Diary of a Madman: Megadeth discography ranked

Megadeth albums ranked by me - With the announcement of Megadeth's planned last album and farewell tour I thought I'd do a deep dive and revisit their entire catalogue. Also with me going back to work I won't have the same luxury of time again for a while so I binged it all in two days. I've been a fan for many years, however, I didn’t get into them until I was already an adult. As such, my judgement is not clouded by nostalgia, but may also lack the connection to the cultural importance of the music as it was released at the time. I've seen them live three times and thought they were great each time.

1. Rust in Peace (1990) - The first album featuring guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. It starts off with two of Megadeth’s best singles “Holy Wars . . . The Punishment Due” and “Hangar 18”. Production is markedly better than either of the first two albums, and the songs just have more layers of texture. Three tracks in and it is an instant classic. One of the biggest criticisms of Megadeth in general is Dave’s vocals, and on tracks like “Tornado of Souls” the whiny sound is a detraction. On “Dawn Patrol” he is almost talking sounding like a creepy Marilyn Manson. Other than that, this is a masterpiece and their Magnum Opus.

2. Peace Sells . . . But Who’s Buying? (1986) - Despite having a lot less time to write compared to the debut, the songwriting is far superior exemplified by album opener “Wake Up Dead” and title track “Peace Sells.” Themes range from black magic and occultism to modern politics. It also still has ripping riffs like on “Dark Mourning/Black Friday”. The album cemented Megadeth as a thrash superpower and helped push the genre of speed metal. The reimagining of Willie Dixon’s “I Ain’t Superstitious” seems out of place and not as good as Killing’s “These Boots” in my opinion.

3. Killing Is My Business . . . and Business is Good! (1985) - This one is raw in terms of production and vocals, but is loaded with blistering guitar licks. It serves as a standard setter for thrash and set the tone for Mustaine’s career post-Metallica which was based on being heavier and faster than Metallica. Bass shines on “These Boots” but is lost in some other songs. While the songwriting is still in development stages, “Rattlehead” and “Mechanix” seem to put it all together. For this one, I definitely recommend listening to the remastered versions for maximum rock effect. It’s a totally different experience.

4. Dystopia (2016) - This is one of Dave’s favorite albums and one that finally earned him a Grammy after 11 unsuccessful nominations. Chris Adler (Lamb of God) is playing on drums and Kiko Loureiro first appears as a Megadeth guitarist. I feel like the songwriting is the strongest and the album is most cohesive since the 90’s. There’s a definite tone and the songs musically seem to compliment the lyrics rather than acting as separate entities as sometimes happens in this band. The playing is tremendous and there are no skip songs unlike the predecessor Super Collider where half of them were.

5. Countdown to Extinction (1992) - This album became the band’s most commercially successful and highest charting, only held out of number one by Billy Ray Cyrus. With the classic lineup solidified, the other members had more input and writing credits. Mustaine’s vocals are the best up to this point. Sonically it is heavier and not as fast as previous releases, but there are still plenty of shredding solos. “Symphony of Destruction” is one of the best metal songs of all time and “Sweating Bullets” is one of the most cult classic Mustaine moments where he talks to the voice in his own head. Great songs, but a little slow at times for me.

6. The World Needs a Hero (2001) - Exit Friedman and Capitol Records. Enter Al Pitrelli and Sanctuary Records. The return of Vic Rattlehead on the cover brings back a return to form in sound as well. The title track and “Burning Bridges” stand out to me for the right reasons even though these weren’t released as a single. The single “Moto Psycho” comes off as cheesy, but does have redeeming qualities. It’s an album you can play through in the background or dig into the lyrics and the parts of each musician. Don’t sleep on this album.

7. Endgame (2009) - this was one that I bought on cd and I liked it back then. Endgame’s lyrics sounded hyperbolic back in the Bush days, but proved prophetic in the days of 47. There’s no monster tracks on this album, but there are some monster solos and unlike some albums I was left wanting more when this one came to an end.

8. The Sick, the Dying . . . and the Dead! (2022) - This one took six years to put out, but there was a lot going on. Dave Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer, there was a global pandemic and lockdown, then David Ellefson was ousted from the band and all of his bass parts were re-recorded. One has to wonder how the album might have sounded with Ellefson still playing on it especially since somebody finally learned how to produce Mustaine’s vocals. This is not quite a concept album, but there is an eerie vibe to it all. Dave’s cancer radiation became the inspiration for “Dogs of Chernobyl” and his doctor even got a writing credit for giving information and phrases about radiation poisoning! In a sign of modern times, six singles were released within a span of six months.

