"
Enter Sandman" is a song by American
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
band
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...
, featured as the opening track and lead
singleIn music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats.-History:...
from their
eponymousMetallica, informally known as The Black Album, is the fifth album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released August 13, 1991 through Elektra Records. The album features songs that are considered today as Metallica's most well-known tracks, with songs such as "Enter Sandman", "The...
1991 album. The song was produced by
Bob RockRobert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer.-Music career with Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:...
, and the music was written by
Kirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus...
,
Lars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer best known as one of the founders of American heavy metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis prodigy in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age seventeen to pursue his training, but instead...
, and
James HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica.-Birth:James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, Los Angeles County, California...
. Vocalist and guitarist Hetfield wrote the lyrics, which deal with
nightmareA nightmare is an unpleasant dream. Nightmares cause a strong unpleasant emotional response from the sleeper, typically fear or horror. The dream may contain a situation of extreme danger, or sensations of pain, bad events, falling, drowning, being raped, becoming disabled, losing loved ones,...
s.
The single achieved
gold certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped a certain number of copies.Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after the precious materials gold, platinum and diamond...
for more than 500,000 copies shipped in the United States, spurring sales of over 15 million copies for
MetallicaMetallica, informally known as The Black Album, is the fifth album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released August 13, 1991 through Elektra Records. The album features songs that are considered today as Metallica's most well-known tracks, with songs such as "Enter Sandman", "The...
and propelling Metallica to worldwide popularity. Acclaimed by critics, the song is featured in all of Metallica's live albums and DVDs released after 1991 and has been played live at award ceremonies and
benefit concertA benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
s.
Writing and recording
"Enter Sandman" was the first song Metallica wrote for their 1991 self-titled album,
MetallicaMetallica, informally known as The Black Album, is the fifth album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released August 13, 1991 through Elektra Records. The album features songs that are considered today as Metallica's most well-known tracks, with songs such as "Enter Sandman", "The...
. Metallica's songwriting method involved lead guitarist
Kirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus...
and bassist
Jason NewstedJason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist best known as the former bassist of Metallica. To this day, with more than thirteen years, he has the longest tenure as Metallica's bassist. After he left Metallica, he continued with his project Echobrain, played with Ozzy Osbourne and joined heavy...
submitting tapes of song ideas and concepts to rhythm guitarist
James HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica.-Birth:James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, Los Angeles County, California...
and drummer
Lars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer best known as one of the founders of American heavy metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis prodigy in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age seventeen to pursue his training, but instead...
, who then used the material in conjunction with their own ideas to write songs in Ulrich's house in
Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. "Enter Sandman" evolved from a guitar riff that Hammett wrote. Originally, the riff was just two
barsIn musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration. The word measure is heard more frequently in the U.S., while bar is used in other English-speaking countries, although musicians generally understand both usages...
in length, but Ulrich suggested that the first bar should be played three times. The song was quickly finished, but Hetfield did not come up with vocal melodies and lyrics for a long time. The song, in fact, was among the album's last to have lyrics, and the lyrics featured in the song are not the original; Hetfield felt that "Enter Sandman" sounded "catchy and kind of commercial" and so to contradict the sound, he wrote lyrics about "destroy[ing] the perfect family; a huge horrible secret in a family" that included references to
crib deathSudden infant death syndrome or crib death is a syndrome marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by history and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation...
. For the first time in Metallica's history, however, Ulrich and producer
Bob RockRobert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer.-Music career with Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:...
told Hetfield that they felt he could write better lyrics. Nevertheless, according to Ulrich, the song was the "foundation, the guide to the whole record" even before it had lyrics.
An
instrumentalRock Instrumentals have a separate page.An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is produced by musical instruments. This term is used when referring to popular music rather than to other musical genres such as European...
demoA demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for musicians to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
was recorded on September 13, 1990. The album
Metallica was mostly recorded in
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
at the One on One Studios, between October 1990 and June 1991, although Ulrich, Hetfield, and Rock also recorded for a week in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
, Canada between April and May 1991. As the first to be produced by Bob Rock, it was recorded differently than previous Metallica albums; Rock suggested that the band members record in the studio while playing together, rather than separately. "Enter Sandman" had what Hetfield described as a "wall of guitars"— three
rhythm guitarRhythm guitar is the use of a guitar to provide rhythmic chordal accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a musical ensemble. In ensembles or "bands" playing within the acoustic, country, blues, rock or metal genres , a guitarist playing the rhythm part of a composition supports the...
tracks of the same riff played by himself to create a "wall of sound". According to engineer Randy Staub, close to 50
takeA take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.-Film:In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup"...
s of the drums were recorded because Ulrich did not record the song in its entirety, but rather recorded each section of the song separately. Because it was difficult to get in one take the "intensity" that the band wanted, numerous takes were selected and edited together. Staub mentioned that the producing team spent much time in getting the best sound from each part of the room and used several combinations of 40 to 50 microphones in recording the drums and guitars to simulate the sound of a live concert. The
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
sound also gained importance with Rock; as Newsted states, Metallica's sound was previously "very guitar-oriented" and that "when he [Rock] came into the picture, bass frequencies also came into the picture." As the first single, "Enter Sandman" was also the first song to be
mixedAudio mixing is the process by which a multitude of recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics and panoramic position are commonly being manipulated and effects such as reverb might...
