1970s Metal & Hard Rock Albums

Highway to Hell turns AC/DC’s stripped-down rock-and-roll language into a statement with global scale.

Accept presents the raw, heated blueprint of the hard-edged heavy metal the band would later refine.

Night in the Ruts puts Aerosmith’s blues-rooted grit, street-level swagger and raw nervous energy in the foreground.

Head Games finds Foreigner preserving its gift for polished melody while pushing further into hard, muscular arena rock.

Evolution keeps Journey’s hard-rock momentum while moving toward larger, more open melodies and choruses.

Dynasty keeps the central pleasures of Kiss intact—big hooks, solid rhythm, memorable guitar figures and a taste for theatrical release—while letting disco…

In Through the Out Door, Led Zeppelin's eighth album, turns from guitar-led hard rock to a broader palette of keyboards and deep grooves.

Bomber, released by Bronze in October 1979, was the band's second album of that year and reached No. 12 in the UK. Official videos exist for the title track, "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "Poison".

Recorded in 1975 and 1976, On Parole should have been Motörhead's first album. The label shelved it, and it did not appear until November 1979, by which time the band were established.

Motörhead's second album, released by Bronze in March 1979 and a UK No. 24. Lars Ulrich of Metallica has named the double bass drums on its title track as what made him want to play that way.

Down to Earth channels Rainbow’s sharp hard-rock attack and dramatic instincts into songs that arrive more directly and immediately.

Narita joins direct riffs, sharp twin guitars and Guy Speranza’s high, urgent voice in an early Riot statement.

Street Machine finds Sammy Hagar with guitar in hand, joining direct rock-and-roll drive to his high, open vocal power.

Saxon's first album, released by Carrere in May 1979 under a name the band had taken only the year before. It is the record of a group still finding the sound it would define a year later.

Lovedrive brings Scorpions’ cutting riffs, wistful melodic sense and dramatic vocal character into an especially focused hard-rock statement.

Black Rose: A Rock Legend joins Thin Lizzy’s hard-rock power, Irish feeling and narrative gift with unusual naturalness.

Hydra shows Toto using exceptional instrumental command not as an end in itself, but as a way to create distinct colors and stories from song to song.

Van Halen II keeps the explosive charge of the debut while placing more open melodies, lighter hooks and a buoyant party spirit at the center.

Lovehunter, WHITESNAKE's second album, centers on the blues, David Coverdale's soulful voice and the twin guitars of Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden.

Powerage captures AC/DC at its most direct and concentrated. Angus and Malcolm Young do not need elaborate ornament to create momentum; the riffs are short…

Never Say Die! finds BLACK SABBATH stepping beyond their usual world of monolithic riffs and oppressive weight.

Don’t Look Back presents the immense guitar sound and crystalline vocal harmonies that BOSTON established on its debut in a shorter, more tightly focused form.

Double Vision sharpens FOREIGNER’s identity as an arena-scale hard-rock band by joining durable riffs, Lou Gramm’s powerful voice and meticulously shaped…

Dog & Butterfly sets a harder first half against a more lyrical second side, carefully drawing out Heart’s two contrasting strengths.

Infinity captures Journey at the moment Steve Perry’s clear, powerful voice redirected the band toward larger melodies.

Released in the United Kingdom as Killing Machine and known in the United States as Hell Bent for Leather, this 1978 JUDAS PRIEST album preserves the sharp…

Stained Class brings together JUDAS PRIEST’s twin guitars, cutting rhythms and Rob Halford’s extraordinary range in a concentrated statement of heavy metal’s…

Ace Frehley works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Gene Simmons works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Paul Stanley works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Peter Criss works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Queen's seventh album, released in November 1978: their first made outside Britain, with Roy Thomas Baker back as co-producer, across 13 songs.

Long Live Rock ’N’ Roll brings Ritchie Blackmore’s incisive guitar playing and Ronnie James Dio’s dramatic vocal storytelling together at a particularly high…

Hemispheres is a 1978 RUSH album that ventures deeply into progressive rock without losing the memorable riffs and forward motion that keep its large-scale…

Toto’s debut brings together the technical command of veteran session players and the immediate pull of pop songwriting.

Obsession, recorded in Los Angeles and released by Chrysalis in June 1978, was Michael Schenker's last UFO studio album until his 1993 return.

Van Halen is a debut from 1978 that already presents the group with near-finished force.

Trouble by WHITESNAKE: track list, album artwork, music videos and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Struck Down captures the band, still billed as Yesterday & Today, pushing a direct hard-rock attack.

Let There Be Rock captures AC/DC valuing the heat of a band playing together over studio decoration.

Draw the Line sets Aerosmith’s dirty blues instinct against the urgent push of hard rock.

Foreigner’s debut shapes Mick Jones’s firm guitar riffs and Lou Gramm’s powerful, soulful voice into songs with immediate impact.

