Kronologija metala zajema pomembnejše dogodke v metalu, kot so ustanovitve in razpadi pomembnejših skupin, izdani albumi in drugi dogodki, ki so zaznamovali zgodovino metala. Seznam zajema dogodke iz poznih šestdesetih let 20. stoletja do sedanjosti in se ne omejuje striktno na metalski žanr.
1968 - 1969 - 1970 - 1971 - 1972 - 1973 - 1974 - 1975 - 1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979 - 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006
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1968 thumb|right|Koncert skupine Led Zeppelin leta 1975 v Chicagu Ustanovljene skupine Alice Cooper Deep Purple Led Zeppelin Rush
Albumi
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1969 Ustanovljene skupine Black Sabbath Uriah Heep
Albumi Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II The Who - Tommy
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Hard rock skupina The Who izda album Tommy, ki postane zgled za ostale izvajalce v tem žanru.
1970 Ustanovljene skupine
Albumi Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Black Sabbath - Paranoid Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1971 Ustanovljene skupine Queen
Albumi Black Sabbath - Master of Reality The Who - Who's Next Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV Alice Cooper - Love It to Death Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1972 Ustanovljene skupine
Albumi Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1973 Ustanovljene skupine AC/DC Bad Company
Albumi Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy Queen - Queen (album)
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1974 Ustanovljene skupine Twisted Sister Van Halen Y&T Albumi Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla Queen - Queen II Queen - Sheer Heart Attack Rush - Rush
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1975 Ustanovljene skupine Iron Maiden Motörhead Rainbow
Albumi Black Sabbath - Sabotage Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti Queen - A Night at the Opera Rush - Caress of Steel Rush - Fly by Night
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Lucas Fox, prvotni član skupine Motörhead zapusti skupino. Nasledi ga Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.
1976 Ustanovljene skupine Quiet Riot Running Wild
Albumi Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny\ Led Zeppelin - Presence Queen - A Day at the Races Rush - 2112
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Kitarist "Fast" Eddie Clark se pridruži skupini Motörhead, Larry Wallis pa skupino zapusti po mesecu dni.
1977 Ustanovljene skupine Def Leppard
Albumi Motörhead - Motörhead Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever Rush - A Farewell to Kings
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1978 Ustanovljene skupine Dokken Whitesnake
Albumi Judas Priest - Stained Class Rush - Hemispheres Van Halen - Van Halen
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Bobnar Rick Allen se pri 15 letih pridruži skupini Def Leppard kot stalni bobnar.
1979 Ustanovljene skupine Venom
Albumi AC/DC - Highway to Hell Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East Motörhead - On Parole Motörhead - Overkill Motörhead - Bomber Van Halen - Van Halen II
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Ozzy Osbourne zapusti skupino Black Sabbath.
1980 Ustanovljene skupine Manowar
Albumi AC/DC - Back in Black Angel Witch - Angel Witch Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell Motörhead - Ace of Spades Van Halen - Women and Children First Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Bon Scott, pevec skupine AC/DC, umre 19. februarja pri 33 letih zaradi popivanja. Dennis Stratton, kitarist skupine Iron Maiden, zapusti skupino. Nadomesti ga Adrian Smith.
1981 Ustanovljene skupine DDark Angel Metallica Slayer
Albumi Iron Maiden - Killers Mötley Crüe - Too Fast For Love Motörhead - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith Rush - Moving Pictures Van Halen - Fair Warning
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1982 Ustanovljene skupine Death Angel Napalm Death Pantera W.A.S.P.
Albumi Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast Judas Priest - Screamin' for Vengeance Motörhead - Iron Fist Quiet Riot - Metal Health Rush - Signals Twisted Sister - Under the Blade Van Halen - Diver Down Y&T - Black Tiger
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Album skupine Iron Maiden The Number Of The Beast postane prvi metalski album, ki doseže prvo mesto na angleških glasbenih lestvicah. Kitarist Motörheadov "Fast" Eddie Clarke zapusti skupino; nasledi ga Brian Robertson, bivši član skupine Thin Lizzy. Skupino Iron Maiden zapusti pevec Paul Di'Anno, zaradi prevelike ljubezni do alkohola ter drog. Nadomesti ga Bruce Dickinson, ki nastopi na albumu The Number of the Beast, ter postane eden najpomembnejsih "frontmanov" v metalu na svetu. Metal Health, album skupine Quiet Riot, postane prvi metalski album, ki doseže prvo mesto na Billboardovi glasbeni lestvici v ZDA, kjer ga nasledijo albumi skupin Twisted Sister, Mötley Crue in Judas Priest. Singel skupine Judas Priest - You've Got Another Thing Comin', postane prvi metalski singel, ki se prebije med prvih dvajset singlov Billboardove glasbene lestvice. Skupino Iron Maiden zapusti pevec Paul Di'Anno, zaradi prevelike ljubezni do alkohola ter drog. Nadomesti ga Bruce Dickinson, ki nastopi na albumu The Number Of The Beast, ter postane eden najpomembnejših "frontmanov" v metalu na svetu.
1983 Ustanovljene skupine Death Helloween Mayhem Megadeth Metal Church
Albumi AC/DC - Flick of the Switch Def Leppard - Pyromania Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind Metallica - Kill 'Em All Motörhead - Another Perfect Day
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Proti koncu leta bobnar Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor in kitarist Brian Robertson zapustita Motörhead. Skupina nadaljuje v novi, 4-članski postavi (Kilmister/Campbell/Burston/Gill). Skupino Iron Maiden zapusti bobnar Clive Burr. Nadomesti ga Nicko McBrian, ki prvič nastopi na albumu Piece of Mind.
