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Metallica emerged as one of the most important band of the '80s Hard-Rock
Metal scene, the group was formed in 1981, in Los Angeles, California
USA; the original line-up included singer+guitarist James Hetfield, lead
guitarist Kirk Hammett, bass player Cliff Burton and drummer Lars Ulrich.
The band's debut album, "Kill 'Em All", was released in 1983
on Elektra Records, it received excellent reviews from critics; a year
later followed "Ride The Lightning" which debuted at #100 on
The Billboard 200 Albums chart.
In 1986 Metallica issued their third album "Master Of Puppets",
the record climbed into the top 30 of The Billboard Top 200 chart; later
that year, on September 27, tragedy struck the band when Burton was killed
in a tragic tour bus accident on some icy highways between Stockholm and
Copenhagen. The remaining members decided to continue and bassist Jason
Newsted was chosen to replace Cliff Burton.
Two years later, the group, with "...And Justice For All", crashed
into the top 10 of The Billboard Top 200 Albums list and the U.S. top
40 hit single "One" won a Grammy for best Metal Performance.
Metallica won their second Grammy with the cover-song "Stone Cold
Crazy" which was included in the 1990's compilation "Rubaiyat:
Elektra's 40th Anniversary"; the band returned with an eponymous
1991 release whose all-black cover; more melodic than earlier works, the
album climbed to the top in U.S. Top 200 chart, spawning three smash singles:
"Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven" ranked in the top
10 of The Mainstream Rock chart and the transatlantic hit "Nothing
Else Matters" peaked at #11 in the same chart; their self-titled
album won another Grammy for Best Metal Performance.
The next two albums marked a change in image for the band that decided
to explore a new direction toward Alternative-Rock, 1996's "Load"
shot to #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart, the record generated "Hero
Of The Day" and "Until It Sleeps", which both peaked at
#1 on Active Rock chart, followed the #6 "Bleeding Me", "King
Nothing" also hit #6 in the same chart and "Ain't My Bitch"
made top 20.
A year later appeared "Reload" and Metallica, once again, topped
The Billboard 200 chart; their eighth studio-album spawned another string
of Mainstream Rock hit singles: "The Memory Remains" peaked
at #3, "The Unforgiven II" hit #2, "Fuel" #6, "Better
Than You" reached the #7 and won them a Grammy for Best Metal Performance.
In 1998 Metallica issued "Garage Inc.", a double-CD collection
of B-sides, rarities and covers, which included the #1 Active Rock hit
single "Turn The Page", the traditional-song, "Whiskey
In The Jar", peaked at #4 in the same chart and won for Best Hard
Rock Performance at 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, the set eventually rose
to #2 in U.S. Top 200 Albums chart.
The following year the group scored one more huge hit: "S&M",
recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra reached the #2
slot on The Billboard 200 list, it generated the Mainstream Rock chart-topper,
"No Leaf Clover"; the the live set also included "The Call
Of Ktulu" which was awarded a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
The year 2000 saw the big M contributed the #1 Mainstream Rock smash "I
Disappear" to the soundtrack of the film "Mission Impossible
2" with Tom Cruise.
Newsted announced his departure in January of the following year, he left
without much drama after almost fifteen years service with the band, Robert
Trujillo stepped in to fill his shoes.
In 2003 Metallica returned at the top of the Billboard's Top 200 chart
with "St. Anger" which became quickly an international hit reconfirming
their immense popularity, the record was awarded Best Metal Performance
at 46th annual Grammy ceremony; the new album spawned no less than three
Active Rock charting single: the title-track hit #2, "Some Kind Of
Monster" peaked at #19 and "The Unnamed Feeling" made top
30.
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