This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1977.

• 707
• 44 Magnum
• Bad Brains
• Barnabas
• Black Death
• Death SS
• Dedringer
• Def Leppard (as Atomic Mass)
• Discharge
• Divlje Jagode
• Dokken
• Gordi
• Gravestone
• Great White
• Holocaust
• The Hunt
• Kix
• Manilla Road
• Misfits
• Oz
• Perfect
• Quartz
• Ram Jam
• Rapid Tears
• Rock Goddess
• Saga
• Samson
• Sarcofagus
• Stress
• TKO
• Törr
• Trance
• Trust
• Vatreni Poljubac
• Zarpa

• Buffalo
• James Gang
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Montrose
• T. Rex

• October 20 – Six people were killed in a tragic plane crash, including Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and vocalist Cassie Gaines.
• Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne abruptly quit Black Sabbath due to his dissatisfaction with the band's recent albums. He was replaced by Dave Walker.
• Drummer Herman Rarebell joined Scorpions, replacing Rudy Lenners.

• April 1 – Joachim "Achim" Kirchhoff, original bassist of Scorpions, died from alcoholism-related complications at the age of 28.
• September 16 – Marc Bolan, founder, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist of T. Rex, died from injuries sustained in a car accident at the age of 29.
• October 20 – Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant, founding member, lyricist and lead vocalist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a plane crash at the age of 29.
• October 20 – Steven Earl "Steve" Gaines, guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a plane crash at the age of 28.
• October 20 – Cassie LaRue Gaines, Steve Gaines' sister and vocalist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a plane crash at the age of 29.