1979 in heavy metal music

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

Newly formed bands

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