9. The System Has Failed (2004) - The 10th studio album started as a solo album after Mustaine suffered an arm injury and disbanded the group. A total lineup change meant Mustaine was back in control. He apparently offered co-founder Ellefson his job back, but they couldn’t agree to financial terms. Multiple session musicians contributed to the recording. Heavy drumming and chunky riffs provide the backbone for harmonized guitar melodies and shredding solos that come over top. The lyrics are a strength as well. I could listen to anything from this album and be content, but I wouldn’t be clamoring for any specific song except maybe “Truth Be Told.”

10. Thirteen (2011) - David Ellefson returned on bass duties, but Mustaine already had a bunch of songs written. Despite early critic reviews being pretty positive, this album is frequently very low on ranked lists of Megadeth albums. I’m partial to the heavier sound a lot of the songs have. “Never Dead, Sudden Death, and Deadly Nightshade” are really great songs. Thematically, this album is also much stronger than a lot of the Megadeth catalogue.

11. So Far, So Good . . . So What! (1988) - It’s the first album the drumming stands out in a positive way and credit for that goes to drum tech turned full time drummer, Chuck Behler. It’s a very solid album but lacking some cohesiveness and monster singles. My favorite track was the 4th single “In My Darkest Hour.”

12. Youthanasia (1994) - This one took a step back from previous albums. Most of the songs are just rock and without the solos you wouldn’t even call it a metal album, certainly not thrash. Fun fact: they tried to be the first to record an album completely digitally, but ultimately magnetic tape was still used. Dave Mustaine has said that he is most proud of “A Tout Le Monde.” I never could connect with the song. I prefer “Reckoning Day,” “The Killing Road” and “Youthanasia.”

13. United Abominations (2007) - Another new lineup and the first release on Roadrunner Records. More disgruntled lyrics over fast music. Mustaine basically revisited some old classics and freshened them up. “Amerikhastan” he called basically “Part 2 to Holy Wars” and “A Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)” reprises the original with the addition of Christina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil). It adds musicality, but it still falls short of epic. The final minute of the album at the end of “Burnt Ice,” now that’s epic!

14. Risk (1999) - Here we take another turn as the band tries to create the next new stadium anthem with “Crush ‘Em” and explores more alternative sounds with “Breadline” and “The Doctor Is Calling.” Dave cites guitarist Marty Friedman as the reason for slowing down the tempos. He does get writing credit on the majority of the songs before departing a year after its release. This is also the studio debut of drummer Jimmy DeGrasso. It’s not a quintessential Megadeth record, but I find it a lot more listenable than its predecessor Cryptic Writings. “Wanderlust” sandwiched in the middle is a nice hidden gem of a rock and roll track. “Seven” talks of the seven deadly sins over a groovy bass line and swing tempo drums.

15. Super Collider (2013) - Released on another new record label, a branch of Universal created for “MegaDave,” not even Vic wanted to appear on the cover as only a dim reflection of his skull can be seen. After a few heavy rockers in a row, this album reverts back to a more radio-friendly and commercial sound. “Kingmaker,” “Dance in the Rain” featuring a David Draiman guest appearance, and “Don’t Turn Your Back” are not bad. The cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cold Sweat” is pretty good too, but the bonus tracks are better than half of what made this album.

16. Cryptic Writings (1997) - Contrary to the album title, Megadeth made a conscious effort to be more marketable with this album by being more melodic and making lyrics more accessible and inclusive. It may have been a push from management, but Dave claims “we're willing to study the marketplace and educate ourselves.” Lead single “Trust” is one of their best songs overall. Second single “Almost Honest” is basically a pop song with a guitar solo 2/3 of the way through. Seriously, it sounds more Bon Jovi than Megadeth. The third single “Use the Man” opens like the Beatles, then gets grungy, then speeds up. The speed metal returns on “Disintegrators.” Can you say identity crisis? Some people rank this in the middle of their catalogue, but for me it is at the bottom with only the lead track that I would go back to.

Megadeth top 10 favorite songs (amended from original list posted in 2016)

1. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due

2. Peace Sells

3. Symphony of Destruction

4. Angry Again

5. Hangar 18

6. Mechanix

7. Dialectic Chaos

8. Rattlehead

9. Never Dead

10. Dystopia