Metallica has ranked as one of the bestselling rock bands of all time for decades, but the group’s commercial success has largely been centered around albums, not singles — at least as far as certifications are concerned. For an act that has remained hugely popular for so long, many might be surprised to learn that the rock outfit claimed only a relatively small number of RIAA-certified hits — meaning tunes that have been named gold or platinum in the U.S. – until recently.
That has changed, as Metallica scores dozens of new honors from the music industry organization, and in one fell swoop, the band proves once again just how massively popular its back catalog remains.
“Enter Sandman” Nears Diamond Status
Before May 28, when the RIAA handed down a new swath of certifications to Metallica, the band had only ever scored one platinum-certified hit in the U.S. “Enter Sandman” was named a gold smash in 2008 and a platinum success in 2009.
Now, it has advanced to nine-times platinum status, which means it has shifted nine million equivalent units in the U.S. One more of these awards, and it will become the rock outfit’s first diamond-certified tune — a prestigious honor that is surely within reach.
Nine Other Metallica Hits Go Platinum
Nine other smashes by Metallica earn some kind of platinum status, with many moving up from gold, which any piece of music reaches after half a million units shifted. Some had never claimed any certification before.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Master of Puppets,” “Fade to Black,” “Sad but True,” and “The Unforgiven” all move up from gold to multi-platinum status. The greatest gainer of that bunch is one that jumps from half a million units to five million, or quintuple platinum. Several others reach the triple platinum tier, and the last three are now double platinum successes.
Three other cuts — “Seek & Destroy,” “Turn the Page,” and “Wherever I May Roam” — jump from no recognition to platinum, as they have now moved at least one million equivalent units in the U.S. alone.
13 Tracks Earn Gold Status for the First Time
At the same time, 13 songs by Metallica snag their first plaques and are named gold-certified wins. That roundup includes “Battery,” “Blackened,” “Creeping Death,” “Don’t Tread on Me,” “Hardwired,” “Hero of the Day,” “I Disappear,” “King Nothing,” “Ride the Lightning,” “The Four Horsemen,” “The Memory Remains,” “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” and “…And Justice for All.”