Metallica photo session in a dressing in Berlin, 1992.
Within the metal scene Metallica has long held a unique standing amongst fans and critics. No other band in the genre has achieved a highly revered status amongst hordes of fans while also having legions of haters and vocal critics. In many ways this phenomenon just goes to show the profound and widespread impact Metallica has had on the metal scene for the last 40 plus years, as it’s nearly impossible to become the gargantuan figures Metallica are without having both the biggest fanbase and the most amount of critics.
However, whether or not Metallica are simply a gateway band into heavy music or the platinum standard for metal songwriting, one thing both fans and critics can universally agree on is that Metallica’s best and most influential work is found on the band’s first five albums.
Top Metallica Songs
Deciding what the best Metallica album is has proven itself a difficult task. Two or three of these five records are equally perfect from start to finish, but there’s also something individually unique and special to each of these records. However, compiling a list of what the best Metallica songs are is far less of an impossible task. While the ranking of said songs is arguably the most contentious aspect, the songs Metallica perform the most tend to align with what’s most favorited amongst the fanbase.
That being said, in an effort to construct this list a number of aspects were taken into account, one being the song’s impact on the band’s career and sonic evolution, the second being the song’s impact on the metal genre at large and third and final being how the songs are viewed within the greater Metallica fanbase. It needs to be noted that while these three aspects were then main criteria it composing this list, the ranking of this list is entirely subjective but has the aim to showcase what Metallica’s greatest sonic achievements are.
20. “Fight Fire With Fire” (1984)
The opener to Metallica’s sophomore masterpiece, Ride The Lightning, wastes no time in establishing just how much Metallica have refined their musicianship and thrash metal songwriting since their debut. The meteoric pacing of “Fight Fire With Fire” coupled with James Hetfield’s menacing vocals make this one of the band’s most highly regarded thrash songs. Thematically the song has remained a timeless classic with its haunting warning about the consequences of nuclear war.
19. “The Thing That Should Not Be” (1986)
Standing as possibly the heaviest song Metallica ever written, “The Thing That Should Not Be” saw the band explore lower tunings and sludgy riff writing, along with a continued admiration for Lovecraftian horror. Apart from featuring absurdly heavy riffs and the most menacing solo Kirk Hammett has ever written, much of the significance of “The Thing That Should Not Be” comes from the fact that it would lay the groundwork for a number of early death metal bands and a plethora of new extreme metal genres in the years to follow.
18. “The Unforgiven” (1991)
As one of the most popularized tracks off of Metallica’s seminal self-titled album, “The Unforgiven” has largely remained one of Metallica’s most popular and highly regarded songs for its unequivocally catchy melodic heaviness. Being a ballad, it’s not exactly the heaviest song in Metallica’s catalogue, but “The Unforgiven” manages to capture an emotive weight that’s kept it in a league of its own among other Metallica songs. Not to mention, the song features what’s easily one of Kirk Hammett’s best written guitar solos, which came about largely from the help of producer Bob Rock.
17. “Dyers Eve” (1988)
In recent years Metallica’s Lars Ulrich’s has certainly caught a lot of unnecessary flack for his drumming capabilities, but Ulrich’s critics simply need to take a step back and revisit his masterful and nuanced performance on “Dyers Eve.” Coupled with James Hetfield’s snarling vocals, the level of intensity Ulrich brings to “Dyers Eve” is what has made it one of the most favorited deep cuts in Metallica’s entire catalogue.
16. “Nothing Else Matters” (1991)
At the time of its release “Nothing Else Matters” shocked longtime Metallica fans for being the band’s most tender and melodic song they’d ever written. While it’s certainly a deviation from the band’s longstanding metal roots, “Nothing Else Matters” has become the one of the most recognizable songs in Metallica’s entire catalogue and one that stretches beyond the rock genre.
The simplicity found in the song’s main riff speaks to not only the brilliance of “Nothing Else Matters” but Metallica’s versatility as songwriters. To date “Nothing Else Matters” remains one of Metallica’s most popular and successful songs of their career.
15. “Ride The Lightning” (1984)
The electrifying thrills produced from Metallica’s “Ride The Lighting” have kept it a fan favorited track and made it essential listening for new metalheads for the last 40-plus years. There are a number of factors that make “Ride The Lighting” a masterclass in metal songwriting. For one, James Hetfield’s shrieking vocals evoke a sense of dire urgency and amplify the song’s themes of impending electrical doom.
