POWER META: The best albums

The power metal genre as a whole really took off in the late '80s with help from bands such as Helloween and Gamma Ray. The '90s continued this momentum, thanks to Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, and Dragonforce. Metal fans became infatuated with the speedy solos and soaring vocals, along with lyrics describing mystical creatures, magic, and vast fantasy worlds.

Throughout the years, there have been a few key albums that have defined power metal and brought a growing spotlight on the genre.  This is a list of albums those new to power metal can listen to and get a good representation of the genre.