# 1977 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1977.

## Bands formed

* 707
* 44 Magnum
* Bad Brains
* Barnabas
* Black Death
* Death SS
* Dedringer
* Def Leppard (as Atomic Mass)
* Discharge
* Divlje Jagode
* Dokken
* Gordi
* Gravestone
* Great White
* Holocaust
* The Hunt
* Kix
* Manilla Road
* Misfits
* Oz
* Perfect
* Quartz
* Ram Jam
* Rapid Tears
* Rock Goddess
* Saga
* Samson
* Sarcofagus
* Stress
* TKO
* Törr
* Trance
* Trust
* Vatreni Poljubac
* Zarpa

## Bands disbanded

* Buffalo
* James Gang
* Lynyrd Skynyrd
* Montrose
* T. Rex

## Events

* October 20 – Six people were killed in a tragic plane crash, including Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and vocalist Cassie Gaines.
* Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne abruptly quit Black Sabbath due to his dissatisfaction with the band's recent albums. He was replaced by Dave Walker.
* Drummer Herman Rarebell joined Scorpions, replacing Rudy Lenners.

## Deaths

* April 1 – Joachim "Achim" Kirchhoff, original bassist of Scorpions, died from alcoholism-related complications at the age of 28.
* September 16 – Marc Bolan, founder, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist of T. Rex, died from injuries sustained in a car accident at the age of 29.
* October 20 – Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant, founding member, lyricist and lead vocalist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a plane crash at the age of 29.
* October 20 – Steven Earl "Steve" Gaines, guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a plane crash at the age of 28.
* October 20 – Cassie LaRue Gaines, Steve Gaines' sister and vocalist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a plane crash at the age of 29.

## Albums
### January

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 7 | The Runaways | Queens of Noise |
| 10 | Ramones | Leave Home |
| | Sammy Hagar | Sammy Hagar |

### February

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 11 | Jethro Tull | Songs from the Wood |
| | Angel | On Earth as It Is in Heaven |

### March

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 8 | Foreigner | Foreigner |
| 21 | AC/DC | Let There Be Rock (Australia/New Zealand version) |

### April

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 8 | Judas Priest | Sin After Sin |
| 8 | The Clash | The Clash |
| 29 | Alice Cooper | Lace and Whiskey |
| 29 | Krokus | To You All |
| | Sweet | Off the Record |

### May

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 13 | Ted Nugent | Cat Scratch Fever |
| | Heart | Little Queen |
| | Quartz | Quartz |
| | UFO | Lights Out |

### June

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 20 | Ram Jam | Ram Jam |
| 30 | Kiss | Love Gun |
| | Buffalo | Average Rock 'n' Roller |

### July

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 7 | Rainbow | On Stage (live) |
| 7 | Styx | The Grand Illusion |
| 25 | Bow Wow | Signal Fire |

### August

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 12 | Motörhead | Motörhead |
| 29 | Rush | A Farewell to Kings |
| | Taste | Knights of Love |

### September

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 2 | Thin Lizzy | Bad Reputation |

### October

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 7 | The Runaways | Waitin' for the Night |
| 10 | Sammy Hagar | Musical Chairs |
| 14 | Kiss | Alive II |
| 17 | Lynyrd Skynyrd | Street Survivors |
| 21 | Meat Loaf | Bat Out of Hell |
| 28 | Queen | News of the World |

### November

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 3 | Triumph | Rock & Roll Machine |
| 4 | Ramones | Rocket to Russia |
| 10 | Riot | Rock City |
| | Blue Öyster Cult | Spectres |
| | Nazareth | Expect No Mercy |
| | Uriah Heep | Innocent Victim |

### December

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 1 | Bow Wow | Charge |
| 9 | Aerosmith | Draw the Line |
| | Scorpions | Taken by Force |

### Unknown release date

| Artist | Album |
| Goddo | Goddo |
| Mass | Back To The Music |
| Moxy | Ridin' High |
| Thor | Keep the Dogs Away |