1984 Ustanovljene skupine Sepultura Soundgarden
Albumi Dokken - Tooth And Nail Iron Maiden - Powerslave Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Rising Force Metallica - Ride The Lightning Motörhead - No Remorse Quiet Riot - Condition Critical Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry Van Halen - 1984 Steve Vai - Flex-Able W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Bobnar Def Leppardov Rick Allen zgubi roko v avtomobilski nesreči na 31. december.
1985 Ustanovljene skupine Carcass Guns n' Roses
Albumi Anthrax - Spreading the Disease Dokken - Under Lock And Key Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Marching Out Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! Metal Church - Metal Church Y&T - Down for the Count Iron Maiden - Live After Death
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki Pevec skupine Van Halen David Lee Roth zapusti skupino in začne solo kariero. Nasledi ga Sammy Hagar.
1986 Ustanovljene skupine
Albumi Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time Judas Priest - Turbo Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Trilogy Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? Metallica - Master of Puppets Motörhead - Orgasmatron Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin Slayer - Reign in Blood Van Halen - 5150
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki 27. septembra umre na Švedskem 24-letni basist Metallice Cliff Burton.
1987 Ustanovljene skupine Alice in Chains Bolt Thrower Danzig
Albumi Alice Cooper - Constrictor Anthrax - Among the Living Anthrax - I'm the Man (EP) Death - Scream Bloody Gore Def Leppard - Hysteria Dokken - Back For The Attack Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction Judas Priest - Priest.... Live Metal Church - The Dark Motörhead - Rock 'n' Roll Napalm Death - Scum Overkill - Taking Over Joe Satriani - Surfing With the Alien Soundgarden - Scraming Life Testament - The Legacy White Lion - Pride Y&T - Contagious
Razpadle skupine Twisted Sister
Dogodki Iron Maiden nastopijo na festivalu v Donningtonu Monsters of Rock, skupaj z KISS, Guns n' Roses, Dokken, Whitesnake and Helloween. Motörheadov bobnar Pete Gill zapusti skupino. Nasledi ga bivši član Phil Taylor.
1988 Ustanovljene skupine Skid Row Nine Inch Nails
Albumi AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video Alice Cooper - Raise Your Fist And Yell Anthrax - State of Euphoria Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn Danzig - Danzig Death - Leprosy Dokken - Beast From The East Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Odyssey Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What Metallica - ...And Justice for All Motörhead - No Sleep At All Overkill - Under the Influence Soundgarden - Fopp Soundgarden - Ultramega OK Testament - The New Order Van Halen - OU812 Iron Maiden - 7th Son of a 7th Son
Razpadle skupine
Dogodki
1989 Ustanovljene skupine Dark Tranquillity
Albumi Alice Cooper - Trash Bolt Thrower - Realm Of Chaos - Slaves To Darkness Faith No More - The Real Thing Great White - ...Twice Shy Richie Kotzen - Richie Kotzen Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Trial By Fire: Live in Leningrad Metal Church - Blessing in Disguise Mr. Big - Mr. Big Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine Overkill - The Years of Decay Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest for the Wicked Primus - Suck on This Rush - A Show of Hands Rush - Presto Joe Satriani - Flying in a Blue Dream Sepultura - Beneath the Remains Skid Row - Skid Row Soundgarden - Flower Soundgarden - Louder Than Love Testament - Practice What You Preach W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children White Lion - Big Game
Razpadle skupine Dokken
Dogodki
1990 Ustanovljene skupine At the Gates Fear Factory Infectious Grooves In Flames Kyuss Lamb of God Pearl Jam Opeth Tool
Albumi AC/DC - The Razor's Edge Alice in Chains - Facelift Anthrax - Persistence of Time Death - Spiritual healing Death Angel - Act III Extreme - Pornograffiti Richie Kotzen - Fever Dream Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Eclipse Monster Magnet - Monster Magnet Pantera - Cowboys From Hell Primus - Frizzle Fry Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss Soundgarden - Screaming Life/Fopp Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare Testament - Souls of Black Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying
Razpadle skupine Quiet Riot
Dogodki Skupino Iron Maiden zapusti dolgoletni kitarist Adrian Smith. kupini se pridruži Janick Gers, ki zaslovi kot "akrobat s kitaro", saj je njegova kitara povsot... Prvič nastopi na albumu No Prayer for the Dying.
1991 Ustanovljene skupine Rage Against the Machine
Albumi Anthrax - Attack of the Killer B's Bolt Thrower - War Master Death - Human Great White - Hooked Infectious Grooves - The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves Richie Kotzen - Electric Joy Kyuss - Wretch Yngwie J. Malmsteen - The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection Metal Church - The Human Factor Metallica - Metallica Monster Magnet - Spine of God Motörhead - 1916 Mr. Big - Lean Into It Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears Pearl Jam - Ten Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese Rush - Roll the Bones Sepultura - Arise Skid Row - Slave to the Grind Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Razpadle skupine Death Angel
Dogodki Freddie Mercury, pevec skupine Queen umre 22. novembra, za posledicami AIDS-a. Drugi album skupine Skid Row's - Slave to the Grind, postane prvi in edini prvouvrščeni klasični heavy metal album na Billboardovi glasbeni lestvici, v thrash metalu pa to uspe Metallici z istoimenskim albumom Metallica (Black Album).
1992 Ustanovljene skupine Edguy
Albumi Guns n' Roses - Use your illusion Alice in Chains - Dirt Alice in Chains - Sap Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade Def Leppard - Adrenalize Faith No More - Angel Dust Fear Factory - Soul of a New Machine Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Fire and Ice Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction Monster Magnet - 25............Tab Motörhead - March or Die Nine Inch Nails - Broken