Rock", "Machine Head" and "Burn"), Deep Purple take the top spot in the artists' ranking (the bands born from their various offshoots, such as Rainbow and Whitesnake, also picked up points). In second place are Led Zeppelin, slightly penalized in the albums' ranking by having split the vote evenly between their first and fourth records. Rounding out the podium, as expected, are Black Sabbath.
6
Uriah Heep
129
7
114
8
Who
111
9
107
10
Rainbow
106
11
92
12
Van Halen
90
14
84
15
Blue Cheer
79
16
78
17
Wishbone Ash
73
18
63
19
Atomic Rooster
44
20
Free
39
21
38
22
37
23
Omega
35
24
Sir Lord Baltimore
32
25
Boston
31
Ufo
31
31
28
Danzig
30
30
Extremoduro
27
31
Medina Azahara
26
Deep Purple
Thanks to a trio of historic studio albums ("In Rock", "Machine Head" and "Burn"), Deep Purple take the top spot in the artists' ranking (the bands born from their various offshoots, such as Rainbow and Whitesnake, also picked up points). In second place are Led Zeppelin, slightly penalized in the albums' ranking by having split the vote evenly between their first and fourth records. Rounding out the podium, as expected, are Black Sabbath.
Mountain
26
33
Def Leppard
25
34
Whitesnake
23
Soundgarden
23
38
The Cult
20
Skid Row
20
Pappo's Blues
20
Clutch
20
MC5
20
43
Coven
19
Jeff Beck
19
45
Mötley Crüe
18
46
17
Celelalte Cuvinte
17
48
16
Montrose
16
Big F
16
Piramis
16
Wu Bai & China Blue
16
Twister Sister
16

CLAUDIO FABRETTI'S FAVOURITES

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Epic riffs and aching choruses destined to be carved into rock history. The blazing debut from Robert Plant and Jimmy Page's band is a reckoning with the history of the blues, but also the most creative and explosive take on hard rock in its infancy.
40
UFO - Phenomenon
43
Danzig - Danzig II: Lucifuge
44
Mötley Crüe - Shout At The Devil
45
Montrose - Montrose
46
Clutch - Clutch

STAFF PICKS

GIULIANO DELLI PAOLI

  1. Blue Öyster Cult - Fire Of Unknown Origin
  2. Ufo - Phenomenon
  3. Pat Benatar - Crimes od Passion
  4. Who - Quadrophenia
  5. Time - Time (1972)
  6. Aerosmith - Pump
  7. Skid Row - Skid Row
  8. Thin Lizzy - Fighting
  9. New York Dolls - New York Dolls
  10. Granicus - Granicus

PAOLO CHEMNITZ

  1. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
  2. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
  3. Mötley Crüe - Shout At The Devil
  4. Def Leppard - Hysteria
  5. Skid Row - Skid Row
  6. L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns
  7. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
  8. Danzig - Danzig II: Lucifuge
  9. Enuff Z'Nuff - Strength
  10. Badlands - Badlands
  1. Deep Purple - In Rock
  2. Whitesnake - Slide It In
  3. The Cult - Sonic Temple
  4. Hanoi Rocks - Self Destruction Blues
  5. Aerosmith - Pump
  6. Alice Cooper - Trash
  7. Kiss - Kiss
  8. Faster Pussycat - Faster Pussycat
  9. D-A-D - No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims
  10. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
  11. Ac/Dc - Highway To Hell
  12. Warrant - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
  13. White Lion - Fight To Survive
  14. Michael Monroe - Not Fakin'It
  15. Uriah Heep - Salisbury
  16. Scorpions - Love At First Sting
  17. Clutch - Psychic Warfare
  18. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
  19. Rival Sons - Hollow Bones

PAOLO CIRO

  1. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
  2. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
  3. Deep Purple Machine Head
  4. Motörhead - Overkill
  5. Kyuss - Blues For The Red Sun
  6. Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
  7. AC/DC - Highway To Hell
  8. Van Halen - Van Halen
  9. Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum
  10. Aerosmith - Rocks
  1. Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
  2. Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
  3. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
  4. Soundgarden - Ultramega OK
  5. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
  6. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
  7. Alice Cooper - Killer
  8. Kiss - Kiss
  9. Hawkwind - Space Ritual
  10. Montrose - Montrose

