Heavy Metal Timeline

1970 Feb 13 Black Sabbath Releases "Black Sabbath"
Black Sabbath is the debut album by the British rock band Black Sabbath, released in the United Kingdom on Friday the 13th, February 1970. Black Sabbath is often regarded as one of the fi...
1970 Sep 18 Black Sabbath Releases "Paranoid"
Paranoid is the second album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in September 1970 through Vertigo Records. The album consists of some of the band's most readily ident...
1973 AC/DC is formed
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock, and considered pioneers of heavy me...
1975 Apr 8 Aerosmith releases Toys in the Attic
Toys in the Attic is the third album by American hard rock band Aerosmith. The album is their second most commercially successful studio album right behind Get a Grip with eight million c...
1975 Dec AC/DC releases TNT
T.N.T. is the second studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in December 1975. Seven of the album's nine songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott....
1976 May 3 Aerosmith releases Rocks
Rocks is the fourth album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 1976. Allmusic described Rocks as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". Rocks also ranked ...
1976 May 14 AC/DC releases High Voltage Internationally
High Voltage is the first internationally-released album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Originally released on Atlantic Records, this edition of High Voltage has proven popular, sell...
1976 Sep 20 AC/DC releases Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is the third studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in September 1976. All songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott.
1978 Feb 10 Van Halen Releases "Van Halen"
Van Halen is the eponymous debut album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1978. Recorded in 1977 and released in February 1978, it has sold over ten million copies in th...
1979 Mar 23 Van Halen Releases "Van Halen II"
Van Halen II is the second album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1979. The actual recording of the album took place less than a year after the release of the eponymous "...
1980 Mar 26 Van Halen Releases "Women and Children First"
Women and Children First is the third album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1980. It basically continues the trends laid out on the first two albums, relying on the voca...
1980 Apr 14 Iron Maiden Release Their Debut Album, "Iron Maiden"
Iron Maiden, released on April 14, 1980, is the debut album by heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released by EMI in the UK, reaching number 4 in the UK album charts. The album was rele...
1981 Anthrax (band) is formed
Anthrax was formed in mid-1981 by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker. They found the band's name in a biology textbook and claimed it because it sounded sufficiently evil to them. John...
1981 Mar 27 Ozzy Osbourne Releases "Blizzard of Ozz" in the US
Blizzard of Ozz is a heavy metal album by Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S.. This is Osbourne's first...
1981 Apr 29 Van Halen Releases "Fair Warning"
Fair Warning is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1981. Fair Warning went double platinum, which means it was a substantial hit, but still the band...
1981 Oct 28 Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield form Metallica
Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, California, in early 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich placed an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper—The Recycler—which read "Drummer looking for oth...
1981 Nov 7 Ozzy Osbourne Releases "Diary of a Madman"
Diary of a Madman is an album by Ozzy Osbourne. It was recorded from the 9th of Feb to the 23 of March 1981 inclusively - the end of winter in the UK and recording ending just into spring...
1982 Mar 14 Metallica plays their first show
Metallica played its first live show on March 14, 1982, at Radio City in Anaheim, California with newly recruited bassist Ron McGovney.
1982 Jun 14 Metallica releases its first original song "Hit the Lights"
In early 1982, Metallica recorded its first original song "Hit the Lights" for the Metal Massacre I compilation. Hetfield played bass on the song and Lloyd Grant was credited with a guita...
1982 Aug Neil Turbin joins Anthrax
Neil Turbin is a vocalist best known for being the original lead singer for American band Anthrax (from September 1982 to August 1984). Turbin's only recording with the band was on their ...
1982 Sep 12 Neil Turbin performs with Anthrax at Great Gildersleeves
Neil Turbin is a vocalist best known for being the original lead singer for American band Anthrax (from September 1982 to August 1984). Turbin's only recording with the band was on their ...
1983 Jun 29 Metallica releases Kill 'Em All
Kill 'Em All is the debut album by American heavy metal band Metallica. The album was recorded in only two weeks on a small budget. Only 1500 copies were initially printed, however it has...
1984 Jan Anthrax releases Fistful of Metal
Fistful of Metal is the name of the debut album by American thrash metal band Anthrax. The album was released in January 1984 by Megaforce Records in the United States and by Music For Na...
1984 Jul 30 Metallica releases Ride the Lightning
Ride the Lightning is the second album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984 by Megaforce Records and re-released by Elektra Records on November 19, 1984. Ride...
