Metallica
San Francisco thrash metal band who became the best-selling metal band in history while demonstrating that heavy music could achieve mainstream commercial scale.
Pantheon Standing
| List Name | Rank | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Greatest Rock Artists of All Time | #1 | 96.0 |
The Age Divide
Voters under 30 and over 35 rank Metallica significantly differently across lists.
The Cultural Record
Discography
San Francisco thrash metal band who became the best-selling metal band in history while demonstrating that heavy music could achieve mainstream commercial scale
Awards & Recognition
9 Grammy Awards
View All 9 Grammy Wins →Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2009)
125M+ records sold
The Case For Metallica
“The longevity argument alone puts them in a category of one. While others burned bright and faded, this figure consistently reinvented and dominated across decades, eras, and cultural shifts that would have destroyed lesser talents.”
“Technically unmatched. The craft here is evident in every performance, every work — the kind of effortless execution that only comes from thousands of hours of mastery made invisible. They make the impossible look inevitable.”
“Commercial success should never be held against artistic legacy. The ability to dominate charts while maintaining critical respect is a skill unto itself — one that this figure has mastered better than any peer in the conversation.”
Rank History
Ranking history will be available once voting opens for Metallica.
Often Compared To
Neil Young
#2Rock — Omemee, Ontario, Canada · 1966–present
Omemee, Ontario Canadian rock icon known as the Godfather of Grunge for his distorted guitar work and producer of one of rock's most melancholy and enduring catalogs.
Nine Inch Nails
#3Rock — Cleveland, Ohio · 1988–present
Cleveland industrial rock project of Trent Reznor whose Pretty Hate Machine introduced industrial music to mainstream audiences and whose career led to an Oscar for The Social Network.