Bay Area rock band Metallica is one of the most acclaimed musical acts of all time. Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and front man James Hetfield, the group now stands as the "seventh biggest selling act in American history," according to their official website, metallica.com. The band's prolonged success makes it difficult to compile a list of their top songs, but the following tunes are undeniably representative of the talent and popularity that have procured Metallica a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1. "The Memory Remains"

Many "fans" refuse to say anything good about anything Metallica did post-1988. That's a shame, because even though the band changed their style in the 90s they still produced good music. "The Memory Remains," from the 1997 album ReLoad, features solid guitar work on top of a swaggering groove tempo, and the lyrics stab at glamor and celebrity. The smooth, heavy rhythm and thoughtful lyrics, combined with Marianne Faithfull's eerily catchy hum-along, result in an intriguing musical arrangement that epitomizes the style of ReLoad.


2. "Seek and Destroy"

This is the song that let the world know what Metallica was going to be all about. With the release of Kill 'Em All in 1983, "Seek and Destroy" immediately became an anthem for the band's testosterone-laden, hair-flailing fans. Although the song is not Metallica's most technically stunning or lyrically inspiring effort, it gets a spot on this list for being the tone-setting track on an album that helped to define thrash metal.


3. "Fade to Black"

Although not the cheeriest of tunes, "Fade to Black" contains such good guitars that by the end of the song, the listener somehow feels uplifted. This is probably because of Kirk Hammett's climactic song-ending solo, which readers of Guitar World magazine rated as the 24th best solo of all time. "Fade to Black" contrasts light and heavy, acoustic and electric, and slow and fast to create an up-and-down effect that accentuates the song's subject matter.


4. "King Nothing"

"King Nothing" is of the same ilk as "The Memory Remains," as it sports strong guitars and a calmly assertive rhythm, and it comes from a part of Metallica's history that many fans criticize. The fifth song on the 1996 album Load, "King Nothing" is heavy, aggressive, and like many tunes on this list, features a great solo. And James Hetfield's aged, gravelly voice is particularly fitting on this track.



5. "The Unforgiven"

"The Unforgiven" is the best track on Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, of which 15 million copies have been sold. The song's lyrics express the anguish of oppressed childhood, and of course, Kirk Hammett weaves in a solo that is so well-constructed that it seems the song can not exist without it. "The Unforgiven" is simply a great tune from start to fading finish.


6. "For Whom the Bell Tolls"

This song perfectly illustrates the beauty of Metallica's early lyrics. The band wrote songs about clichéd issues like drug use, war, suicide, etc., but they did it with originality. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is one of Metallica's greatest lyrical achievements; the words are eloquent, perfectly rhymed, and could just as easily be in a college-level poetry anthology. The intro, although very long, conveys a fierce, threatening tone, which is perfect for a song about imminent cataclysm.


7. "One"

If any Metallica tune is inextricably linked to an image, it has got to be "One," which, thanks to the band's first music video, conjures visions of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and Jason Newsted head banging and hair swirling in unison. The song is similar to "Fade to Black," in many ways: it alternates between slow and fast, and light and heavy; it deals with the issue of wanting to die; and its final solo grabbed the 7th spot on Guitar World's best solos countdown. "One" has to rank higher than "Fade to Black," though, just because of the way it transitions and ends. Those licks are fast, clean, and brutal, even by Metallica's standards.


8. "Disposable Heroes"

Assertive drum work and a speedy rhythm guitar give "Disposable Heroes" a beautifully frantic quality. The lyrics, like those of "For Whom the Bell Tolls," read more like the work of Alfred, Lord Tennyson than of a thrash metal band. Metallica's most underrated song contains Kirk Hammett's most overlooked guitar solo - a long, multi-layered masterpiece which leaves one to wonder how Hammett's fingers have never burst into flames. Too controlled to be called thrash, and too frenetic to be labeled hard rock, "Disposable Heroes" is heavy metal down to that screaming high note at the end of the solo.


9. "And Justice for All"

For a band that hasn't reached into the political realm very often, Metallica pretty much nailed it with "And Justice for All." Cash tipping Lady Justice's scales is a simple, but powerful concept. Oh yeah, and there's also the more than nine minutes of music which keeps the listener guessing all the way through. Sure, it's got good guitars and lyrics and all that stuff, but this song is great because it just keeps moving, and it never comes close to being repetitive. "And Justice for All" gets the number two spot for being both experimental and epic.


10. "Master of Puppets"


"Master of Puppets" has it all: guitars that range from crushing to comforting, great lyrics that build a perfect conceit, and solos that are so emotionally charged they could probably be used to treat psychiatric disorders. The first three notes alone are among the most recognized in all of rock, and the subsequent eight-and-a-half minutes take the song from top to bottom, from left to right, from infinity to singularity. It's as if Hetfield, Ulrich, Burton, and Hammett each wrote their own songs, put them together, and created the perfect monster.


The Best of Metallica

These ten recordings are the greatest of a very distinguished bunch. Although Metallica has been criticized in recent years for a number of reasons, there is no denying that they are one of the most influential and successful bands of the past thirty years. The songs on this list exemplify the qualities that have put Metallica among the greatest of musical forces.



Sources:
metallica.com