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The 17 Best Metallica Songs of All Time

By YPB Team3 votes

Thrash blueprints, stadium-sized anthems, and brooding ballads that reshaped heavy music across four decades. Which track reigns supreme?

  1. Master of Puppets — ranked #11
    Master of Puppets
    The towering 1986 title track, an eight-minute thrash epic widely called the band's masterpiece.
    1000pts
    DI
  2. Blackened — ranked #22
    Blackened
    The blistering opener of 1988's ...And Justice for All, a fan-favorite deep cut.
    642pts
  3. Wherever I May Roam — ranked #33
    Wherever I May Roam
    The 1991 Black Album single with its sitar-flavored intro and nomadic theme.
    551pts
  4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) — ranked #44
    Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
    The melodic, dynamic Master of Puppets track exploring confinement and madness.
    494pts
  5. Sad but True — ranked #55
    Sad but True
    The heavy, down-tuned 1991 Black Album single built on a monolithic riff.
    494pts
  6. Battery — ranked #66
    Battery
    The ferocious acoustic-to-thrash opener of Master of Puppets.
    428pts
  7. Hardwired — ranked #77
    Hardwired
    The aggressive, concise 2016 single that marked the band's late-career return to form.
    428pts
  8. Enter Sandman — ranked #88
    Enter Sandman
    The 1991 Black Album opener whose crushing riff became Metallica's biggest mainstream hit.
    350pts
  9. One — ranked #99
    One
    The 1988 anti-war epic with the band's first music video, building from ballad to machine-gun fury.
    350pts
  10. The Unforgiven — ranked #1010
    The Unforgiven
    The brooding 1991 ballad with its reverse dynamics and Western-tinged melody.
    350pts
  11. For Whom the Bell Tolls — ranked #1111
    For Whom the Bell Tolls
    The 1984 anthem opening with its unmistakable tolling bell and grinding bass.
    257pts
  12. Creeping Death — ranked #1212
    Creeping Death
    The 1984 thrash staple famous for its 'Die! Die!' crowd chant.
    257pts
  13. Seek & Destroy — ranked #1313
    Seek & Destroy
    The 1983 Kill 'Em All anthem and longtime live set closer.
    257pts
  14. Fade to Black — ranked #1414
    Fade to Black
    The somber 1984 Ride the Lightning ballad-turned-epic, a landmark in metal songwriting.
    257pts
  15. Nothing Else Matters — ranked #1515
    Nothing Else Matters
    The tender 1992 power ballad that became one of their most beloved crossover songs.
    0pts
  16. Whiplash — ranked #1616
    Whiplash
    The breakneck 1983 debut-album track that defined the band's early thrash speed.
    0pts
  17. Ride the Lightning — ranked #1717
    Ride the Lightning
    The electrifying 1984 title track depicting an execution by electric chair.
    0pts
music917rock228bands213metal65Metallica3

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