1970 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1970.

Bands formed

 * A Foot in Coldwater
 * Aerosmith
 * Babe Ruth
 * Bakery
 * Bang
 * Blackfeather
 * Blast (Belgium)
 * Fuzzy Duck
 * Heart
 * Help
 * Il Rovescio della Medaglia
 * Irish Coffee
 * Kahvas Jute
 * Kin Ping Meh
 * Load Control (Belgium)
 * Lucifer's Friend
 * Mahogany Rush
 * Murasaki (Japan)
 * Necromandus
 * Night Sun
 * Paladin
 * Patto
 * Pink Fairies
 * Queen
 * Rail
 * Road
 * Speed, Glue & Shinki
 * Suck
 * T2
 * Toad
 * Warhorse

Bands disbanded

 * Jimi Hendrix Experience
 * Vanilla Fudge

Events

 * In the November 12, 1970 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, music journalist Mike Saunders coined the term "heavy metal" while reviewing Humble Pie's debut album, As Safe as Yesterday Is.
 * Vocalist Klaus Meine and guitarist Michael Schenker, younger brother of Rudolf Schenker, joined Scorpions.

Deaths

 * September 18 – James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix died at the age of 27.