| By location |
|---|
| By genre |
| By topic |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| +... |
This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1978.
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Double Live Gonzo! | Ted Nugent | Live |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Stained Class | Judas Priest | |
| Van Halen | Van Halen | ||
| 17 | Impeckable | Budgie | |
| Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush – Live | Mahogany Rush | Live |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Long Live Rock 'n' Roll[2] | Rainbow | |
| 28 | Powerage[3] | AC/DC |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Live and Dangerous | Thin Lizzy | Live |
| 20 | Double Vision | Foreigner | |
| ? | Obsession | UFO | |
| Struck Down | Yesterday and Today |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Don't Look Back[4] | Boston | |
| Tokyo Tapes | Scorpions | Live | |
| ? | Kingdom of Madness | Magnum |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Molly Hatchet | Molly Hatchet | |
| 18 | Ace Frehley | Ace Frehley | |
| Gene Simmons | Gene Simmons | ||
| Paul Stanley | Paul Stanley | ||
| Peter Criss | Peter Criss | ||
| 29 | Never Say Die![5] | Black Sabbath | |
| ? | Snakebite | Whitesnake | LP |
| Some Enchanted Evening | Blue Öyster Cult | Live | |
| Weekend Warriors | Ted Nugent |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | If You Want Blood You've Got It | AC/DC | Live |
| 24 | Hemispheres | Rush | [6] |
| ? | Trouble | Whitesnake | Debut |
| Pain Killer | Krokus |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Killing Machine | Judas Priest | UK |
| 10 | Jazz | Queen | |
| ? | Rose Tattoo | Rose Tattoo |
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | From the Inside | Alice Cooper | |
| Quiet Riot II | Quiet Riot | Japan |