The end is near as Megadeth officially announced the conclusion of their historic 40-plus-year career. On Wednesday, Dave Mustaine and company took to social media with a video announcement and a letter to fans declaring that their upcoming album and tour will be their last. This comes on the heels of a busy handful of years for the band, plagued by health scares and multiple lineup changes.
Founded in 1983 after guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica, Megadeth shook the rock and metal industry down to its core with hits such as "Symphony of Destruction," "Peace Sells," "Tornado of Souls," and "Hangar 18."
The band has undergone many lineup changes over the course of its storied career, with Mustaine being the only constant contributor. Core members that have been involved included David Ellefson, Marty Friedman, Nick Menza, Jimmy DeGrasso, Jeff Young, and the (presumed) final lineup of Dirk Verbeuren, James Lomenzo, and Teemu Mäntysaari.
With the legendary band calling it quits, here’s a look at Megadeth’s top five records.
Top five Megadeth albums
Honorable Mentions: Endgame and United Abominations
Megadeth delivered two high-quality records in the late 2000s with United Abominations and Endgame, released in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Both albums contained standout tracks with an abundance of fresh riffs, including the title tracks, “44 Minutes,” “Washington is Next,” and a new updated version of “A Tout Le Monde” featuring Christina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil.
While the records fall just short of the top five due to the band’s consistency in the '80s and '90s, these albums deserve recognition and credit for their consistency.
No. 5- Killing is My Business…and Business Is Good!
Despite being recorded on a very low budget, Killing is My Business is a strong record that helped usher in the thrash metal genre to the masses. The album overcomes poor production value with its speed, aggression, and complex riffs from Mustaine.
The music was raw and gritty, which was a common theme of early thrash metal. Expectations were high for Mustaine after his former band, Metallica, released Kill ‘Em All two years earlier, but he certainly delivered with 31 minutes of blistering thrash metal magic.
No. 4- Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
Megadeth avoided the sophomore slump with the release of Peace Sells in 1986. The record contains thrash metal classics, including "Wake Up Dead," "Devil’s Island," and the title track, which contains one of the most recognizable bass intros in metal from longtime bassist Dave Ellefson.
The album had a lot of big-time competition as it was released during the same year as thrash metal classics Master of Puppets and Reign in Blood, but Megadeth proved that they fit right in as one of the titans of thrash metal with another strong record that has stood the test of time.
No. 3- Youthanasia
Following a string of highly successful albums in Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction (which we will get to later on), Megadeth continued their impressive run with 1994’s Youthanasia. The album contains a good mix of aggressive, thrash metal songs, and even the slower songs, such as “A Tout Le Monde” and “ Family Tree,” still pack a punch.
The record kicks off on a high note with the chugging riffs of Reckoning Day, and the band fires on all cylinders with songs like “Train of Consequences," “Addicted to Chaos," and the title track amongst the album’s highlights.
Being that Youthanasia was the third consecutive album to feature the band’s classic lineup of Mustaine, Nick Menza, Marty Friedman, and Dave Ellefson, the band was in top form, and it shows when you listen to this album. Their chemistry was off the charts, and it created another successful work for one of metal’s biggest bands.
No. 2- Rust in Peace
Megadeth kicked off the 1990s with a bang with the release of their landmark fourth studio album, Rust in Peace. The album starts off strong with hits like “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” and “Hangar 18” and stays very consistent throughout with other highlights such as “Tornado of Souls” and “Take No Prisoners."
Marty Friedman’s standout guitar work is on full display, especially on the solo for the aforementioned “Tornado of Souls,” which is often considered one of the greatest solos in metal history.
The combination of bone-crushing riffs and Mustaine’s polarizing yet thought-provoking lyrics makes Rust in Peace a must-listen for metalheads everywhere.
No. 1- Countdown to Extinction
Fresh off the success of Rust in Peace, Megadeth went back into the studio looking to build on their stellar release, and the results were tremendous. Countdown to Extinction features some of Megadeth’s most popular and successful songs, including “Symphony of Destruction," “Sweating Bullets," “Skin o’ My Teeth,” and the title track, all of which have become staples in the band’s setlist.
During an era where grunge dominated the mainstream, Megadeth left fans with a plethora of big-time tracks from this record that have stood the test of time over the course of the last 30 years.
If this is indeed farewell for Megadeth, they leave behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of thrash metal alongside the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Exodus.