Milestones
Metal milestones
557 notable metal releases, across 57 years of history. Anniversaries worth remembering and decades worth revisiting. Data curated from Discogs community rankings.
This year's anniversaries
Rounded milestones from 2026's metal calendar
Metal history by decade
Top releases per year, ranked by Discogs community want/have counts
The 2020s
2025
2024
2023
2022
- Ozzy Osbourne — Patient Number 9
- HammerFall — Hammer Of Dawn
- Ария — Ночь Короче Дня
- Armored Saint — Raising Fear
- Running Wild — The First Years Of Piracy
- Omen (3) — Battle Cry
- Wolf (3) — Shadowland
- Traitors Gate — Devil Takes The High Road
- Sabaton — The War To End All Wars
- Spitfire (13) — Denial To Fall
2021
2020
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Ambush
- Bad News (3) — F**k Off! Bad News
- Elixir (3) — Lethal Potion
- Accept — The Undertaker
- Doctor Butcher (2) — Doctor Butcher
- High Spirits (4) — Hard To Stop
- Furies (4) — Fortune's Gate
- Sacrifice (10) — 35th Anniversary Edition 1985 - 2020
- Primal Fear — Metal Commando
- Sortilège — Sortilège
The 2010s
2019
- Primal Fear — Devil's Ground
- Sanhedrin (8) — The Poisoner
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Ritual
- Haunt (7) — Mosaic Vision
- Attika (2) — When Heroes Fall
- Savage Master — Myth, Magic And Steel
- Turilli / Lione Rhapsody — Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)
- Various — Hell Bent Forever
- Iron Angel — Hellish Crossfire
- Iron Maiden — R.I.P. Rock In Portland 1982
2018
- Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals — Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue
- Sinner — Dangerous Charm
- Accept, Wolf Hoffmann — Balls To The Wall (Live At Wacken Open Air 2017)
- Source (23) — Source
- Vanik — Vanik II: Dark Season
- After Dark (12) — Masked by Midnight (The Anthology)
- Diamond Head (2) — Live At The BBC 1982
- Chateaux — FirePower
- Iron Maiden — Live At Beat-Club Germany 1981 The Complete Show
- Cuca (3) — Tu Cuca Madre Ataca De Nuevo
2017
- Judas Priest — Sin After Sin
- Judas Priest — Point Of Entry
- Dimebag Darrell — The Hitz
- Eternal Champion — The Armor Of Ire
- Grave Digger (2) — Healed By Metal
- Attic (7) — Sanctimonious
- Avenged Sevenfold — The Stage
- Motörhead — Under Cöver
- Accept — Restless And Live
- Saxon — Decade Of The Eagle: The Anthology 1979-1988
2016
2015
- Night Viper — Night Viper
- Ghost (32) — Meliora
- King Diamond — The Spider's Lullabye
- Axis (49) — No Man's Land
- S.A. Slayer* — Go For The Throat
- Christian Mistress — To Your Death
- Seremonia — Kristalliarkki
- The Spirit Cabinet — Hystero Epileptic Possessed
- Iron Maiden — The Battle of Bristol 1986
- Graveshadow — Nocturnal Resurrection
2014
2013
2012
- Judas Priest — Screaming For Vengeance
- Jorn (4) — Bring Heavy Rock To The Land
- Malice (2) — New Breed Of Godz
- W.A.S.P. — The Crimson Idol
- As I Lay Dying — Awakened
- Saxon — Denim And Leather
- Overlorde SR* — Medieval Metal Too
- Accept — Balls To The Wall
- Medieval Steel — The Anthology Of Steel
- Metallica — Metallica
2011
- Ozzy Osbourne — Blizzard Of Ozz
- Ozzy Osbourne — Diary Of A Madman
- Hell (3) — Human Remains
- Iron Maiden — From Fear To Eternity - The Best Of 1990-2010
- Amebix — Knights Of The Black Sun
- Virgin Steele — Noble Savage
- Powerwolf — Blood Of The Saints
- Halford — Live At Saitama Super Arena - Original Soundtrack
- Cauldron — Burning Fortune
