What rock and metal albums from 1996 are turning 30 this year?
It certainly was an interesting time for music. Soundgarden’s final album (for then), Down on the Upside, seemed to mark the end of the grunge era. Pearl Jam started shifting away from grunge on No Code and Stone Temple Pilots were mostly sidelined due to Scott Weiland’s substance abuse issues keeping them from touring their Tiny Music album.
What would come next? Nu-metal and rap-rock seemed to be ready to step up with killer albums from Rage Against the Machine and Korn leading the way. Pantera, Tool and Metallica seemed to be grunge-proof metal bands that continued to thrive, while Opeth and In Flames were just starting to make a name for themselves as more extreme metal outfits.
It was a year that introduced us to The Daily Show, the Mission: Impossible film franchise, MTV2 and Tickle Me Elmo, but it was also a year where we enjoyed the bittersweet success of Sublime’s stellar self-titled set released shortly after the death of signer Bradley Nowell.
READ MORE: The Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums of 2026
A lot has changed in 30 years. We’re no longer having to dial-up AOL to speak with friends in chat rooms about our favorite bands or see which groups now have their own websites. It’s now all at our fingertips.
So let’s take the calendar back three decades as we look at these 31 Rock and Metal Albums from 1996 that are turning 30 in 2026.
31 Rock + Metal Albums Turning 30 in 2026
It was a year with grunge on the way out and nu-metal’s explosion about a year away. Let’s look at the transitional year of rock and metal albums from 1996.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
Now see the albums turning 40 in 2026!
31 Rock + Metal Albums Turning 40 in 2026
The hair metal era exploded in a big way while some classic rock and thrash favorites were still going strong in 1986.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
