Polls Sell... But Who's Voting? The Megadeth Albums Poll

Peace Sells... was my first 25 years ago, and is usually the case, it's my personal favourite. Total blind purchase too, I'd never heard Megadeth, and bought it because the cover was cool and the title cracked me up. Hours later the first three songs would be have me freaking out, they were so good. Still are.

My original introduction to Megadeth came through a dubbed tape given to me that had stuff from the first four albums all jumbled together, I played that thing to death. Countdown was the first proper Megadeth album I heard, bought it on the day of release. Since then I've long fell for those first four, I think Rust in Peace stands up the best these days, maybe because that dubbed cassette was loaded with mostly stuff from it.

I jumped off the train after Youthanasia and didn't get back on til Abomonations. Haven't heard more than a stray single or two off anything between.

I just revisited all of these (for obvious reasons), and honestly, I'm torn. Countdown was the first one I heard, so there's sentimental value with that one, but it has a lot of bloat. Rust in Peace is the undisputed classic, but I don't actually pull that one out that often. Peace Sells has a surprising amount of depth, Killing Is My Business some great songs and a lot of scrappy charm (but they've improved on it), and even though So Far usually gets dismissed, I love the hell out of it. So I don't know, this is actually going to require a lot of rumination.

Rust In Peace

Rust In Peace. I also really liked Countdown when I was younger, like many I dropped out after Youthanasia, but hopped back on board with The System Has Failed which I really thought was a solid return to form, especially the first three songs.

RUST IN PEACE

Rust for me too.

rust in peace by a large margin.

I'm sort of in the same position as Jeff...I've gotta give this some thought. I love everything from Peace Sells... through Countdown pretty much unreservedly - I even like Megadeth's version of "Anarchy in the UK," and I hate the Punkees Sex Pistols. But this really shouldn't be just a contest about their '80s material, because Endgame and the new album are really strong records. (NB: I work for Roadrunner Records now, but didn't when Endgame was released.)

Rust In Peace is going to walk this.

rust in peace + countdown are my faves, and then i kinda loved cryptic writings when it came out

Rust In Peace is going to walk this.

Yeah, this was pretty much a given when I set this up last night, mostly interested to see how things shake out after that one.

Peace Sells. I dont give a shit about rust in peace at all.

I haven't heard any of the post-Christianity-conversion stuff, am curious how that is reflected in the music

voted Peace Sells but it was kinda an impulse vote

I haven't heard any of the post-Christianity-conversion stuff, am curious how that is reflected in the music

It's not.

Was gonna say, I don't think you'd even have a clue about his converion based on lyrics.

that was kind of my impression - the wife was ready to write him off but apart from refusing to share the stage a couple times he seems as Megadeth-y as ever

System Has Failed has that one track with Dave reading a hymn, "Shadow of Deth." Other than that, it isn't really reflected. There are some questionable politics, though.

Anyway, I decided to give So Far, so Good what is likely to be its only vote.

SFSHSW has turned into a bit of an overlooked Megadeth album. Some parts have aged poorly ("Hook in Mouth" was very relevant in 1988, not so much today), the Chris Poland rant "Liar" is kind of silly, Mustaine sings a misquoted line on the "Anarchy" cover, but overall the band is just scorching. Plus "In My Darkest Hour" is one of their three best songs ever.

I mean SFSGSW, obviously.

So Far So Hetfield So What

Nearly impossible to beat Rust here. For second place I'll go with the debut, even though Mustaine himself certainly wouldnt.

for me it's still Peace Sells, mostly on the strength of "Wake Up Dead" and "Good Mourning/Black Friday", which I can't describe in any way other than they both make me go ape.

Really though, I love Killing is my Business almost as much ("Loved You to Death" was a hell of a way to announce their arrival), and Rust in Peace...you can't beat those.

I really loved Endgame too...I think taht was the first "oh we've gone back to our roots" album that I actually loved all the way through.

Rust, clearly.

Out of curiousity, this is how they rank based on RateYourMusic ratings:

Rust in Peace [4.13]
Peace Sells... [3.94]
Countdown to Extinction [3.81]
Youthanasia [3.57]
Endgame [3.56]
Killing is My Business... [3.54]
So Far, So Good... [3.53]
The System Has Failed [3.41]
United Abominations [3.25]
Th1rt3en [3.23]
Cryptic Weritings [3.22]
The World Needs A Hero [2.89]
Risk [2.34]

That's probably about right. I think Cryptic Writings tends to be underrated because it isn't really a thrash record.

