'80s Metal History (November 23rd)

AC/DC's eighth studio album "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" shipped the week of November 23, 1981 in North America (UK release November 27th). It was the band's first LP to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.

AC/DC "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" release information source: Radio promotional single notes LP ship date as November 23, 1981; Billboard Magazine Spotlight - November 28, 1981; Debuted Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart on December 12, 1981; [UK] Smash Hits ad - November 26, 1981; Record Mirror ad - November 28, 1981; Debuted UK Official album chart on December 5, 1981.

Metallica's "Creeping Death" was issued as a single internationally in late 1984. Two other songs from "Ride The Lightning" were also sent as promotional singles to North American radio stations, "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Fade To Black".

November 23, 1983: "We're intellectuals at a crotch level," Mötley Crüe played the 10th show on the "Shout At The Devil" Tour in Seattle and also made an appearance at Tower Records. "We are the American youth and youth is about sex, drugs, pizza and more sex." -Nikki Sixx 🥳

November 23, 1983: DIO brought the "Holy Diver" Tour to Copenhagen for a show at Saga Cinema. The setlist that night included "Evil Eyes" from the (not yet released for another eight months) album "The Last In Line".

November 23, 1993: Metallica released box set "Live Sh*t: Binge And Purge" in North America, their first live album featuring performances from the "Nowhere Else To Roam" Tour plus video of most said performances. Release date source: [US] Billboard Magazine ad - November 13, 1993.

November 23, 2004: John Bush has said Anthrax's "The Greater Of Two Evils" album "didn't need to be recorded," but many fans loved his take on the re-recording of classic era tracks originally sung by Neil Turbin and Joey Belladonna. Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - September 27, 2004.

November 23, 1999: Anthrax released the album "Return Of The Killer A's" in North America. John Bush and Joey Belladonna share duties on the track, "Ball Of Confusion". A planned dual vocalist tour was mothballed. Release date source: [US] CMJ New Music Report - November 22, 1999.

November 23, 1999: Mötley Crüe released their first official live album "Live: Entertainment Or Death" in North America featuring performances recorded between 1982-1999. "We picked the stuff that sounded the best without having to touch it up." -Nikki Sixx. Release date source: [US] CMJ New Music Report - November 1, 1999.

November 23, 1993: Guns N' Roses released punk and rock covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" in North America. Release information source: [US] HITS radio trade publication ad - November 22, 1993.

November 23, 2008: Originally planned for release in 1999 and with costs reportedly exceeding $13 million, making it the most expensive rock album ever produced, "Chinese Democracy" from Guns N'.. er, Axl Rose, was finally issued. Release date source: [US] Billboard Magazine - October 9, 2008.

November 23, 1999: According to James Hetfield, it was Cliff Burton's idea to combine heavy metal with an epic classical approach as Metallica released "S&M" in North America, a live album recorded on April 22, 1999 at The Berkeley Community Theatre, featuring performances of Metallica songs with additional symphonic accompaniment composed by Michael Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony. Release date source: [US] Rock magazine ad; [Canada] RPM radio trade publication ad - November 22, 1999.

November 23, 1989: Before a December UK tour, Alice Cooper performed a one-off at London's Marquee Club. Supporting the album "Trash", admission was £6 plus a bag full of trash collected off the streets of London. -Kerrang!

November 1990: After their latest album "Ten" failed to meet expectations of all involved, Y&T split up. Guitarist and singer Dave Meniketti declined an opportunity to form a proposed "super group" with Peter Frampton. -Kerrang!

This may have still been a lot of money for many in 1979 😏