1981 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1981.

Newly formed bands

 * Anthrax
 * Beowülf
 * Black 'n Blue
 * Chateaux
 * Dark Angel
 * Easy Action
 * Icon
 * Jag Panzer
 * Jaguar
 * Kat
 * Kerber
 * Kick Axe
 * Killer Dwarfs
 * King's X (as Sneak Preview)
 * Leatherwolf
 * Leviticus
 * London
 * Loudness
 * Manowar
 * Mercyful Fate
 * Metallica
 * Mötley Crüe
 * Napalm Death
 * Oz


 * Pagan Altar
 * Pantera
 * Pretty Maids
 * Queensrÿche
 * Ratt
 * Rock Goddess
 * Rough Cutt
 * Running Wild
 * Saber Tiger
 * Sacred Rite
 * Saint
 * Savage Grace
 * Savatage
 * Show-Ya
 * Skitzo
 * Slayer
 * Sodom
 * Sortilège
 * Sound Barrier
 * Spider
 * Stampede
 * Steeler
 * Stormwitch
 * Suicidal Tendencies
 * Tesla
 * Tobruk
 * Turbo
 * Tytan
 * United
 * V8
 * Vandenberg
 * Vicious Rumors
 * Virgin Steele
 * Vixen
 * Vulcain
 * White Wolf
 * White Sister
 * Wild Dogs
 * Wrathchild America

Albums & EPs

 * AC/DC – For Those About to Rock We Salute You
 * Accept – Breaker
 * The Angels, aka Angel City – Night Attack
 * Anvil – Hard 'n' Heavy
 * April Wine – The Nature of the Beast
 * August Redmoon – Fools Are Never Alone (EP)
 * Barón Rojo – Larga vida al Rock and Roll
 * Black Angels – Hell Machine
 * Blackfoot – Marauder
 * Black Sabbath – Mob Rules
 * Blue Öyster Cult – Fire of Unknown Origin
 * Bow Wow – Hard Dog
 * Budgie – Nightflight
 * Bullet (Ger) – Execution
 * Bodine – Bodine
 * Graham Bonnet – Line-Up
 * Chinatown - Play it to Death (live)
 * Cirith Ungol – Frost and Fire
 * Clientelle – Destination Unknown
 * Alice Cooper – Special Forces
 * Danger (Bel) - Danger
 * Dark Star – Dark Star
 * Dedringer – Direct Line
 * Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry
 * Demon – Night of the Demon
 * Doc Holliday – Doc Holliday
 * Doc Holliday – Doc Holliday Rides Again
 * Dokken – Breakin' the Chains (Europe release)
 * E.F. Band – Last Laugh Is on You
 * Electric Sun – Fire Wind
 * Fargo – Frontpage Lover
 * Fist (Can) – Fleet Street, aka Thunder in Rock United
 * The Friday Rock Show - From BBC Radio 1 – (Compilation, various artists)
 * Gaskin – End of the World
 * Gillan – Future Shock
 * Gillan – Double Trouble
 * Girlschool – Hit and Run
 * Sammy Hagar – Standing Hampton
 * The Handsome Beasts – Beastiality
 * Hanoi Rocks – Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
 * Heavy Metal (soundtrack, various artists)
 * Heavy Load – Metal Conquest (EP)
 * Helix – White Lace & Black Leather
 * Holocaust – The Nightcomers
 * Iron Maiden – Killers
 * Iron Maiden – Maiden Japan (live EP)
 * Joan Jett – Bad Reputation
 * Judas Priest – Point of Entry
 * Killer – Ladykiller
 * KISS – Music from "The Elder"
 * KIX – Kix
 * Krokus – Hardware
 * Legend – Legend
 * Lips (Anvil) – Hard 'n' Heavy
 * Loosely Tight – Fightin' Society
 * Loudness – The Birthday Eve
 * Frank Marino – The Power of Rock'n'Roll
 * Mass (Ger) - Swiss Connection
 * Molly Hatchet – Take No Prisoners
 * More – Warhead
 * Mother's Finest – Iron Age
 * Mötley Crüe – Too Fast for Love
 * Motörhead – No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (Live)
 * Motörhead & Girlschool – St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (EP)
 * Nightwing – Something in the Air
 * No Bros – Heavy Metal Party
 * Ted Nugent – Intensities in 10 Cities (live)
 * Obús – Prepárate
 * Ocean – Ocean
 * Ozzy Osbourne – Diary of a Madman
 * Overdrive (Swe) – Reflexions (EP)
 * Picture – Picture
 * Picture – Heavy Metal Ears
 * Pat Benatar – Precious Time
 * Plasmatics – Beyond the Valley of 1984
 * Plasmatics – Metal Priestess (EP)
 * Praying Mantis – Time Tells No Lies
 * Rage (UK) – Out of Control
 * Rainbow – Difficult to Cure
 * Raven – Rock Until You Drop
 * Revolver – First Shot
 * Riot – Fire Down Under
 * The Rods – The Rods
 * Rose Tattoo – Assault & Battery
 * Rush – Moving Pictures
 * Rush – Exit...Stage Left (Live)
 * Samson – Shock Tactics
 * Santers – Shot Down in Flames
 * Saracen – Heroes, Saints & Fools
 * Saxon – Denim and Leather
 * Michael Schenker Group – MSG
 * 707 – The Second Album
 * Billy Squier – Don't Say No
 * Starfighters – Starfighters
 * Taipan – Taipan (EP)
 * Thin Lizzy – Renegade
 * 38 Special – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
 * Triumph – Allied Forces
 * Trust – Marche Ou Crève
 * Tygers of Pan Tang – Spellbound
 * Tygers of Pan Tang – Crazy Nights
 * UFO – The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent
 * Van Halen – Fair Warning
 * Vardis – The World's Insane
 * Venom – Welcome to Hell
 * Vic Vergat – Down to the Bone
 * Viva – What the Hell Is Going On
 * Warning – Warning
 * Wild Horses – Stand Your Ground
 * Whitesnake – Come an' Get It
 * Wishbone Ash - Number the Brave
 * Y&T – Earthshaker

Events

 * September: Iron Maiden's lead singer Paul Di'Anno leaves the band due to his heavy drinking, and is replaced by Bruce Dickinson.
 * November: AC/DC's album For Those About to Rock We Salute You is released.