I never liked Megadeth as much as the others in "the big four", but "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" is still one of my favorite songs from that era. I voted for "Peace Sells...", though. It was my intro to Megadeth, and the only one I ever liked more than half of.

The debut does it for me. Maybe I am alone?

RIP for me too, the one I was big into as a teenager. Listening again now, it still holds up very well.

The live version of RIP from last year is pretty great as well.

I suspect they overdubbed that live version pretty heavily, I was at that concert and something was wrong with the sound.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

If I was 11, I'd have voted SFSGSW. But Rust In Peace is clearly their best.

"Liar" is about Chris Poland?

Whatever happened to Jeff Young, I wonder?

Yeah, Poland sold Mustaine's gear to but heroin before he was sacked.

Buy, I mean.

Hidden Treasures, the collection of non-album soundtrack and compilation tracks is my favorite. Every fucking song on there is awesome! "Breakpoint" from the Super Mario Bros. movie, "Go To Hell" from Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, "Angry Again" from Last Action Hero, "99 ways to die" from Beavis & Butthead--all so, so good. It's weird, none of the full-fledged official Megadeth albums really did anything for me, but I've listened to Hidden Treasures many, many times.

man I waffle between Rust and Peace Sells and then I hear Dave wail "I'm out to destroy you and I will cut you down" and the decision is clear.

honestly though if we're talking post-Rust in Peace, I think Endgame might be my fav. I dunno what it was, but they managed to rekindle something on that album, which they then fumbled away on the two that followed it.

I'm back to Rust now. Peace SElls hasn't really moved re: my love for it, cos it's ferocious, but RIP just gets richer every time I listen to it.

fucking "5 Magics" man.

Youthanasia is enjoyable in a "ok Megadeth isn't interested in scorching the earth but these are some catchy songs" way, even though it def does tend to plod at times.

was my first Megadeth album weirdly enough.

the Chris Poland rant "Liar" is kind of silly

Never heard this bit of trivia! Makes sense in retrospect

BTW I've recently decided that Dave Mustaine's singing voice often sounds like Kim Gordon's (and vice versa)

a fun byproduct of streaming is i can listen to the 2004 remix and the 2011 remaster of peace sells side by side. the reverb completely evaporated from the remix, it's kind of wild (and i feel like the reverb is necessary for the sound of the album, i dislike how the remix feels so cleanly extracted from the production values of '80s thrash)

killing is my business and so far so good underrated here and everywhere. gar samuelson's drumming on the former is incredible

"Killing Is My Business" remaster completely transformed the recording. I always loved the album, but the remaster gave it so much more bite.

I just put it on again last night and it fuckin shreds.

My rankings....now, in 2024

GREAT
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Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Killing is My Business
Rust in Peace (yes, I know I'm trolling putting this in third, I still love it, but right now...the first two speak to me most)
Endgame (yes, motherfucker, I am putting a 21st century Megadeth album up here - it's shocking they put something this good out in 2009)

VERY GOOD
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So Far, So Good...So What (mostly put here by Into the Lungs of Hell)
Countdown to Extinction (Foreclosure of a Dream and Captive Honor are really the only two I skip)
Youthanasia (it's pop metal but very well done)

PRETTY GOOD
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The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead (it's grown on me - no REAL sizzlers but very listenable overall)
Dystopia (overrated, not clear why soooooo many people were big up on this one - it's functional but I rarely play it)
The System Has Failed (also overrated - overproduced af, cheesy pop metal moments which doesn't work when Mustaine's your singer, a few real big dud tracks)

OK
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United Abominations (a few hot moments but very forgettable)
Cryptic Writings (look, it's not prime Megadeth but there are some jams like "She-Wolf", "Mastermind", and "Disintegrators". meh stuff too)

BAD
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Thirteen
The World Needs a Hero (this is like one of the most embarrassing "return to metal!!!" albums ever - with song sequels and bad riffs a plenty)
Risk (seriously a bad decision)

PROBABLY BAD BUT WILL NEVER LISTEN TO
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Supercollider

every song Dave writes about relationships is terrible except for maybe "In My Darkest Hour" and "Wake Up Dead"

never even heard endgame gonna have to check that

pretty damn inspired. was shocked at the time that they were capable of this anymore.

of course it didn't last lol.

I liked Thirteen at the time, but I genuinely don't know if I liked it, or I told myself I liked it because I worked for the label at the time and was excited to be working on a Megadeth record.

edngame was a good listen, the really bring it on the outro of just about every song. dont really love the production but i'll spend more time with it

yeah I mean 21st century metal production at the major label level can be a bit antiseptic

lol wtf they have an unplugged live album?

i can't think of a band who would sound worse unplugged than Megadeth