Left to right
Kirk Hammett - Lead guitar
Lars Ulrich - Drums
Robert Trujillo - Bass
James Hetfield - Vocals/Guitar
American heavy metal band
Formed in Los Angeles in 1981
Founding members/primary songwriters - James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich
Genres considered - Heavy metal, Thrash metal, Speed metal, Hard rock
Most known for fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musical style
11 studio albums, 4 live albums, 12 video albums, 1 cover album, 2 extended plays. 37 singles, 39 music videos
One of the best metal albums of all time
Metallica's first Grammy nomination
a.k.a. The Black Album
Gained a mainstream audience
Over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. to date
Most recent album
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
2004 documentary - troubled production of the 2003 album, St. Anger, and tension within the band at the time
One of the most successful bands of all time
- Over 183 million albums sold worldwide as of 2023
- 58 million albums sold in the U.S. as of 2017
26 Grammy Award Nominations/10 Wins
6 consecutive albums debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200
61st on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2009
1981 - 1984 : Formation, early years, & Kill 'Em All
1984 - 1986 : Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and Burton's Death
No. 100 Billboard 200
No. 29 Billboard 200
"the band's greatest achievement" - Steve Huey, AllMusic
- While traveling on tour in Sweden, Metallica's bus driver lost control, flipped over several times, and pinned Cliff Burton, killing him.
1986 - 1994 : Newsted joins, ...And Justice for All and Metallica
- After Burton's passing, his family gave the band's blessings to find a replacement. Of 40 auditions, Jason Newsted stood out and was ultimately invited to join.
No. 6 Billboard 200 ... Certified Platinum
Grammy Nomination for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrument (anticipated favorite to win, lost to Jethro Tull) ... Tull's win was named in Entertainment Weekly's "Grammy's 10 Biggest Upsets" list
Damaged Justice tour
"One" - Debut music video ... No. 38 in MTV's Top 100 Videos of All Time
Widespread criticism
- Metallica - Delayed release in 1991 (recorded in October 1990) No. 1 in 10 countries
650,000 copies sold in the U.S. in first week
Certified 16x Platinum (RIAA)
Wherever We May Roam Tour (U.S., Japan, & UK)
1994 - 2001 : Load, Reload, Napster controversy & Newsted's Departure
- Load - 6th album ... Released in 1996 No. 1 Billboard 200
No. 1 Australia (ARIA Charts)
Headlined Lollapalooza in mid-1996
- Reload - 7th album ... Released in November 1997
No. 1 on Billboard 200
No. 2 Canada
- In April 1999, Metallica performed two songs with the San Francisco Symphony (approached by the orchestra's conductor, Michael Kamen, in 1991).
- In 2000, "I Disappear" was leaked to radio stations by Napster, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. Metallica filed a lawsuit with allegations against Napster for violating three areas of the law - copyright infringement, unlawful use of digital audio interface device, & Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ... Settlement led to agreement that Napster would block users who shared music by artists who did not want their music shared
- In January 2001, Jason Newsted left Metallica for personal reasons.
2001 - 2006 : Some Kind of Monster, St. Anger, and Trujillo joins
- In July 2001, James Hetfield entered rehab for alcoholism, leaving the fate of Metallica uncertain. When he left in December, Hetfield was required to work four hours a day and spend the rest of his time with family.
Filmed from 2001 to 2003
Documentary released in January 2004
Premiered at Sundance Film Festival
- St. Anger - 8th album ... Released in June 2003 No. 1 Billboard 200
Mixed reviews
"St. Anger" - Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
2-Year tour for St. Anger
Break from performing in 2005
- Robert Trujillo accepted as Metallica's new bassist
2006 - 2013 : Death Magnetic and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
- The Videos 1989-2004 DVD
Released in December 2006
28,000 copies sold in first week
No. 3 Billboard Top Videos
Released in September 2008 ... 2x Platinum (RIAA)
Leaked sales in France two weeks ahead of release
Metallica did not argue this leak - "...by 2008 standards, that's a victory..." - Lars Ulrich (drummer)
No. 1 Billboard 200 ... No. 1 in 32 countries outside the U.S.
