31 Rock + Metal Albums Turning 40 in 2026

What were the big rock and metal albums of 1986 that are turning 40 in 2026?

If you're a fan of heavy music, it truly was an outstanding year. You'd be hard-pressed to name a better run of thrash albums than Metallica's Master of Puppets, Megadeth's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying and Slayer's Raining Blood, all of which arrived in 1986.

But it was also a year in which was finally saw heavy music breaking through at commercial rock radio, as bands such as Bon Jovi, Cinderella and Poison led the charge for hair metal. Even a European band got in on it as Europe had their greatest success with 1986's The Final Countdown.

Lines were drawn for some hard rock fans as Van Halen made the transition from David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar, but Roth countered with a solo debut of his own.

READ MORE: The Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums of 2026

The year of 1986 also gave us the long-awaited return of Boston, rock infiltrating rap on the Beastie Boys dominant debut Licensed to Ill and a final album from Journey (until they reunited a decade later).

It was a year where The Cosby Show ruled, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Top Gun led the box office and we collectively mourned the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy and showed our unity and humanity with the ambitious Hands Across America.

Let's hop in the way back machine (or just scroll down to the gallery below) and revisit 31 Rock + Metal Albums Turning 40 in 2026.