1973 in heavy metal music explained

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1973.

Bands formed

• AC/DC
• Ace Frehley
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive
• Bad Company
• Cheap Trick
• The Dictators
• Edda Művek
  • Journey JPT Scare Band
• Kaipa
  • Kansas Kiss^[1]
• Lazy
• Mass (as Black Mass)
• Max Webster
• Montrose^[2]
• Primevil
• Quiet Riot
• Stray Dog
• Vardis
• Vitacit
• Witchfynde

Bands disbanded

• Flower Travellin' Band

Events

• Rob Halford became the new vocalist for Judas Priest, taking over from Al Atkins who departed at the end of 1972. John Hinch also joined the band as their drummer.
• Tensions within Deep Purple led to vocalist Ian Gillan leaving and bassist Roger Glover being let go, marking the end of the band's Mark II era. They were replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, respectively.
• Guitarist Michael Schenker left Scorpions and joined UFO, replacing Bernie Marsden.

Deaths

• Helmut Eisenhut, drummer of Scorpions.

Albums

January

Day	Artist	Album
5	Aerosmith	Aerosmith^[3]
12	Deep Purple	Who Do We Think We Are^[4]

February

Day	Artist	Album
7	Iggy and the Stooges	Raw Power
27	Alice Copper	Billion Dollar Babies
	Flower Travellin' Band	Make Up
	Blue Öyster Cult	Tyranny and Mutation^[5]
	Camel	Camel

March

Day	Artist	Album
1	Pink Floyd	The Dark Side of the Moon
23	King Crimson	Larks' Tongues in Aspic
28	Led Zeppelin	Houses of the Holy^[6]

May

Day	Artist	Album
11	Hawkwind	Space Ritual
	Wishbone Ash	Wishbone Four
18	Yes	Yessongs
	Nazareth	Razamanaz
	Edgar Broughton Band	Oora

June

Day	Artist	Album
	Bang	Music
	Budgie	Never Turn Your Back On a Friend^[7]

July

Day	Artist	Album
13	Jethro Tull	A Passion Play
	Queen	Queen I
	Grand Funk Railroad	We're an American Band

August

Day	Artist	Album
13	Lynyrd Skynyrd	(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)^[8]
	Buffalo	Volcanic Rock
	Golden Earring	Moontan

September

Day	Artist	Album
3	Uriah Heep	Sweet Freedom^[9]
21	Thin Lizzy	Vagabonds of the Western World
	James Gang	Bang
	The Amboy Dukes	Call of the Wild^[10]

October

Day	Artist	Album
17	Montrose	Montrose^[11]
26	The Who	Quadrophenia

November

Day	Artist	Album
9	Nazareth	Loud 'n' Proud
16	The Kinks
20	Alice Cooper	Muscle of Love^[12]
	Black Sabbath	Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
	Lucifer's Friend	I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer

December

Day	Artist	Album
7	Emerson, Lake & Palmer	Brain Salad Surgery
	Yes	Tales from Topographic Oceans

Notes and References

1. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4692|pure_url=yes}} Kiss Bio]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
2. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4946|pure_url=yes}} Montrose Bio]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
3. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r167|pure_url=yes}} Aerosmith]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
4. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r5335|pure_url=yes}} Who Do We Think We Are]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
5. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r30965|pure_url=yes}} Tyranny and Mutation]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
6. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r11464|pure_url=yes}} Houses of the Holy]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
7. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r31821|pure_url=yes}} Never Turn Your Back on a Friend]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
8. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12120|pure_url=yes}} Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
9. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r20892|pure_url=yes}} Sweet Freedom]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
10. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r14268|pure_url=yes}} Call of the Wild]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
11. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r13347|pure_url=yes}} Montrose]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.
12. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r4545|pure_url=yes}} Muscle of Love]. Allmusic. 2008-04-25.