With this album, Metallica became the first to have five consecutive albums debut at No. 1 in the history of Billboard 200.
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (2009)
Jason Newsted & Robert Trujillo performed together
Ray Burton, father of Cliff Burton, accepted on his son's behalf
- Lulu - Collaboration between Lou Reed & Metallica Released in October 2011
- Beyond Magnetic
Digital EP released in December 2011, exclusive to iTunes
CD format released in January 2012
- Blackened Recordings
Independent record label launched in November 2012
2013 - 2019 : Metallica: Through the Never and Hardwired...to Self-Destruct
- Metallica: Through the Never
3D concert film in 2013
- "Freeze 'Em All" show in Antarctica, December 2013
First band to play on all seven continents
- "Metallica by Request" tour, March 2014
Fans requested songs for Metallica to perform
- Headlined Lollapalooza in 2015
Worldwide release in November 2016
No. 1 Billboard 200
- WorldWired Tour, 2017
- Metallica Night invitation by the San Francisco Giants
August 7, 2017
2019 - 2023 : S&M2 and 72 Seasons
- September 2019
Performed at the grand opening of San Francisco's Chase Center with the San Francisco Symphony
- S&M2 (Symphony and Metallica 2) - September 2019
James Hetfield re-entered rehabilitation
An Australia/New Zealand planned tour postponed as a result with hope to return in 2020.
- Benefit concert slated for March 2020 & U.S. festival appearances set for October 2020 canceled due to the COVID pandemic and Hetfield's continuing recovery
- #MetallicaMondays
Launched in March 2020
YouTube & Facebook series streaming full archived shows
Intent - Relieve impact of staying home and social distancing
Released in April 2023
M72 World Tour - April 27, 2023 in Amsterdam to July 5, 2026 in London
Launched in February 2017
Support workforce education, fight against hunger, and other critical local services
One of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time
One of the most commercially successful bands of all time
Over 125 million albums sold worldwide
66 million certified by the RIAA
Praise -
The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll
AllMusic
Jonathan Davis (of Korn)
Shannon Larkin (of Godsmack)
Chuck Billy (of Testament)
Robb Fynn (of Machine Head)
Corey Beaulieu & Matt Heafy (of Trivium)
M. Shadows (of Avenged Sevenfold)
System of a Down, Fear Factory, & other heavy metal bands
Metallica lineup inducted into the RRHOF -
James Hetfield
Kirk Hammett
Robert Trujillo
Lars Ulrich
---------------
Former members -
Jason Newsted
Cliff Burton
Rank -
Third, Greatest Heavy Metal Band in History (MTV)
No. 42, 100 Greatest Artists of All Time (VH1)
No. 5, 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock (VH1)
No. 1, 20 Greatest Metal Bands (VH1)
No. 61, The 100 Greatest of Artists of All Time (Rolling Stone)
Master of Puppets & Metallica - No. 167 & No. 252
...The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (Rolling Stone)
...The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (Rolling Stone)
Honors -
15+ Metallica tribute albums
Inducted into the San Francisco Walk of Fame (1999)
MTV Icon award (2003)
Cover of "Nothing Else Matters"
- January 2021
- Miley Cyrus, featuring Elton John, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Yo-Yo Ma (cellist)
Current, Former, Session/Touring
Grammy Awards
Best Metal Performance
(1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2024)
Best Hard Rock Performance (2000)
Best Rock Instrumental Performance (2001)
Best Recording Package (2009)
Generally speaking, I am far from interest in heavy metal. However after my very detailed research of Metallica, their profound success, and influence on heavy metal bands following in their footsteps, I am left in appreciation.
As with so many, Metallica was not immune to difficulties but they have been able to bounce back on every occasion.
Rest in peace, Cliff Burton
