Milestones
Metal milestones
570 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
2026
2025
- Ambush (18) — Evil In All Dimensions
- Virtue (5) — We Stand To Fight
- Alter Bridge — One Day Remains
- Tales Of Medusa — Relentless Tragedy
- Flotsam And Jetsam — Drift
- Saxon — Dogs Of War
- VoidCeremony — Abditum
- Fer De Lance (4) — Fires On The Mountainside
- Wytch Hazel — V: Lamentations
- The Lord Weird Slough Feg — Traveller - Supplement 1: The Ephemeral Glades
2024
- Gnome — Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome Read →
- Judas Priest — Invincible Shield (Bonus Tracks)
- Metallica — 72 Seasons
- Angeles Del Infierno — 666
- Iron Maiden — Maiden Voyage
- Writhen Hilt — Ancient Sword Cult
- Tygers of Pan Tang — Live Blood
- Riot V — Mean Streets
- Satan — Songs In Crimson
- King Diamond — Masquerade Of Madness
2023
2022
- Jorn (4) — Over The Horizon Radar
- Saxon — Carpe Diem
- Skull Fist — Paid In Full
- Tank (6) — Filth Hounds Of Hades
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Disturbed — Divisive
- Spectre (30) — Drifter / The Black Jewel
- Various — Atomic Fire (Metal Summer Explosion)
- Manilla Road — Open The Gates
- Riot City (2) — Electric Elite
2021
- Helloween — Pink Bubbles Go Ape
- Dio (2) — Summerfest 1994: Live Radio Broadcast
- Mercy (11) — Swedish Metal/Session 1981
- Hitten (2) — Triumph & Tragedy
- Blitzkrieg (5) — A Time Of Changes
- Blind Illusion — Ultimate Anthology Vol. 1 - The Likewise Sessions
- Wytch Hazel — II: Sojourn
- Haunt (7) — Beautiful Distraction
- Five Finger Death Punch — Got Your Six
- Diamond Head (2) — Lightning To The Nations: The White Album
2020
- Mercyful Fate — Melissa
- Dio (2) — Master Of The Moon
- Motörhead — Tales Of Glory (Live At L'amour, New York, August 10th, 1983 FM Broadcast)
- Armored Saint — Punching The Sky
- Eternal Champion — Ravening Iron
- High Spirits (4) — Hard To Stop
- Enchanter (2) — Defenders Of The Realm
- Dead Kosmonaut — Gravitas
- Iron Maiden — The British Are Coming Again
- Iron Maiden — Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City
The 2010s
2019
- Motörhead — Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
- Angel Witch — Angel Of Light
- Apocalyptica — 'Plays Metallica By Four Cellos' A Live Performance
- Iron Maiden — The X Factor
- Eternal Champion — The Armor Of Ire
- Rage (6) — End Of All Days
- Type O Negative — Dead Again
- Manowar — Fighting The World
- Diamond Head (2) — Lightning To The Nations - The White Album -
- Savage Master — Myth, Magic And Steel
2018
- Manowar — Fighting The World
- Doro — Forever United
- Slash (3) Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators — Living The Dream
- King Diamond — Abigail II: The Revenge
- Heavy Load (2) — Stronger Than Evil
- Stryper — God Damn Evil
- Haunt (7) — Ghosts
- Haunt (7) — Luminous Eyes
- Sabaton — The Last Stand
- Haunt (7) — Burst Into Flame
2017
2016
- Judas Priest — Battle Cry
- Mercyful Fate — Time
- Iron Maiden — Brave New World
- Motörhead — Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Bloodbound — One Night Of Blood - Live At Masters Of Rock MMXV
- Elegy (4) — Labyrinth Of Dreams
- Metal Church — XI
- Charred Walls Of The Damned — Creatures Watching Over The Dead
- Chateaux — Chained And Desperate
2015
2014
- Iron Maiden — Purgatory
- Judas Priest — Redeemer Of Souls
- Accept — Blind Rage
- Hellyeah — Blood For Blood
- Iron Maiden — Running Free
- Powerwolf — The History Of Heresy I (2004-2008)
- King Diamond — "Them"
- Iron Maiden — No Prayer For The Dying
- Savatage — Streets - A Rock Opera
- King Diamond — Give Me Your Soul... Please
2013