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Animal Instinct
2010
- Bullet For My Valentine — Fever
- Dio (2) — At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
- Judas Priest — British Steel
- Judas Priest — Painkiller
- Iron Maiden — The Final Frontier
- Disturbed — Asylum
- Judas Priest — Screaming For Vengeance
- Tobias Sammet's Avantasia — The Wicked Symphony
- Black Sabbath — Mob Rules
- Helloween — 7 Sinners
The 2000s
2009
2008
- Judas Priest — Nostradamus
- Trivium — Shogun
- Axel Rudi Pell — Tales Of The Crown
- Judas Priest — British Steel
- Mötley Crüe — Too Fast For Love
- Warrel Dane — Praises To The War Machine
- Bitch (2) — Be My Slave
- Sinner — Crash & Burn
- Scarlet Rayne — Theater Humanitarian
- Ross The Boss (3) — New Metal Leader
2007
- Saxon — The Inner Sanctum
- King Diamond — Give Me Your Soul... Please
- Godsmack — Good Times, Bad Times...Ten Years Of Godsmack
- Dio (2) — Magica & Killing The Dragon
- Iced Earth / Type O Negative / Engel (4) — Setian Massacre
- Three* — The End Is Begun
- Accept — Accept
- The Iron Maidens, ザ・アイアン・メイデンズ* — The Iron Maidens - Route 666 = ルート ６６６
- Manilla Road — Gates Of Fire
- Machine Head (3) — The Blackening
2006
- Metal Church — A Light In The Dark
- Iron Maiden — A Matter Of Life And Death
- Wolf (3) — The Black Flame
- Astral Doors — Astralism
- Circle II Circle — Burden Of Truth
- Die Apokalyptischen Reiter — Riders On The Storm
- HammerFall — Natural High
- Mob Rules — Ethnolution A.D.
- Blind Guardian — A Twist In The Myth
- SOiL (2) — True Self
2005
- Bruce Dickinson — Accident Of Birth
- Kotiteollisuus — 7
- Demon (4) — Better The Devil You Know
- Dream Theater — Official Bootleg: The Number Of The Beast
- Warcry (4) — ¿Dónde Está La Luz?
- Judas Priest — Angel Of Retribution
- Cutthroat (8) — Cutthroat
- Manowar — King Of Kings
- Helloween — Mrs. God
- Sabre (5) — Roar To The Core
2004
- Twisted Sister — Still Hungry
- The Lord Weird Slough Feg — Traveller
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- King Diamond (2) And Black Rose (4) — 20 Years Ago - A Night Of Rehearsal
- Black Sabbath — Live Evil
- Shok Paris — Go For The Throat
- Rival (3) — State Of Mind
- Final Axe — Beyond Hell's Gate
- Iron Maiden — The History Of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Days
- Stormtrooper (6) — Armies Of The Night
2003
2002
- Pain (3) — Nothing Remains The Same
- Accept — Rich And Famous
- Manowar — Warriors Of The World United
- HammerFall — Crimson Thunder
- Running Wild — The Brotherhood
- Leatherwolf — Leatherwolf
- Metallica — Win Lose Or Draw
- Marilyn Manson — Tainted Love
- Manowar — Warriors Of The World
- Dio (2) — Angry Machines
2001
- Judas Priest — Painkiller
- Jag Panzer — Mechanized Warfare
- Armored Saint — Nod To The Old School
- Judas Priest — Killing Machine
- Helloween — The Time Of The Oath
- Accept — Balls To The Wall
- The Lord Weird Slough Feg — Down Among The Deadmen
- Elixir (3) — The Son Of Odin
- Paul Di'anno's Battlezone — Children Of Madness
- Thomas Wolf's Stormwind* — Stargate
The 1990s
1999
- Queensrÿche — Q2k
- Seven Witches — Second War In Heaven
- Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus — Lopunajan Merkit
- New Eden — Obscure Master Plan
- Queensrÿche — Operation Mindcrime / Queen Of The Reich
- U.D.O. (2) — Holy
- Slipknot — Slipknot
- Black Sabbath — The Eternal Idol
- Doctor Butcher (2) — The Demos!!!
