On this day in 1992, Megadeth released Countdown to Extinction to the masses via Capitol Records. This was the second release to feature the “classic” lineup of Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson and Nick Menza, and one that changed the band forever. As Dave has previously stated, “Countdown was a turning point for us. We saw the writing on the wall that an era was ending. We knew we couldn’t make Rust In Peace again, but I believe we kept a lot of our credibility with these songs because some were still really heavy, while others were just as evil, but slower.”

The end result was a record that featured instant classics like ‘Skin O’ My Teeth’, ‘Symphony Of Destruction’, and ‘Sweating Bullets’, and their fans responded in a huge way. Countdown to Extinction entered the Billboard 200 chart at number two, which is the band’s highest debut ever, and it’s still widely considered a must-have for anyone who calls themselves a fan of heavy metal.

To celebrate its anniversary, we’ve gathered footage of the band performing each track live since its release below! Happy 25th Countdown to Extinction!