- Black Sabbath — 13
- Metallica — Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)
- Hell (3) — Curse And Chapter
- Running Wild — Resilient
- Stratovarius — Nemesis
- Sanctuary (4) — Into The Mirror Black
- Ashes Of Ares — Ashes Of Ares
- Sabaton — Metalizer Re-Armed
- Tobias Sammet's Avantasia — The Mystery Of Time (A Rock Epic)
- In Solitude (2) — In Solitude
2012
- Accept — Stalingrad (Brothers In Death)
- As I Lay Dying — Awakened
- Huntress (2) — Spell Eater
- Metallica — Quebec Magnetic
- Pharaoh (6) — Bury The Light
- Christian Mistress — Possession
- U.D.O. (2) — Holy
- Saxon — Heavy Metal Thunder - Live, Eagles Over Wacken
- Katatonia — Dead End Kings
- Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi — WhoCares
2011
- The Devil's Blood — The Thousandfold Epicentre Read →
- Ozzy Osbourne — Blizzard Of Ozz
- In Solitude (2) — The World. The Flesh. The Devil
- Five Finger Death Punch — American Capitalist
- Jag Panzer — The Scourge Of The Light
- Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra* — S&M
- Iced Earth — Iced Earth 5 Songs
- Riot (4) — Immortal Soul
- Bloodbound — Unholy Cross
- HammerFall — Infected
2010
- Black Sabbath — Mob Rules
- Pantera — Cowboys From Hell: The Demos
- Disturbed — Asylum
- Danzig — Deth Red Sabaoth
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny
- Manowar — Battle Hymns
- Crystal Viper — Legends
- Where Angels Suffer — Purgatory
- Dir En Grey — Uroboros -With The Proof In The Name Of Living...- At Nippon Budokan
- Iron Maiden — Only The Good Die Young
The 2000s
2009
- Heaven & Hell (2) — The Devil You Know
- Paradise Lost — Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us
- Metallica — Orgullo, Pasion, Y Gloria - Tres Noches En La Ciudad De México
- Gwar — Stripper Christmas Summer Weekend
- Impellitteri — Wicked Maiden
- Children Of Bodom — Skeletons In The Closet
- King Diamond — The Graveyard
- Enforcer (10) — Classic Chicago Metal
- Lordi — Zombilation - The Greatest Cuts
- Manowar — Battle Hymns
2008
- Metallica — All Nightmare Long
- Satan — Court In The Act
- Mercyful Fate — The Bell Witch
- Exciter — Heavy Metal Maniac
- Energy Vampires — Energy Vampires
- Longings Past — Meadows Of Maseilya
- The Almighty — All Proud, All Live, All Mighty
- Judas Priest — Nostradamus
- Armour (4) — Blitzkrieg Warrior
- Grim Reaper (3) — Rock You To Hell
2007
- Motörhead — Bastards
- Every Time I Die — The Big Dirty
- Mercyful Fate — Into The Unknown
- Nuclear Blast Allstars — Into The Light - 20 Years Nuclear Blast
- High On Fire — Death Is This Communion
- Nocturnal Rites — The 8th Sin
- Judas Priest — Killing Machine
- Blitzkrieg (5) — Theatre Of The Damned
- Seven Witches — Deadly Sins
- Hammerhead (15) — Will To Survive
2006
- Iron Maiden — A Matter Of Life And Death
- Metallica — The Videos 1989 - 2004
- Rage (6) — Speak Of The Dead
- Randy Piper's Animal* — Violent New Breed
- Cloven Hoof — Eye Of The Sun
- Blind Guardian — Fly
- Giuntini Project — III
- Desperado (7) — Ace
- Cross (17) — Metal From Above
- Buffalo (3) — Bones Of The Beast
2005
2004
2003
2002
- HammerFall — Crimson Thunder
- Dio (2) — Killing The Dragon
- Savatage — Handful Of Rain
- Manowar — An American Trilogy / The Fight For Freedom
- Jaguar (6) — Power Games - The Anthology
- Avenger (2) — Too Wild To Tame (The Anthology)
- Angeles Del Infierno — Pacto Con El Diablo
- Iron Maiden — Rock In Rio
- Allied Forces (2) — The Forces Strike Back
- Blacklace — 1 Unlaced, 2 Get It While It's Hot
2001
2000
- Dio (2) — Magica
- King Diamond — House Of God
- Crimson Glory — War Of The Worlds
- Rage Against The Machine — Renegades