- Nightfall — Anthems Of The Night
1998
- Iron Maiden — Powerslave
- Helloween — Better Than Raw
- Bruce Dickinson — The Chemical Wedding
- Iron Maiden — A Real Live Dead One
- Iron Maiden — Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
- Iron Maiden — Virtual XI
- Metallica — Poor Touring Me
- Metallica — Fuel
- Manowar — Live In Portugal
- System Of A Down — System Of A Down
1997
- Saxon — Unleash The Beast
- Judas Priest — Screaming For Vengeance
- Machine Head (3) — Take My Scars
- Metallica — Mandatory Metallica
- Slauter Xstroyes — Winter Kill
- Death SS — Do What Thou Wilt
- Ozzy Osbourne — The Ozzman Cometh
- Sinner — Judgement Day
- Iron Maiden — Maiden England
- U.D.O. (2) — Faceless World
1996
1995
- Gamma Ray — Land Of The Free
- Grip Inc. — Power Of Inner Strength
- King Diamond — The Spider's Lullabye
- Ozzy Osbourne — Blizzard Of Ozz
- Therion — Lepaca Kliffoth
- Flotsam And Jetsam — Drift
- Nevermore — Nevermore
- Savatage — Live Devastation
- Mercyful Fate — Don't Break The Oath
- Ozzy Osbourne — No More Tears
1994
- Channel Zero (2) — Unsafe
- Savatage — Sirens / The Dungeons Are Calling
- Savatage — The Dungeons Are Calling
- Black Sabbath — Cross Purposes
- Helloween — Master Of The Rings
- Virgin Steele — The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell - Part One
- W.A.S.P. — The Headless Children
- Judas Priest — Screaming For Vengeance
- Various — Power Of Metal
- Megadeth — Youthanasia
1993
- Manowar — Hail To England
- Ozzy Osbourne — Live & Loud
- Dio (2) — Strange Highways
- Helloween — Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Parts 1 & 2)
- Gamma Ray — Insanity And Genius
- Metallica — Sad But True
- Iron Maiden — Hallowed Be Thy Name
- Phantom Blue — Built To Perform
- Manowar — Metal Warriors
- Iron Maiden — A Real Live One
1992
1991
- Ozzy Osbourne — No More Tears
- AC/DC — Are You Ready
- Ozzy Osbourne = オジー・オズボーン* — No More Tears
- Tank (6) — Filth Hounds Of Hades
- Oz (15) — Roll The Dice
- Noisy Mama — Everybody Has One
- Airdash — Both Ends Of The Path
- Metallica — Enter Sandman
- Armored Saint — Symbol Of Salvation
- Helloween — Pink Bubbles Go Ape
The 1980s
1989
1988
- Iron Maiden — The Clairvoyant
- Iron Maiden — The Evil That Men Do
- Saxon — Destiny
- Bad News (3) — Bootleg
- Ozzy Osbourne — No Rest For The Wicked
- Crimson Glory — Transcendence
- Iron Maiden — Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
- Jason Becker — Perpetual Burn
- Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force — Odyssey
- Judas Priest — Ram It Down
1987
- Judas Priest — Priest... Live!