FEDERICO ROMAGNOLI

  1. Deep Purple Machine Head
  2. Uriah Heep - Salisbury
  3. Omega - Omega 6: Nem tudom a neved
  4. Celelalte Cuvinte - Celelalte Cuvinte
  5. Wishbone Ash - Argus
  6. Deep Purple - Burn
  7. Phoenix - Cei ce ne-au dat nume
  8. Buldožer - Zabranjeno plakatirati
  9. Budka Suflera - Cień wielkiej góry
  10. Pappo's Blues - Vol. 3
  1. Extremoduro - La ley innata
  2. Blue Öyster Cult - Fire Of Unknown Origin
  3. Ufo - Phenomenon
  4. Uriah Heep - Firefly
  5. Wara - El inca
  6. Time - Time (1972)
  7. Medina Azahara - Medina Azahara
  8. Who - Quadrophenia
  9. Piramis Piramis
  10. Vágtázó Halottkémek - A semmi kapuin dörömbölve

MARCO SGRIGNOLI

  1. Flower Travellin' Band - Satori
  2. Styx - Pieces Of Eight
  3. Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards
  4. Ñu - Cuentos de ayer e de hoy
  5. Bronin Hogman Band - Bronin Hogman Band
  6. Crack The Sky - Safety In Numbers
  7. Medina Azahara - Medina Azahara
  8. Max Webster - Max Webster
  9. Silver Stars - Silver Stars
  10. King's X - Out Of The Silent Planet

OSSYDIANA SPERI

  1. Trapeze - You Are the Music… We're Just the Band
  2. Montrose - Montrose
  3. Frost - Rock And Roll Music
  4. Josefus - Dead Man
  5. Leaf Hound - Growers Of Mushroom
  6. Uriah Heep - Sweet Freedom
  7. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
  8. Deep Purple - Made In Japan
  9. AC/DC - Highway To Hell
  10. Fanny - Fanny

MARTINA VETRUGNO

  1. Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum
  2. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
  3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
  4. Van Halen - Van Halen
  5. Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
  6. Rush - Moving Pictures
  7. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
  8. Living Colour - Vivid
  9. Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
  10. ZZ Top - Eliminator
  11. Free - Fire And Water
  12. Who - Who's Next
  13. Lynyrd Skynyrd - (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
  14. Def Leppard - Hysteria
  15. Montrose - Montrose
  16. Rainbow - Rising
  17. Runaways - The Runaways
  18. Ufo - Phenomenon
  19. MC5 - Back In The Usa
  20. Deep Purple - In Rock
  21. Heart - Little Queen
  22. Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
  23. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
  24. Cream - Disraeli Gears
  25. Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood
  26. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
  27. Who - Quadrophenia
  28. Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You
  29. Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup
  30. Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - Album
  31. Bad Company - Bad Company
  32. Uriah Heep - Salisbury
  33. Cactus - Cactus
  34. Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf
  35. Ac/Dc - Back In Black
  36. Clutch - Earth Rocker
  37. Gun - Gun
  38. Bow Wow - Bow Wow
  39. Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile
  40. Alice Cooper - Killer
  41. Foreigner - 4
  42. James Gang - Rides Again
  43. Rory Gallagher - Calling Card
  44. David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
  45. Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out At Night
  46. Blue Öyster Cult - Blue Öyster Cult
  47. Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
  48. Guess Who - American Woman
  49. Mr. Big - Mr. Big
  50. Def Leppard - Pyromania
  51. Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
  52. Samson - Head On
  53. Warpig - Warpig
  54. Budgie - Budgie
  55. Joe Walsh - The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get
  56. Beck, Bogert & Appice - Beck, Bogert & Appice
  57. Scorpions - Love At First Sting
  58. Mr. Big - Lean Into It
  59. Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists
  60. Boston - Boston
  61. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
  62. Cult - Sonic Temple
  63. Extreme - Extreme II: Pornograffitti
  64. Amazons - Future Dust
  65. Darkness - Permission To Land
  66. Alterbridge - Blackbird
  67. Kiss - Dressed To Kill
  68. Vixen - Rev It Up
  69. Royal Blood - Royal Blood
  70. Cinderella - Heartbreak Station

GIACOMO RIVOIRA

  1. Uriah Heep - Salisbury
  2. Deep Purple Machine Head
  3. Alice Cooper - Killer
  4. Omega - Omega 6: Nem tudom a neved
  5. Wu Bai & China Blue - 愛情的盡頭 (The End Of Love)
  6. Deep Purple - Burn
  7. Piramis Piramis
  8. The Yellow Monkey - Sicks
  9. Free - Fire and Water
  10. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III