Little Queen joins heavy guitar riffing and bold melody through Ann Wilson’s overwhelming vocal force.

Magazine preserves the heat of early Heart while carrying the complicated history of an unfinished initial release during a contract dispute.

Next captures Journey while the group still leaned strongly toward instrumental exploration, joining progressive movement to hard-rock drive.

Sin After Sin connects cutting guitar riffs, Rob Halford’s wide vocal range and aggressive rhythm, giving heavy metal a clearer outline.

Love Gun joins KISS’s theatrical scale to songs strong enough to stand without any extra framing.

Motörhead's debut album, released by Chiswick in August 1977 as WIK 2 and a UK No. 43. Eight tracks, and the first record by the three-piece of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor.

Queen's sixth album, released in October 1977: made in about ten weeks, it opens with "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".

Rock City puts Riot’s sharp twin guitars, forceful rhythm and Guy Speranza’s high voice directly in front.

A Farewell to Kings keeps Rush’s hard-rock momentum while opening the music to a larger sense of story and space.

Musical Chairs by SAMMY HAGAR: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Sammy Hagar centers on thick guitar, straight-ahead beat and Hagar’s powerful voice to make unadorned hard rock.

Taken by Force finds Scorpions pursuing both hard-rock sharpness and more dramatic melody.

Bad Reputation condenses Thin Lizzy’s short, forceful riffs, springing rhythm and Phil Lynott’s distinctive storytelling.

UFO's sixth album, released in May 1977, their first with producer Ron Nevison and Paul Raymond, reached No. 54 in the UK and No. 23 in the US.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap uses AC/DC’s thick riffs and brazen humor to their fullest through Bon Scott’s conversational delivery.

High Voltage presents AC/DC’s early material to an international audience through the band’s most direct rock-and-roll language.

Rocks keeps Aerosmith’s dirty blues roots but sharpens the playing and dangerous tension to an extreme.

Technical Ecstasy builds on Black Sabbath’s established weight while reaching toward keyboards, more complex structures and changing melodic shapes.

Boston’s debut is driven by Tom Scholz’s layered guitars and detailed studio work, cut through by Brad Delp’s high, clear voice.

Look into the Future comes from Journey’s more exploratory period, before the band settled into its later arena-rock identity.

Sad Wings of Destiny finds Judas Priest beginning to define heavy metal in its own language.

Destroyer keeps KISS’s raw rock-and-roll energy but pushes it into more dramatic arrangements and a stronger sense of story.

Rock and Roll Over follows the dramatic construction of Destroyer by returning KISS to more direct, physical rock and roll.

Presence strips away much of Led Zeppelin’s decoration and centers its force on Jimmy Page’s guitar and John Bonham’s drumming.

Queen's fifth album, released in December 1976: their first self-produced record, closing with a song sung partly in Japanese for their fans there.

Rising rebuilds Rainbow with a new lineup and turns Ritchie Blackmore’s hard riffs and Ronnie James Dio’s fantasy-driven voice into a larger story.

2112 joins Rush’s large-scale storytelling to the focused power of three musicians.

Nine on a Ten Scale gives Sammy Hagar his first clear solo identity after leaving Montrose.

Virgin Killer joins Scorpions’ hard-rock attack to Uli Jon Roth’s fluid, classically colored guitar sense.

Jailbreak finds Thin Lizzy using Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham’s twin guitars not simply for technique, but as a force that moves each song forward.

Johnny the Fox expands Thin Lizzy’s storytelling and tonal range after the success of Jailbreak.

UFO's fifth album, released in May 1976, added ex-Heavy Metal Kids keyboard player Danny Peyronel and was Leo Lyons's third production for the band.

Yesterday and Today captures the band later known as Y&T playing Bay Area hard rock with direct commitment on its debut.

High Voltage (Australian) captures AC/DC at a point where the later image is not yet fully fixed.

T.N.T. is an extremely important early work that shot AC/DC to stardom in Australia.

Toys in the Attic joins Aerosmith’s blues-rooted roughness to sharper riffs and more immediate melodies.

Sabotage keeps Black Sabbath’s thick, heavy riffs at the center while widening the sound through sudden shifts, keyboards and stacked voices.

Come Taste the Band is Deep Purple's tenth album, with Tommy Bolin in place of Ritchie Blackmore and more funk, soul and blues in its heavy rock.

Dreamboat Annie is Heart’s debut, joining the softness of acoustic guitar, hard-rock force and beautiful vocal harmony.

Journey is the band’s debut from before it moved toward the large-chorus style of its later years.

Dressed to Kill keeps KISS’s early raw energy while sharpening it into more compact, memorable songs.

Physical Graffiti lets Led Zeppelin move freely through heavy riffs, blues, funk and acoustic shadow across a double album.

Queen's fourth album, released in November 1975: twelve songs recorded in six studios, "Bohemian Rhapsody" among them, and their first UK No. 1.

