Description
Metallica is an American metal band formed in 1981.
Metallica has had a great influence on the development of metal and is included (along with such bands as Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax) in the "big four of thrash metal". Metallica sold a total of over 110 million album copies worldwide, making it one of the most commercially successful metal bands. In 2011, one of the largest metal music magazines Kerrang! recognized Metallica as the best metal band of the last 30 years in the June issue.
The band gained supporters among underground music fans and critical acclaim by releasing the third studio album Master of Puppets (1986), which is now considered a “classic of thrash metal.” It significantly influenced the further development of this genre. Commercial success came after the fifth album's release, The Black Album, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. In 2000, Metallica was among the musical artists who filed a lawsuit against Napster because of the free distribution of copyrighted materials without the authors' permission. As a result, an agreement was reached by which Napster became a paid service. Despite the first place in the Billboard 200, the album St. Anger (2003), due to the lack of guitar solos, the “steel sound” of the snare drum, and the dampness of the sound disappointed many band's fans. The film Some Kind of Monster shows the process of creating St. Anger and the relationship between the band members during this time. In 2009, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2012, Metallica founded the independent label Blackened Recordings and bought the rights to all their studio albums and videos. In 2019, the band was included in the list of the highest-paid musicians according to Forbes magazine. The amount earned was $68.5 million, which is the tenth place in the ranking.