The Biggest Rock + Metal Moments of 1983

For some reason, the 1980s don’t feel like they were that long ago, but it’s been over 40 years since the decade of disco, big hair and glam started.

The year 1983, in particular, was imperative for the founding of thrash metal, as Metallica rounded out their official lineup and released their debut album Kill ‘Em All. Slayer also put out their first record Show No Mercy later that year, and Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth after he was fired from Metallica — so a lot happened on that front.

However, some other pivotal moments happened in the rock ‘n’ roll world, too. The members of KISS revealed their faces, without makeup, publicly for the first time about a decade after they played their very first show. A pretty well-known rocker killed his mother in the midst of a schizophrenic episode. A metal album became the very first to land at No. 1 on the albums chart.

We gathered some of the most pivotal rock and metal moments of 1983 so you can travel back and see what was happening in music 40 years ago. For the sake of keeping the list simple, band formations and album releases aren’t included — except for one, because it kick-started a whole genre of metal.

Scroll below to see what went down in the rock and metal world in 1983.

Top 80 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 1980s