This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1979.

• 220 Volt
• A II Z
• Atomkraft
• Axe
• Boss
• Chorny Kofe
• Cloven Hoof
• Crimson Glory
• Deep Machine
• Demon
• Europe
• Exodus
• Faith No More (as Sharp Young Men)
• Fallout
• Fishbone
• Girl
• Grim Reaper
• Hanoi Rocks
• Headpins
• Hollow Ground
• Icon
• Jaguar
• The Joe Perry Project
• Kat
• Killer
• Killing Joke
• Loverboy
• Nightmare
• Night Ranger
• Persian Risk
• Picture
• Pomaranča
• Saint Vitus
• Salem
• Satan
• Savatage (as Avatar)
• Michael Schenker Group
• Shark Island
• Sheriff
• Spinal Tap
• Sweet Savage
• Tokyo Blade
• Trouble
• TSA
• T.T. Quick
• V8
• Vicious Rumors
• Witchfinder General

• Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• The Runaways

• In the May issue of Sounds magazine, music journalist Geoff Barton wrote about the emerging scene at the Bandwagon Rock Club in Kingsbury, North London. It was in this article that the term "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" was first introduced, coined by Sounds editor Alan Lewis.
• Black Sabbath parted ways with lead singer Ozzy Osbourne due to his persistent drug abuse issues. He was replaced by Ronnie James Dio.
• Tensions within Aerosmith reached a boiling point when lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry engaged in a heated confrontation after a show in Cleveland, leading Perry to depart from the band.
• Dennis Stratton joined Iron Maiden as the second guitarist, while Clive Burr took over drumming duties, replacing Doug Sampson.
• Guitarist Michael Schenker departed from Scorpions, and Matthias Jabs was brought in as his permanent replacement.

• February 2 – John Simon Ritchie, better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, former bassist of Sex Pistols, died from a drug overdose at the age of 21.
• March 22 – Clayborn Pinkins, founding member and bassist of Black Death, was murdered by gunshot at the age of 25.
• June 21 – Angus William MacLise, original drummer of The Velvet Underground, died from hypoglycemia and pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 41.