Hetfield’s and Hammett’s harmonizing guitars leads are also at the center of the song’s most memorable moments, however Hammett’s epically long guitar solo is undoubtedly “Ride The Lighting’s” most iconic moment.
14. “Seek & Destroy” (1983)
If there’s one song everyone should know prior to witnessing Metallica perform live it has to be “Seek & Destroy.” Since the band’s early club days “Seek & Destroy” has remained Metallica’s signature anthem, and throughout the band’s history it’s often been performed as the closer to their setlist.
While Kill Em’ All hasn’t aged as well as other Metallica records from the 1980s, “Seek & Destroy” is one of the only timeless classics found on the album. The song has both stood the test of time and become one of Metallica’s most performed and celebrated tracks to date.
13. “Sad But True” (1991)
To many “Sad But True” is the considered the quintessential “heavy” Metallica song. The song’s thunderous main riff is undoubtedly one of the heaviest grooves ever written, and its slower pacing lends to Hetfield’s commanding vocals on the track. For these reasons “Sad But True” is a delightfully heavy and remarkably catchy song, and it’s one of many factors that’s propelled the album Metallica into becoming one of the highest selling rock albums in history.
12. “Disposable Heroes” (1986)
Standing as one of the fastest songs Metallica has ever written, “Disposable Heroes” is a fan favorited thrash epic off their 1986 opus, Master of Puppets. The song paints a brutal picture of the horrors of war, and the callous regard to which soldiers’ lives are often treated with in times of armed conflict. From a songwriting standpoint much of Master of Puppets is so revered for songs like “Disposable Heroes,” which showcase Metallica’s innate ability to write poignant and rivetingly heavy songs.
11. “Orion” (1986)
In Metallica’s early years bassist Cliff Burton had a monumental role in shaping the band’s sound and contributing to their most harmonious musical pieces. The eight and a half minute instrumental masterpiece “Orion,” is without a doubt Burton’s crowning achievement in the band, and it sits as the best purely instrumental track in Metallica’s entire catalogue.
Burton’s deep understanding of music theory and his prowess on the electric bass are ubiquitous on “Orion,” making it an essential Metallica track and therefore required listening for new fans.
10. “Enter Sandman” (1991)
While it’s the most popularized track in Metallica’s entire discography with over 1.4 billion streams on Spotify alone, “Enter Sandman” has retained such a high popularity simply because it wields one of the most infectious grooves, riffs, and choruses ever written. Furthermore, the fact that the song is the opener to the band’s most successful album to date speaks for itself.
Simply put, everything about “Enter Sandman” speaks to Metallica’s ingenious songwriting capabilities and the band’s formidable desire to always evolve their sound.
9. “Welcome Home” (Sanitarium) (1986)
There’s a manic-like tranquility heard on parts of Metallica’s “Welcome Home.” The song’s melancholic main riff is reflective of this quality and it goes to compliment the grim nature of what James Hetfield is singing about on “Welcome Home” — mental torment and abuse.
Metallica seemingly elevate this ballad from its blissful start and take it to a sonically heavy and emotive new plane. For these reasons “Welcome Home” stands as one of Metallica’s most unique ballads and arguably one of their best.
8. “Harvester of Sorrow” (1988)
The mid-tempo stomper that is Metallica’s “Harvester of Sorrow” will forever be one of the heaviest tracks and in the band’s catalogue. There are few songs that wield a verse so powerful that the riff alone gives off goosebumps, and while Metallica take their time in setting up the punch that is “Harvester of Sorrow’s” verse, when that verse hits it hits like freight train.
Following “Harvester of Sorrow’s” verses are a pummeling barrage of choruses which are then topped off by one of Kirk Hammett’s most simple and emotive guitar solos.
7. “Fade To Black” (1984)
There are many reasons Metallica’s sophomore LP Ride The Lightning is a seminal part of their discography, and “Fade To Black” is certainly one of those reasons. Standing as the first ballad Metallica ever wrote, “Fade to Black” showcased Metallica’s capabilities as songwriters and how the band was far more nuanced than at the average thrash metal band. Lyrically much of Ride The Lightning deals with darker and more pressing topics, and “Fade To Black” certainly showcases this but also the band’s newfound melodic and hauntingly emotive songwriting.
