Megadeth is an American heavy metal band led by founder, frontman, and songwriter Dave Mustaine. Formed in 1983 following Mustaine's ejection from Metallica, the band has since released eleven studio albums, three EPs, and two live albums.

As a pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s, but were plagued by constant lineup changes, due in part to Mustaine's notorious substance abuse problems. After finding sobriety and securing a stable lineup, Megadeth went on to release a string of platinum and gold albums, including the Grammy nominated, multi-platinum Countdown to Extinction in 1992. Megadeth disbanded in 2002 after Mustaine suffered a severe nerve injury to his left arm, but following extensive physical therapy, Mustaine reformed the band in 2004 and released The System Has Failed, which debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, followed by United Abominations in 2007, which debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.