Metallica, The #86 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

In 1990, Metallica recorded a cover of Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy", which won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance, for the compilation album Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary.

Metallica brought Bob Rock in to produce their next album.  Rock had credits with Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and the Cult, among others.  It is said that the album was remixed three times, cost $1 million and ended three marriages.  

 

In 1991, Metallica released their self-titled album, also popularly known as The Black Album.  The single "Enter Sandman" stalled at #16 in the U.S., but reached #2 in Norway, #5 in the U.K., #8 in New Zealand, #9 in Germany and #10 in Australia and the Netherlands.  The #16 peak in the U.S. is especially puzzling, considering the fact that the single sold two million copies in that country--seems to be a serious methodology problem with the organization making up the numbers.

The video for "Enter Sandman" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Video among three nominations.  Metallica earned a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and "Enter Sandman" was nominated for Best Rock Song.  Billboard Music Awards for Catalog Album of the Year and Catalog Artist of the Year.  The album debuted at #1 in 10 countries and sold over 650,000 its first week.  "The Unforgiven" also sold over one million copies and peaked at #10 in Australia.

 Metallica pulled a third hit off the album with "Nothing Else Matters", a #3 song in Norway, #4 in the Netherlands, #5 in Switzerland, #6 in the U.K., #8 in Australia and #9 in Germany.

 

The band was nominated for American Music Awards for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist and Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album in 1992 and they won the AMA in the former category in 1993.  "Wherever I May Roam" reached #2 in Norway and #8 in New Zealand.

Metallica toured the U.S., Japan and the U.K. for 14 months in support of the album.  But on August 8, 1992, Hetfield suffered second and third degree burns to his arms, face, hands and legs after walking into a 12-foot flame while performing "Fade To Black".  Several dates had to be canceled, but Hetfield returned as lead singer with John Marshall filling in on guitar.  The Black Album has sold over 16 million units.

 Metallica was nominated for Best Metal Performance for the track "For Whom The Bell Tolls" at the Grammy Awards.

Metallica was exhausted after three years of touring, and took a year to write and record songs for a new album.  Creativity was at its best, as the group had enough songs to do a double album.  They decided to release half the songs as the album Load in 1996, which also debuted at #1 and topped album charts throughout the world.  Another of the group's best, the single "Until It Sleeps", soared to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and also topped charts in Australia and Switzerland and #2 in Norway, #5 in the U.K. and the Netherlands and #10 in the U.S. overall.  It sold over one million copies.

 Metallica won another MTV Video Music Award for Best Hard Rock Video for "Until It Sleeps", which was also nominated for Viewer's Choice.  The band headlined the Lollapalooza Festival later in the year and captured the American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Rock Artist and the Billboard Music Award for Rock and Roll Artist of the Year.  "Hero Of The Day" also went to #1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and peaked at #2 in Australia, #8 in Norway and #10 in Sweden.  Load has sold over five million copies.

The group continued to work on the other half of the material they had written, and released the remaining songs as the album Reload the next year.  "The Memory Remains" reached #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #3 in Norway, #4 in Sweden and #6 in Australia.

Reload gave Metallica three consecutive albums to debut at #1--it has now gone over the four-million mark in sales.  The single "The Unforgiven II" hit #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #8 in Norway and Sweden and #9 in Australia.

"Fuel" peaked at #6 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #2 in Australia and was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards.

 

In 1998, the band released a double album of cover songs entitled Garage Inc., which has sold over five million worldwide.  Metallica's cover of the Bob Seger tune "Turn The Page" soared to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Whiskey In The Jar" rose to #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #4 in Norway and won another Grammy for Metallica for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2000.

The track "Better Than You" won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance" while "The Call Of Ktulu" won in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Metallica recorded performances with the San Francisco Symphony on April 21-22, 1999 and released the project as the album and concert movie S&M.  It debuted at #2 on the Album chart in the U.S., was a Top 10 album in virtually every country in the world and has sold over six million copies.

