1979 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1979.

Newly formed bands

• 220 Volt
• A II Z
• Atomkraft
• Axe
• Bengal Tigers
• Boss
• Cloven Hoof
• Crimson Glory
• Deep Machine
• Demon
• E.F. Band
• Europe
• Faith No More (as Sharp Young Men)
• Fallout
• Girl
• Grim Reaper
• Hanoi Rocks
• Headpins
• Hollow Ground
• Jaguar
• Kat
• Persian Risk
• Picture
• Satan
• Michael Schenker Group
• Shark Island
• Spinal Tap
• Stormwitch
• Sweet Savage
• Trouble
• TSA
• V8
• Venom
• Vicious Rumors
• Witchfinder General

Albums & EPs

• AC/DC - Highway to Hell
• Accept - Accept
• Aerosmith - Night in the Ruts
• April Wine - Harder ... Faster
• Blackfoot - Strikes
• Blue Öyster Cult - Mirrors
• Def Leppard - The Def Leppard E.P.
• Fargo - Wishing Well
• Foreigner - Head Games
• Gamma - Gamma 1
• Gillan - Mr. Universe
• Sammy Hagar - Street Machine
• Iron Maiden - The Soundhouse Tapes EP
• Judas Priest - Hell Bent For Leather
• Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
• Kiss - Dynasty
• Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
• Legs Diamond - Fire Power
• Magnum - Magnum II
• Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - Tales of the Unexpected
• Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster
• Motörhead - Overkill

• Motörhead - Bomber
• Motörhead - On Parole (unofficial release from sessions recorded in 1975)
• Mythra - Death & Destiny EP
• Nazareth - No Mean City
• Ted Nugent - State of Shock
• Praying Mantis - The Soundhouse Tapes Part 2 EP
• Queen - Live Killers
• Rainbow - Down to Earth
• Riot - Narita
• Samson - Survivors
• Saxon - Saxon
• Scorpions - Lovedrive
• Thin Lizzy - Black Rose: A Rock Legend
• TKO - Let It Roll
• Pat Travers - Live! Go for What You Know
• Triumph - Just A Game
• Trust - Trust
• UFO - Strangers In The Night
• Van Halen - Van Halen II
• Whitesnake - Lovehunter

Events

• Ozzy Osbourne is kicked out of Black Sabbath due to heavy involvement and problems with drugs and alcohol, his place is taken by Ronnie James Dio

Preceded by 1978

Heavy Metal Timeline 1979

Succeeded by 1980