The song is centered around the topic of suicide and mental decline, and provided that its themes continue to resonate with listeners today Metallica has made a point to keep it in their live set, while also discussing the song’s significance.
6. “Blackened” (1988)
In 1988 Metallica plunged further into heavier, faster and thematically darker songwriting and “Blackened” offered the first taste of just how deep the band had dove. Right from the song’s hypnotic intro and iconic verse riff (courtesy of former bassist Jason Newsted), “Blackened” establishes itself as a wholly unique and technical achievement to Metallica’s thrash metal songwriting.
The song’s forever relevant and bleak lyrics which highlight the ever looming threat of nuclear war and its catastrophic consequences are what complete this thrash metal opus.
5. “Battery” (1986)
The intro to Metallica’s “Battery” might be the single greatest intro to an album in all of metal music. Crisp acoustic guitars layer atop of each other harmonizing until they’re elevated by a wall of bright electric guitars and thunderous drums, which are then trampled on by the most rapid fire pedal-to-the metal riffs Metallica has ever written.
“Battery” is the essence of Metallica in both their past and present, sonically it resembles the band at the height of their thrash metal conquest, and lyrically it represents the band’s continued respect and admiration for their fans and wider local scene — the song serves as a metaphor for Metallica’s fanbase being their primary source of energy, while also referencing the San Fransisco street where Metallica spent much of their early career, Battery St.
4. “For Whom The Bell Tolls” (1984)
“For Whom The Bell Tolls” was Metallica’s first attempt at writing a mid-tempo song without any thrash metal qualities, and it’s seemingly become one of the most renown and popularized metal anthems in the entire genre.
Rarely does a song have the ability to inject such a visceral excitement just from the sound of a bell chime. AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” and Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” are arguably the only two songs that have this effect, with the latter song being a heavier and more masterful display of anthemic songwriting.
3. “One” (1988)
Although “One” was Metallica’s first small step into the mainstream as the single featured the band’s first ever music video, “One” didn’t shy away from the band’s heavy tropes and it only indulged further in them along with the band’s thematically dark songwriting.
From a lyrical standpoint “One” stands as Metallica’s most horrifying and bleak song to date — the song is based on the novel Johnny Got His Gun and depicts a severely wounded and crippled WWI soldier who pleads to be put out of his misery. Alongside the song’s bleak and horrifying lyrics, much of the brilliance of “One” is heard in its manically constrasting instrumental sections which often shift between blissful major key to colossally heavy minor passages.
Beyond the universal praise “One” has received in Metallica’s catalogue, “One” was also the song that earned the band their first Grammy back in 1990 for Best Metal Performance.
2. “Creeping Death” (1984)
As the single best track off Metallica’s sophomore masterpiece Ride The Lightning, “Creeping Death” has long stood as one of the most revered tracks in Metallica’s entire catalogue. The haunting and brutal depiction of the Angel Of Death from the Book of Exodus is brought to life through Metallica’s electrifying riffs, ghostly guitar harmonies, and James Hetfield’s screeching choruses.
However, guitarist Kirk Hammett is the star of “Creeping Death.” Not only did Hammett write the band’s heaviest bridge to date on “Creeping Death” but his technically masterful and compositionally brilliant lead writing is forever engrained in the track’s epic guitar solo.
1. “Master of Puppets” (1986)
Simply put, “Master of Puppets” showcases Metallica’s style, musicianship and songwriting at its highest level. From the ferociously paced intro and verse/chorus riffs, combined with the song’s otherworldly bridge, every aspect of “Master Of Puppets” is impeccable even from a instrumental standpoint.
Coupled with James Hetfield’s infectious vocal delivery throughout the track along with the song’s dark and relatable themes of addiction, “Master of Puppets’”continued celebration across metal music and pop-culture is less of a phenomenon than it is a demonstration in masterclass songwriting.
While the song’s appearance in Stranger Things certainly has opened itself and the band to an entirely new generation of fans, “Master of Puppets” has long stood as Metallica’s magnum opus and it’s even their most performed song to date.
Bottom Line
As initially stated, these songs were compiled based on the criteria of having a profound impact on band’s career and sonic evolution, the metal genre at large, and are the most respected within Metallica’s fanbase. While these aspects were then main criteria it composing this list, this list is entirely subjective but has the aim to showcase Metallica’s greatest musical achievements throughout their career.