- Iron Maiden — Iron Maiden / Killers
- Metalium — State Of Triumph - Chapter Two
- Ian Parry — Shadowman
- Jack Starr's Burning Starr* — Rock The American Way
- Angel Witch — Angel Witch
- Demon (4) — The Best Of Demon (Volume One)
The 1990s
1999
- Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra* — S&M
- W.A.S.P. — Helldorado
- Diamond Head (2) — The Best Of Diamond Head
- Riot (4) — Sons Of Society
- Narnia — Long Live The King
- Grip Inc. — Solidify
- Evil (8) / Sortilège — Two Legendaries E.P'S
- Various — The Maiden Years - Tribute To Iron Maiden
- Commandment — Engraved In Stone
- Goddess Of Desire — Symbol Of Triumph
1998
1997
- Metallica — Reload
- Ozzy Osbourne — The Ozzman Cometh
- Mercyful Fate — The Bell Witch
- Anvil — Absolutely No Alternative
- Manowar — Hail To England
- Megadeth — Trust
- HIM (2) — Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666
- Mercyful Fate — The Curse Of Evil
- Tokyo Blade — Tokyo Blade
- Face Down (2) — The Twisted Rule The Wicked
1996
- Iced Earth — The Dark Saga
- Black Sabbath — Live Evil
- Saxon — Denim And Leather
- Metallica — Mama Said
- Metallica — Hero Of The Day
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Morgana Lefay — Maleficium
- Iron Maiden — The Eternal Flame
- Bruce Dickinson — Skunkworks
- Iron Maiden = アイアン・メイデン* — Best Of The Beast = ベスト・オブ・ザ・ビースト
1995
1994
- Mercyful Fate — Time
- Black Sabbath — Cross Purposes
- Running Wild — Under Jolly Roger
- Megadeth — Youthanasia
- Manowar — Best Of Manowar - The Hell Of Steel
- Saxon — Solid Ball Of Rock
- Armored Saint — Saints Will Conquer
- Barren Cross — Rattle Your Cage
- Legion* — Knights Of Cross
- Iron Maiden — Iron Maiden
1993
- Accept — Objection Overruled
- Iron Maiden — Hallowed Be Thy Name
- Metal Church — Hanging In The Balance
- Metallica — Metallica
- Metallica — ...And Justice For All
- Manowar — Metal Warriors
- Metallica — Sad But True
- Riot (4) — Nightbreaker
- Iron Maiden — A Real LIVE One
- Metallica — 15 Pieces Of Live Shit: Binge & Purge
1992
1991
- Metallica — The Unforgiven
- Crimson Glory — Strange And Beautiful
- Ozzy Osbourne — No More Tears
- Anthrax — Attack Of The Killer B's
- Yngwie Malmsteen — The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection
- Blind Guardian — Follow The Blind
- Metallica — Seek And Destroy
- Judas Priest — British Steel
- Helloween — Kids Of The Century
- Helloween — The Best - The Rest - The Rare
1990
- Judas Priest — British Steel
- Iron Maiden — No Prayer For The Dying
- Judas Priest — Painkiller
- Gwar — Scumdogs Of The Universe
- Iron Maiden — The First Ten Years
- Metallica — Creeping Death / Jump In The Fire
- Pokolgép — Koncertlemez
- Samson (3) — Live At Reading '81
- Racer X — Street Lethal
- Mercyful Fate — Melissa
The 1980s
1989
1988
- Vicious Rumors — Digital Dictator
- Judas Priest — Ram It Down
- Helloween — Walls Of Jericho
- Marty Friedman — Dragon's Kiss
- Ozzy Osbourne — No Rest For The Wicked
- Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force — Odyssey
- Helloween — I Want Out
- Satan — Into The Future
- Genocide (Nippon)* — Black Sanctuary
- Noisehunter — Spell Of Noise
1987
- Black Sabbath — The Eternal Idol
- Iron Maiden — The Number Of The Beast
- Armored Saint — Raising Fear
- W.A.S.P. — Live...Animal
- Paul Di'anno's Battlezone — Children Of Madness
- Chastain — The 7th Of Never
- Metallica — The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited
- Ozzy Osbourne — Randy Rhoads Tribute
- Obsession (6) — Methods Of Madness
- Iron Maiden — Powerslave
1986
1985
- Accept — Metal Heart
- Warlock (2) — Hellbound
- Omen (3) — Warning Of Danger
