1979 in heavy metal music

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

Newly formed bands

• Europe
• Gamma (maybe '78)
• Grim Reaper
• Hanoi Rocks
• Jaguar
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Saint Vitus
• Trouble
• Venom

Albums

• AC/DC - Highway to Hell
• Accept - Accept
• Aerosmith - Night in the Ruts
• April Wine - Harder ... Faster
• Blackfoot - Strikes
• Blue Öyster Cult - Mirrors
• 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 (live album)
• Kiss - Dynasty
• Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
• 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
• 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