1984 Aug Neil Turbin is fired from Anthrax
"Metal-Rules.com: Do you still get paid royalties from the songs you wrote for ANTHRAX? Neil Turbin: The answer is yes to "Fistful of Metal", but NO on the other albums with my songs on..." —Metal-Rules.com Interview
1984 Aug 10 Red Hot Chili Peppers release self-titled first album
The Red Hot Chili Peppers is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on August 10, 1984 on EMI. The album was produced by Gang of Four gui...
1985 Feb 27 Anthrax hires Joey Belladonna
Joey Belladonna was the lead singer of Anthrax from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the classic-lineup (featuring himself, Dan Spitz, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante),...
1985 Sep Dream Theater forms
Dream Theater was formed in September 1985 when guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung decided to form a band in their spare time while studying at the Berklee College of Music. T...
1985 Oct 30 Anthrax releases Spreading the Disease
Spreading the Disease is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax and the first with vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello. The album was released in Octobe...
1986 Mar 3 Metallica releases Master of Puppets
Master of Puppets is the third album by American heavy metal band Metallica. The album was released on March 3, 1986 through Elektra Records. Master of Puppets marks the last recording by...
1986 Oct 7 Slayer Releases "Reign in Blood"
Reign in Blood is the third studio album and major label debut by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on October 7, 1986, the album was the band's first collaboration with rec...
1987 Mar 22 Anthrax releases Among the Living
Among the Living is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Anthrax. The album was released in March 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island and is certified Gold by the RIAA.
1987 Aug 18 Aerosmith releases Permanent Vacation
Permanent Vacation is the ninth studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 1987. The album marks a turning point in the band's career. It is their first album to emplo...
1988 Aug 25 Metallica releases "...And Justice for All"
…And Justice for All is the fourth album by American heavy metal band Metallica. Elektra Records released the album on August 25, 1988. This is the first Metallica studio album to feature...
1988 Sep 18 Anthrax releases State of Euphoria
State of Euphoria is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was released in September of 1988 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island Entertainment.
1989 Dream Theater releases When Dream and Day Unite
Dream Theater signed their first record contract with Mechanic on June 23, 1988 and set out to record their debut album. The band recorded the album at Kajem Victory Studios in Gladwyne, ...
1989 Sep 12 Aerosmith releases Pump
Pump is the tenth studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 1989. The album was remastered and reissued in 2001. Pump was widely acclaimed by both fans and critics up...
1990 Aug 21 Anthrax releases Persistence of Time
Persistence of Time is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. The album was released in 1990 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island Entertainment. The album includes the s...
1991 Rage Against the Machine is formed
Rage Against the Machine (often shortened to RATM) is an American metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1991. The band's lineup, unchanged since its formation, consists of vo...
1991 Aug 12 Metallica releases the Black Album
Metallica (also referred to as The Black Album) is the fifth album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records. The album features songs t...
1992 Anthrax replaces Joey Belladona with John Bush
After returning home, Bush received a call from Scott Ian of Anthrax with an offer to fill the spot left behind by singer Joey Belladonna who had been fired from the band. He accepted and...
1992
to 1993
Megadeth releases "Countdown to Extinction"
In January 1992, Megadeth entered Enterprise Studios in Burbank, California with co-producer Max Norman. Norman, who had mixed Rust in Peace, would be integral in Megadeth's resulting mus...
1992 Jul 7 Dream Theater releases Images and Words
Images and Words is the second studio album by influential American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in 1992. It was recorded in late 1991 at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, ...
1992 Nov 11 Rage Against the Machine releases first album
Rage Against the Machine is the debut album by rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, released November 11, 1992. The songs on Rage Against the Machine tend to feature political mantras...
1993 May 25 Anthrax releases Sound of White Noise
Sound of White Noise is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax, released in May 1993 on Elektra Records. It is the band's the first album with former Armored Saint vo...
1994 Warped Tour first conceived
The Warped Tour was created in 1994 by Kevin Lyman, who got the idea while working on skateboarding shows such as the Vision Skate Escape and Holiday Havoc which included music with skate...
1994 May 9 Yngwie Malmsteen Releases "The Seventh Sign"
The Seventh Sign is an album by Yngwie J. Malmsteen released in 1994.
1994 Oct 4 Dream Theater releases Awake
"Awake" is Dream Theater's third studio album and last album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore. The album peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200 charts in 1994.
1995 Ron Thal Releases "The Adventures of Bumblefoot"
The Adventures of Bumblefoot is the debut solo album from Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, current guitarist of Guns N Roses.
1995 Slipknot (band) is formed
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 1995. Slipknot consists of nine members, the current band members are Sid Wilson, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray, Chris...
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