1971 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1971.

Bands formed

 * Aquelarre
 * Buffalo
 * Camel
 * Captain Beyond
 * Cirith Ungol
 * Color Humano
 * Foghat
 * The Flying Hat Band
 * GoodThunder
 * Hard Stuff
 * Jo Jo Gunne
 * Manfred Mann's Earth Band
 * Molly Hatchet
 * New York Dolls
 * Pentagram
 * Pescado Rabioso
 * White Witch

Bands disbanded

 * Blue Cheer (reformed in 1974)
 * Derek and the Dominos
 * Iron Butterfly (reformed in 1974)
 * The Stooges

Deaths

 * October 29 – Howard Duane Allman, founder and guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band, died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24.

Albums

 * Sir Lord Baltimore – Sir Lord Baltimore