Metallica Popular Song Rankings [2025]

72 SeasonsMetallica8rank/position

Metallica: 72 Seasons (Official Music Video)

Metallica, the reigning kings of the world’s most successful heavy metal bands.

Their latest album, 72 Seasons, is a message-driven work that warns how past experiences can shape present actions.

The title track in particular focuses on the various traumas and influences encountered during the first 18 years of life, conveying a deep sense of introspection.

From the intro riff, the energetic performance explodes, and James Hetfield’s intensely emotional vocals make a strong impression.

There are songs reminiscent of past albums as well as punk rock–styled tracks, showcasing the band’s musical diversity.

Packed with wisdom gained through self-exploration, this tour de force is a must-listen for Metallica fans.

Fade To BlackMetallica9rank/position

Fade To Black

A song by Metallica, an American metal band often called the most successful metal band in the world, with total album sales of 120 million copies worldwide.

It appears on their second album, Ride the Lightning, released in 1984, and is a number that masterfully contrasts beautiful acoustic guitar arpeggios with heavy distorted guitar riffs.

In the guitar solo heard in the outro, you can enjoy superb, dynamic melodies that respect the song’s atmosphere—melancholic phrases alongside melodious speed picking.

It’s a beautifully cool guitar solo that we highly recommend even to those who feel uneasy about the metal genre.

(Anesthesia) – Pulling TeethMetallica10rank/position

[Anesthesia] –Pulling Teeth (Remastered)

Even if you know the name Metallica, you might assume they’re a heavy metal band that doesn’t do instrumental tracks.

The piece introduced here, “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth,” is actually a bass solo by Cliff Burton, Metallica’s early member and legendary bassist who propelled the band with his innovative style before tragically dying in an accident.

It appears on their landmark debut album, Kill ’Em All, and the songwriting credit lists Cliff himself as the sole composer.

The fiercely distorted bass tone delivers an impressively aggressive and cool sound, so even if you don’t usually listen to metal, if you’re a bassist, this is a track you should hear at least once!

BlackenedMetallica11rank/position

Metallica: Blackened (Paris, France – May 17, 2023)

There are so many Metallica songs with awesome guitar riffs that I can’t decide which one to pick.

Enter Sandman, Battery, Ain’t My Bitch, Creeping Death—there’s no end to the list.

Among them, the one I’ve chosen this time is Blackened, which opens .

.

.

And Justice for All.

OrionMetallica12rank/position

Orion (Remastered)

A song by Metallica, the four-piece metal band from the United States known as one of the most globally successful metal acts, with over 100 million records sold worldwide.

It’s a track included on the timeless masterpiece Master of Puppets—an album that continues to be loved across generations and was selected for the U.

S.

Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2015.

Its heavy beat, razor-edged palm-muted guitar sound, and complex composition with rapidly shifting sections pack in everything that makes a metal band cool and are sure to get your adrenaline pumping.

It’s a song that captures Metallica’s essence, blending intensity with a touch of melancholy.

St. AngerMetallica13rank/position

Metallica – St. Anger (Official Music Video)

Released in 2003, the title track of St.

Anger showcased Metallica’s undiminished power with its blistering guitar riffs and ferocious band ensemble.

True to its title, it’s seething with anger.

More than being about heavy metal per se, the emotion of anger—rendered in a sound that can only be described as quintessentially Metallica—feels potent enough to smash petty criticism and nitpicking to pieces.

To Live Is To DieMetallica14rank/position

Metallica – To Live Is To Die

A song that pays tribute to Metallica’s bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a traffic accident in 1986.

It is included on their fourth album, .

.

.

And Justice for All, released in 1988.

The album reached the Top 10 on charts in countries including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and the United States.