Countdown To Extinction (studio album)
by Megadeth

Countdown To Extinction by Megadeth
Year: 1992
Overall rank: 2,028th   
Average Rating: 
77/100 (from 315 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1992 (34th)
Award Top albums of the 1990s (353rd)
Award Best albums of all time (2,028th)

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MEGADETH Cassette VINTAGE Tape Pair Countdown to Extinction + Peace Sells
Condition: Good


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Megadeth Countdown to Extinction Vinyl Original Pressing UK
Condition: Used

$329.00


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Megadeth/Countdown To Extinction Countdown With Domestic Edition Tocp-7164
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Megadeth bestography

Countdown To Extinction is ranked 3rd best out of 24 albums by Megadeth on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Megadeth is Rust In Peace which is ranked number 406 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 4,125.

Megadeth album bestography « Higher ranked (1,097th)
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
This album (2,028th)
Countdown To Extinction
Lower ranked (4,214th) »
Youthanasia

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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Countdown To Extinction track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 82 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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1.
Average Rating: 83 (79 votes)Comments: View 0
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Track pick (890 - 100 votes)
Average Rating: 89 (100 votes)Comments: View 0
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4.
Average Rating: 82 (66 votes)Comments: View 0
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5.
Average Rating: 85 (80 votes)Comments: View 1
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6.
Average Rating: 80 (49 votes)Comments: View 1
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7.
Average Rating: 83 (61 votes)Comments: View 0
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8.
Average Rating: 79 (49 votes)Comments: View 0
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9.
Average Rating: 77 (45 votes)Comments: View 0
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10.
Average Rating: 78 (46 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 81 (48 votes)Comments: View 0
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Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Countdown To Extinction rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 2,028th | 1990s rank: 353rd | 1992 rank: 34th

Countdown To Extinction collection

Countdown To Extinction ratings

Average Rating: 
77/100 (from 315 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 315 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
85/100
 !
3 days ago Larcx13   2,85074/100
 
80/100
 !
10/03/2025 21:09 BurndenAce   1,02077/100
 
65/100
 !
09/21/2025 01:47 TodFitz   27,32563/100
 
85/100
 !
08/25/2025 19:11 djrodo   96081/100
 
80/100
 !
07/17/2025 16:14 stareaterogni0n   25273/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 3% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 77.3/100, a mean average of 76.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 77.5/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.2.

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Countdown To Extinction favourites

Showing latest 20 members who have added this album as a favourite | Show all 48 members

Countdown To Extinction comments

Showing all 10 comments |
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Rating:  
80/100
From 05/16/2022 17:36 | #285418
Very solid album, probably their most consistent outside of Rust and Peace Sells, but for me it doesn't hit the same highs as those two albums. Lots of the solos are very tasteful (Marty's influence?).
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 06/04/2021 23:17 | #270390
Decent album but nothing that sets it apart or makes it superior to any of their other albums. It's pretty much paint by numbers Megadeth. 'Skin O' My Teeth', 'Symphony of Destruction' & 'High Speed Dirt' my picks of the bunch.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 04/21/2021 19:42 | #268842
Suavizado, mas longe de ruim!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 11/20/2020 18:34 | #261148
Really solid album without a single weak song. It succeeds in being more accessible than their other albums even for guys who are not huge fans of this kind of music without compromising in terms of musicianship.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 03/12/2018 09:32 | #210724
Era difícil mantener el nivel tras editar un disco que es obra maestra de la historia del Metal. Dave Mustaine repetía la clásica formación de 'Rust in Peace' con Friedman como guitarra solista, Ellefson al bajo y Menza a la batería. La alineación de Champions League. Después de un disco como 'Rust in Peace' no debió ser fácil componer el disco en cuestión, y Megadeth, al igual que sus rivales de Metallica, abandonó el Thrash Metal que tantas noches de escenarios les había proporcionado para abrazar un Heavy Metal puro sin concesiones, machacón y con melodía, aunque todavía embrutecido con ciertas reminiscencias thrashers que se intuyen principalmente en los riffs de guitarra. Pero la realidad es que Megadeth aquí se convirtió en una banda de Heavy Metal, más comercial que antaño pero con una calidad innegable.
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Rating:  
90/100
From 06/21/2017 13:43 | #192971
This was the album that got me into music. I found an old scrathed cd of it in the garage one day. For some reason I decided to put it in a cd player even though I was never really in to listening to music... Then the whole album electrified me. Megadeth really nailed this one. They took a more commercial sound which caused this one to be their biggest success. I love every track on this one, and ALWAYS sing along to sweating bullets when I hear it. Such a good piece.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 06/10/2016 23:43 | #168426
Megadeth follow Metallica's lead in making an an album of shorter, punchier songs. Countdown to extinction, is similar to the Black album in lots of ways. Some good tracks here, though nothing spectacular, but it's good to hear a focused and coherent record. Skin 'o my teeth, sweating bullets, and the title track are all fine. Possibly Megadeth's most enjoyable record, though certainly not their best.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 10/19/2015 16:36 | #151702
megadeth's mainstream breakout...
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 12/16/2014 07:38 | #129454
Very good heavy metal album. Best 10 songs average is 87,8/100 and the album can get very good 90/100. It really rocks, I can only find good and very good songs. Best song is "Symphony of destruction" 95/100, followed by title track "Countdown to extinction" and "Psychotron" both 90/100. All other songs good 80-85/100.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 10/27/2013 09:00 | #89369
Their first and probably only album where everything just locked into its place. If Puppets was a Political Science 101 course, then after Countdown you've got all the credits in for a Master's Degree in Social Sciences.

I feel there's no great art without bitterness, and few artists have been as bitter as Mustaine. Often his words are as venomous as they are true. Masses don't appreciate folks who speak their mind. I've never much cared for people who never say anything about anything that matters. Makes me wonder if they can think at all.

Every thinking (wo)man is bound to err once in a while. Thinking and speaking one's mind freely is like playing with fire: it doesn't "only" cost friendships and careers, it costs lives too.

Just what happened to Dave after CTE, is anyone's guess.

To me the man was never as intellectually sober and honest as when he wrote CTE. Not much of a live band - at least from what I've personally experienced. Have a huge respect for the man when it comes to musicianship, though.

This guy could operate with ease in any music field if he wanted to. Hugely talented person and probably one of the fastest thinking guys in rock music history. It really is a huge mind fuck that some of the smartest people around us are so frequently also some of the most retarded ones simultaneously.

If jebus is your preferable choice of drugs then so be it. Just keep it to yourself, bro. And another worthwhile tip would be to start getting daily news from more media outlets than just Alex Jones...

That goes for all of ya.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (2 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1992
1. Automatic For The People by R.E.M.
2. Rage Against The Machine by Rage Against The Machine
3. Dirt by Alice In Chains
4. Slanted And Enchanted by Pavement
5. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 by Aphex Twin
6. The Chronic by Dr. Dre
7. Angel Dust by Faith No More
8. Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos
9. Down Colorful Hill by Red House Painters
10. Wish by The Cure
11. Bone Machine by Tom Waits
12. Images And Words by Dream Theater
13. Dirty by Sonic Youth
14. Vulgar Display Of Power by Pantera
15. Harvest Moon by Neil Young
16. Core by Stone Temple Pilots
17. Check Your Head by Beastie Boys
18. Love Deluxe by Sade
19. Copper Blue by Sugar
20. Dry by PJ Harvey
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