# 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
* 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.
| Preceded by1980 | Heavy Metal Timeline 1981 | Succeeded by1982 |