In 1999, the video for "One" was voted #38 in MTV's Top 100 Videos of All-Time.

 

In 2000, Metallica recorded "I Disappear" for the movie Mission:  Impossible II, but prior to the release of the soundtrack, discovered the song was already receiving radio airplay.  Upon investigation, the group found that Napster had been playing the song as well as the group's entire catalog for free.  Metallica filed lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Napster for copyright infringement, unlawful use of digital audio and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

In a settlement, Napster agreed to block users who shared music by artists who did not want their music shared.  The single also rose to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and its video was nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Rock Video and Best Video from a Film. 

Newsted left the group in 2001.  Metallica's next album was delayed five months when Hetfield entered rehab for alcoholism and other addictions.  Producer Bob Rock played bass on the album and at several live performances.  Robert Trujilo replaced Newsted. 

In 2003, Metallica released the album St. Anger, which also debuted at #1.  The title song peaked at #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and reached #6 in Norway and #9 in the U.K. and Sweden.  It earned a Grammy Award for Best Metal performance and Metallica was nominated for Favorite Alternative Artist at the American Music Awards and the video was nominated for Best Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Metallica toured for two years in support of the album and took a break afterwards.  In 2006, Metallica released the DVD The Videos 1989-2004.  The group recorded a remake of the Ennio Morricone song "The Ecstasy Of Gold", which was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the Grammy Awards.

After 15 years, Metallica decided to switch from Bob Rock to Rick Rubin as producer.  In 2008, the group released the album Death Magnetic, yet another album to debut at #1.  Metallica became the first group to debut at #1 with five consecutive studio albums in history.  

The album also debuted in 32 other countries, including the U.K., Canada and Australia.  The single "The Day That Never Comes" sold over one million copies but peaked at #31 overall.  It reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and hit #1 in Norway and #3 in Sweden.

The band earned Grammys for Best Metal Performance (for "My Apocalypse" and Best Recording Package while nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "The Ecstasy of Gold".

Metallica was nominated for World's Best-Selling Act at the World Music Awards, but the group's deal with Warner Brothers ended.  In 2009, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Metallica released the box set The Metallica Collection in 2009.  The band continued to tour for two years in support of the album.   In 2011, Metallica headlined the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro.  The group celebrated its 30th anniversary with four shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco. 

In 2012, Metallica launched its own record label, Blackened Recordings and released the movie and soundtrack Metallica:  Through the Never, which was a Top 10 album in several countries, in 2013, with the movie also nominated for Best Music Film at the Grammy Awards.  In 2014, they headlined the Glastonbury Festival and returned to headline the Lollapalooza festival for the first time in 20 years in 2015.  

 Metallica released the album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct in 2016, which debuted at #1.  The group toured the United States in support of the album in both 2017 and 2018.  They were nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song for the title song and won a Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Album while also nominated for Top Rock Artist.

"Atlas, Rise!" is another #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Metallica extended the tour and released performances of the concerts to theatres to celebrate the 20th anniversary since S&M.  The group also released an album, DVD and box set featuring the shows and called S&M2, which reached #1 in Australia and Germany, #2 in the U.K. and #4 in the U.S.  Metallica was nominated for Top Touring and Top Rock Tour at the Billboard Music Awards.

Metallica planned to tour South America in 2020 but when Hetfield re-entered a rehabilitation program, all those shows were canceled.

The band has landed 16 career hits with one Top 10 song.  They have excelled on the Mainstream Rock chart, accumulating 37 hits, 24 of those landing in the Top 10 and 10 going to #1.  Six career albums debuted at #1.  

Metallica has sold over 120 million records worldwide.  

They have won two American Music Awards from six nominations, nine Grammy Awards out of 23 nominations, five Billboard Music Awards from nine nominations and three MTV Video Music Awards from 13 nominations, and were also nominated for a World Music Award.