- Ozzy Osbourne — The Other Side Of Ozzy Osbourne
- Universe (5) — Universe
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Virtue (5) — We Stand To Fight
- Heavy Load (2) — Monsters Of The Night
- Saigon (9) — One Must Die
- Harppia — A Ferro E Fogo
1984
- ATC (3) — Cut In Ice
- Holland (8) — Early Warning
- Judas Priest — Defenders Of The Faith
- Spartan Warrior — Spartan Warrior
- Motörhead — No Remorse
- Judas Priest — Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (Live Version)
- Blacklist (5) — The Sign Of 4
- Danger Zone (4) — Victim Of Time
- Mercyful Fate — Don't Break The Oath
- Tokyo Blade — Midnight Rendezvous
1983
1982
1981
- Ozzy Osbourne — Diary Of A Madman
- Judas Priest — Point Of Entry
- Iron Maiden — Maiden Japan
- Diamond Head (2) — Lightning To The Nations
- Black Sabbath — Mob Rules
- Praying Mantis (3) — Time Tells No Lies
- Ozzy Osbourne — Over The Mountain
- Vardis — The World's Insane
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Crazy Nights
- Tygers Of Pan Tang — Spellbound
The 1970s
1979
- AC/DC — Highway to Hell Read →
- Iron Maiden — The Soundhouse Tapes
- Judas Priest — Hell Bent For Leather
- Judas Priest — Unleashed In The East (Live In Japan)
- Motörhead — Overkill
- Riot (4) — Narita
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Witchfynde — Give 'Em Hell
- Motörhead — Motörhead
- 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
- Rainbow — Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny
- Judas Priest — Take On The World
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
- Moxy (2) — Ridin' High
- Rainbow — On Stage
- AC/DC — Grab Hold Of This One!
- Judas Priest — 裏切者の歌 = Deceiver
- Starz (2) — Sing It, Shout It
- ジューダス・プリースト* = Judas Priest — 異端からの反撃 = Dissident Aggressor
1976
- Black Sabbath — We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny
- Thin Lizzy — Jailbreak
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings Of Destiny = Tristes Alas Del Destino
- AC/DC — High Voltage
- AC/DC — High Voltage Rock'N'Roll
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
- Blue Öyster Cult — Secret Treaties
- Rush — Rush
- Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Attention! Black Sabbath Vol. 2
- 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
- Pentagram — Under My Thumb
- Jade (17) — Boodi Shakes Money / Paper Man
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
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Deep Purple — Machine Head
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath Vol 4
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Attention! Black Sabbath!
- Black Sabbath — Vol. 4
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath
- The Blue Öyster Cult* — Bootleg EP
- Dust (12) — Stone Woman
1971
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality (Amo De La Realidad)
- Black Sabbath — Iron Man
- Black Sabbath — Wicked World
- Black Sabbath — Sweet Leaf
- Black Sabbath — Paranoico
- ノヴェンバー* = November (3) — 明日への葬列 = Nobody's Hand To Hold
- Steppenwolf — Steppenwolf 7
1970
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid
- Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath
- Black Sabbath — Paranoïd / Rat Salad
- Black Sabbath — Paranoid / The Wizard
- The Stooges — I Wanna Be Your Dog / Ann
- Black Sabbath — Evil Woman = Mujer Perversa
- Black Sabbath — Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me / Wicked World
- Grand Funk Railroad — Sin's A Good Man's Brother
- Black Sabbath — Evil Woman
- Deep Purple — Deep Purple In Rock
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.