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow is the debut in which Ritchie Blackmore, newly away from Deep Purple, met Ronnie James Dio’s rich voice and gave hard rock a mythic color.

Caress of Steel takes Rush further away from blues-based hard rock and puts long structures and fantasy-driven storytelling at the front.

Fly by Night finds Rush gaining a new language through the arrival of Neil Peart.

In Trance moves Scorpions away from the longer progressive turns of its earliest work and toward tighter, sharper hard rock.

Fighting finds Thin Lizzy making a harder, more identifiable sound around Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson’s twin guitars.

UFO's fourth album, released in July 1975 and produced by Leo Lyons, was their first to reach the US chart, peaking at No. 71 on the Billboard 200.

Get Your Wings finds Aerosmith keeping the raw charge of its debut while taking a major step forward in songwriting, playing, and sound.

Burn is the opening statement of Deep Purple’s Mark III lineup, with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes turning a personnel change into fresh momentum rather…

Stormbringer takes the Mark III Deep Purple sound beyond the framework of traditional hard rock and captures the individual instincts of its members in…

Rocka Rolla is Judas Priest’s debut, recorded before the band had fully forged the steel-like heavy-metal identity for which it later became known.

Hotter Than Hell keeps the debut album’s direct momentum but moves KISS into a darker, heavier, more humid sound world.

Kiss captures KISS before the giant stage productions and worldwide fame, reducing the distinct personalities of four musicians to short, sharp rock-and-roll…

Queen's second album, released in March 1974: a Side White led by Brian May, a Side Black all Freddie Mercury's, and No. 5 in Britain.

Queen's third album, from November 1974: recorded in four studios around Brian May's illness, it reached No. 2 in Britain, as did "Killer Queen".

Rush is the debut on which the group that would later build elaborate suites and conceptual worlds first appears as a direct, hard-rocking three-piece.

Fly to the Rainbow finds Scorpions before its later, streamlined heavy-metal identity, using Uli Jon Roth’s fluid guitar to blend psychedelic space, blues…

Nightlife is Thin Lizzy’s fourth album and the point at which Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson begin building the twin-guitar foundation of the band’s later…

UFO's third album and first for Chrysalis, released in May 1974, introduced Michael Schenker and gave the band "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom".

Aerosmith begins with the rough feel of blues rock, yet it already reveals the streetwise instinct and vocal power that would support the band’s later success.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is a turning point in which Black Sabbath keep the heavy-riff core of their first four albums while expanding their sense of…

Who Do We Think We Are finds Deep Purple retaining the tension and virtuosity of its classic lineup while letting the members collide inside tighter, more…

Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin's fifth album, moves easily beyond heavy blues rock with varied rhythms, layered arrangements and a sense of play.

Queen's debut, released in July 1973: recorded in Trident's spare studio hours, with "Keep Yourself Alive", "Liar" and no synthesizers.

Vagabonds of the Western World captures Thin Lizzy before the later twin-guitar style was fully formed, moving freely among blues, folk, soul and hard rock…

Vol. 4 is Black Sabbath’s fourth album, a record that keeps the band’s heavy, ominous riff language intact while greatly widening its palette of tone…

Machine Head is a defining Deep Purple album from the Mark II lineup, joining riff, improvisation, vocal power, and groove with astonishing economy.

Lonesome Crow is the Scorpions debut, far removed from the sharp melodic hard rock the band would later make its own.

Shades of a Blue Orphanage is Thin Lizzy’s second album, made before the later twin-guitar attack and city-bred rock-and-roll identity had fully arrived.

Master of Reality is Black Sabbath’s third album, and the record that fixes heaviness not as simple volume but as low-slung resonance, deliberate space, and…

Fireball finds Deep Purple’s Mark II lineup building on the fierce hard-rock language established on In Rock while testing speed, blues, folk-like quiet, and…

Led Zeppelin IV is the band's fourth album and its signature work, joining hard rock, blues and British folk on a grand scale.

Thin Lizzy is the debut made by the trio of Phil Lynott, Eric Bell, and Brian Downey before the band reached the twin-guitar attack and fast-moving hard rock…

UFO's second album, issued by Beacon in 1971, is a self-produced space-rock record built around the long "Star Storm" and "Flying".

Black Sabbath is the debut on which Black Sabbath replaces rock’s usual sense of celebration with menace, slow-dropping riffs, and the weight of silence.

Paranoid takes the heavy, dark atmosphere Black Sabbath uncovered on its debut and sharpens it into shorter, more direct songs with distinct identities.

Deep Purple in Rock is the record on which Deep Purple’s Mark II lineup turns decisively away from the earlier phase that crossed psychedelic ideas with…

Led Zeppelin III preserves the electric force of Led Zeppelin’s first two albums while moving much further into acoustic instruments, folk texture, and quiet space.

UFO's debut album, released by Beacon Records in October 1970, with Mick Bolton on guitar and three covers among its ten songs.