The 17 Best Metallica Songs of All Time

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

1

Master of Puppets

The towering 1986 title track, an eight-minute thrash epic widely called the band's masterpiece.

1000pts

2

Wherever I May Roam

The 1991 Black Album single with its sitar-flavored intro and nomadic theme.

600pts

3

Blackened

The blistering opener of 1988's ...And Justice for All, a fan-favorite deep cut.

551pts

4

The Unforgiven

The brooding 1991 ballad with its reverse dynamics and Western-tinged melody.

494pts

5

One

The 1988 anti-war epic with the band's first music video, building from ballad to machine-gun fury.

428pts

6

Battery

The ferocious acoustic-to-thrash opener of Master of Puppets.

428pts

7

Fade to Black

The somber 1984 Ride the Lightning ballad-turned-epic, a landmark in metal songwriting.

428pts

8

Sad but True

The heavy, down-tuned 1991 Black Album single built on a monolithic riff.

428pts

9

Enter Sandman

The 1991 Black Album opener whose crushing riff became Metallica's biggest mainstream hit.

350pts

10

Creeping Death

The 1984 thrash staple famous for its 'Die! Die!' crowd chant.

350pts

11

Nothing Else Matters

The tender 1992 power ballad that became one of their most beloved crossover songs.

257pts

12

Seek & Destroy

The 1983 Kill 'Em All anthem and longtime live set closer.

257pts

13

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

The melodic, dynamic Master of Puppets track exploring confinement and madness.

257pts

14

Hardwired

The aggressive, concise 2016 single that marked the band's late-career return to form.

257pts

15

Ride the Lightning

The electrifying 1984 title track depicting an execution by electric chair.

257pts

16

Whiplash

The breakneck 1983 debut-album track that defined the band's early thrash speed.

143pts

17

For Whom the Bell Tolls

The 1984 anthem opening with its unmistakable tolling bell and grinding bass.

143pts