The #77 Album of All-Time in the Rock Era--"Metallica" by Metallica

Here we are at #77 in the countdown of the Top 100 Albums of All-Time in the Rock Era. Metallica's self-titled album earns the spot.

Although they didn't do very well, Metallica released five singles from the album--"Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Sad But True". "Don't Tread On Me" also received some airplay from rock stations.  Clearly, the people who love heavy metal pretty much love this album and those who don't would never consider buying it. For that reason, Metallica is always going to have a ceiling on what they can achieve. But this album is far and away their best. 





The album recently reached 15 million in sales in the United States, one of the tops for that factor. But then we have to consider the other 90% or so of the population and determine if they would consider buying it. That is where the Track Rating* (8.58 for this album) comes in handy--it analyzes each song on the album and determines if it is a track that the public at large would like.

The album captured a Grammy Award in 1991 for Best Metal Performance.  "Enter Sandman" won an MTV award for Best Metal Video in 1992--don't know why MTV waited so long...

Metallica:


1.    "Enter Sandman" (James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett) --5:29
2.    "Sad But True" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --5:24
3.    "Holier Than Thou" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --3:47
4.    "The Unforgiven" (Hetfield, Ulrich and Hammett) --6:26
5.    "Wherever I May Roam" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --6:42
6.    "Don't Tread on Me" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --3:59
7.    "Through the Never" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett) --4:01
8.    "Nothing Else Matters" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --6:29
9.    "Of Wolf and Man" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett) --4:16
10.  "The God That Failed" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --5:05
11.  "My Friend of Misery" (Hetfield, Ulrich, Jason Newsted) --6:47
12.  "The Struggle Within" (Hetfield, Ulrich) --3:52

Metallica included this lineup on the album:

James Hetfield, lead vocalist, rhythm and lead guitar
Lars Ulrich, drums and percussion
Kirk Hammett on lead guitar
Jason Newsted on bass

The album was recorded from October of 1990 to June of 1991 at One on One Studios in Los Angeles, California and at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  It was produced by Bob Rock, with assistance from James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.  Mike Tacci and Randy Staub were the Engineers while George Marino mastered it.  Metallica was released on August 13, 1991 on Elektra Records. 

It comes in at #77 All-Time.