- Sinner — Dangerous Charm
- Mercyful Fate — The Beginning
- Metallica — The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited
- Ozzy Osbourne — Randy Rhoads Tribute
- Armored Saint — Raising Fear
- Dio (2) — Dream Evil
- Dark Star (10) — Real To Reel
- Ozzy Osbourne — Speak Of The Devil
- Ozzy Osbourne / Randy Rhoads — Crazy Train
1986
- Dio (2) — Intermission
- Tyrant (13) — Fight For Your Life
- Ozzy Osbourne — Diary Of A Madman
- Brighton Rock — Young, Wild And Free
- Accept — Russian Roulette
- Black Sabbath — Archive 4
- Ozzy Osbourne — Bark At The Moon
- Oz (15) — Decibel Storm
- Accept — Best Of Accept
- Seducer (5) — 'Eads Down - See You At The End
1985
- Iron Maiden — Live After Death
- Dio (2) — Sacred Heart
- Living Death — Metal Revolution
- Grave Digger (2) — Witch Hunter
- Sinner — Touch Of Sin
- Tyran' Pace* — Long Live Metal
- Hammer (12) — Contract With Hell
- Chainsaw (16) — Hell's Burnin' Up
- Various — Pacific Metal Project
- Grim Reaper (3) — Fear No Evil
1984
1983
- Black Sabbath — Born Again
- Mercyful Fate — Black Funeral
- Y & T — Mean Streak
- Judas Priest — The Best Of Judas Priest
- The Rods — In The Raw
- Pandemonium (6) — Heavy Metal Soldiers
- Lita Ford — Out For Blood
- Loudness (5) — The Law Of Devil's Land 〜魔界典章〜
- Silver Mountain — Shakin' Brains
- Sabbrabells — Sabbrabells
1982
- Judas Priest — Screaming For Vengeance
- Iron Maiden — Run To The Hills
- Iron Maiden — The Number Of The Beast
- Raven (6) — Wiped Out
- TSA — TSA
- Accept — Restless And Wild
- Crucifixion (2) — Take It Or Leave It
- Krokus — One Vice At A Time
- Split Beaver — When Hell Won't Have You
- Iron Maiden — The Number Of The Beast = El Número De La Bestia
1981
- Saxon — Denim And Leather
- Black Sabbath — Mob Rules
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Spellbound
- Ozzy Osbourne — Diary Of A Madman
- Iron Maiden — Twilight Zone / Wrathchild
- Raven (6) — Rock Until You Drop
- Heavy Load (2) — Metal Conquest
- Riot (4) — Fire Down Under
- Judas Priest — Point Of Entry
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Wild Cat
The 1970s
1979
- Judas Priest — Unleashed In The East (Live In Japan)
- Iron Maiden — The Soundhouse Tapes
- Judas Priest — Hell Bent For Leather
- Motörhead — Overkill
- Saxon — Saxon
- Riot (4) — Narita
- Samson (3) — Survivors
- Witchfynde — Give 'Em Hell
- AC/DC — Highway To Hell
- Scorpions — Is There Anybody There? / Another Piece Of Meat
1978
- Judas Priest — Killing Machine
- Judas Priest — Stained Class
- Judas Priest — The Best Of
- Judas Priest — The Best Of Judas Priest
- Shakin' Street — Vampire Rock
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Rainbow — Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Black Sabbath — Rock Heavies
- Motörhead — Louie Louie
1977
- Black Sabbath — Greatest Hits
- Judas Priest — Sin After Sin
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny
- Judas Priest = ジューダス・プリースト* — Sin After Sin = 背信の門
- Rainbow — On Stage
- AC/DC — Grab Hold Of This One!
- Moxy (2) — Ridin' High
- Judas Priest — 裏切者の歌 = Deceiver
- ジューダス・プリースト* = Judas Priest — 異端からの反撃 = Dissident Aggressor
- Judas Priest — Deceiver
1976
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny
- Thin Lizzy — Jailbreak
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Black Sabbath — Technical Ecstasy
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny = Tristes Alas Del Destino
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath / Paranoid
- Rush — Rush
1975
- Black Sabbath — Sabotage
- Rainbow — Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
- Black Sabbath — Attention! Black Sabbath Volume Two
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Scorpions — In Trance
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll
1974
- Rush — Rush
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Attention! Black Sabbath Vol. 2
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Black Sabbath = ブラック・サバス* — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath = 血まみれの安息日
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Blue Öyster Cult — Secret Treaties
- Cheech & Chong — Earache My Eye / Turn That Thing Down
1973
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Blast (24) — Hope / Damned Flame
- Deep Purple — Machine Head
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Funky Junction (2) — Play A Tribute To Deep Purple
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ∙ Changes
1972
1971
1970
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid / The Wizard
- Black Sabbath — Paranoïd / Rat Salad
- The Stooges — I Wanna Be Your Dog / Ann
- Black Sabbath — Evil Woman = Mujer Perversa
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid = Paranoico
- Black Sabbath — Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me / Wicked World
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid / Rat Salad
- Grand Funk Railroad — Sin's A Good Man's Brother
Data sourced from Discogs. Notability ranked by community have + want counts. Missing an album? It's either not on Discogs, not tagged as Heavy Metal there, or its community score is below the threshold.