, a task that took roughly ten days because the band and Bob Rock had to create the sound for the entire album while mixing the song.
Composition
The simpler songs in the album
Metallica, including "Enter Sandman", are a departure from the band's previous, more musically complex album
...And Justice for All…And Justice for All is the fourth album by American heavy metal band Metallica. Elektra Records released the album on August 25, 1988. This is the first Metallica studio album to feature bassist Jason Newsted, since the death of the group's former bassist Cliff Burton.The album's dark subject...
. Lars Ulrich described "Enter Sandman" as a "one-riff song", in which all of its sections derive from the main riff that Kirk Hammett wrote.
"Enter Sandman" moves at 123
beats per minuteBeats per minute is a unit typically used as either a measure of tempo in music, or a measure of one's heart rate. A rate of 60 bpm means that one beat will occur every second....
for five minutes 32 seconds, running slightly above the average song length of the album. It begins with a clean guitar
introThis article is about introductions as they relate to music. For other uses of introduction, see Introduction.In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often called an intro...
similar to the main riff; an e minor
chordA guitar chord is a collection of tones usually sounded together at once, played on a guitar.Chord voicings designed for the guitar can be optimized for many different purposes and playing styles...
on a guitar using the
wah-wah pedalA wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, intended to mimic the human voice. The pedal sweeps the peak response of a filter up and down in frequency to create the sound .-History:The Wah-Wah pedal has a very specific and...
is then introduced, followed by heavy use of
tom-tom drumA tom-tom is a cylindrical drum with no snare.The tom-tom originates from Native American or Asian cultures...
s.
Distortion guitarDistortion is an effect often applied to electric guitars, though it is not limited to any one musical instrument. It can be accomplished by electronically altering the dynamic range compression or clipping the input signal, this effect adds additional harmonics and overtones to the signal,...
s then build up to the main riff, which starts 56 seconds into the song and utilizes variations of the E/B♭
tritoneThe tritone is a musical interval that spans three whole tones. The tritone, sometimes known as the Diabolus in Musica, is the same as an augmented fourth, which in 12-tone equal temperament is enharmonic to a diminished fifth...
. P. J. Howorth, in
The Wah Wah book, characterized the main riff as "sinister". The song then follows a common
structureThe structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
, playing two iterations of a verse, a pre-chorus, and a
chorusA refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. On the chorus and pre-chorus, the song
modulatesIn music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
one
whole toneA major second , also called a whole step or a whole tone, is a musical interval that occurs between the first and second degrees of a major scale, the tonic and the supertonic. The major second is abbreviated as M2; its inversion is the minor seventh...
, up to F#, and after the second chorus, Hammett plays a guitar solo with the main, pre-chorus, and chorus riffs in the background. Hammett makes use of the wah-wah pedal and a wide range of scales, including e
minor pentatonicA pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per octave in contrast to a heptatonic scale such as the major scale. Pentatonic scales are very common and are found all over the world, including Celtic folk music, Hungarian folk music, West African music, African-American spirituals,...
, b
minorA minor scale in music theory is a diatonic scale with a third scale degree at an interval of a minor third above the tonic. While this definition encompasses modes with the minor third, such as Dorian mode, the term may more usually refer only to the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic...
, f# minor, e minor, and the E
dorian modeDue to historical confusion, Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to two very different musical modes or diatonic scales.- Greek Dorian mode :...
. After the solo, the
breakdownIn popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
starts, in which the clean guitar intro and the drums are heard together with Hetfield teaching a child the "
Now I Lay Me Down to SleepNow I lay me down to sleep is a classic children's prayer from the 18th century. The version printed in The New England Primer goes:Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
Should I die before I wake,
...
" bedtime prayer and afterward reciting a variation of the
lullabyA lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive...
rhyme "
Hush Little BabyHush, Little Baby is a traditional lullaby. It is thought to be American , but the author and date of origin are unknown. The lyrics promise all kinds of rewards to the child if he or she is quiet....
" where he is heard saying "Hush little baby don't say a word, and never mind that noise you heard. It's just the beasts under your bed, in your closet, in your head". After building again to a chorus, the song starts to
fade outIn audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theatre lighting, in much the same way ....
while the band plays the same riffs as the buildup intro in reverse order. Lyrically, the song is about "
nightmareA nightmare is an unpleasant dream. Nightmares cause a strong unpleasant emotional response from the sleeper, typically fear or horror. The dream may contain a situation of extreme danger, or sensations of pain, bad events, falling, drowning, being raped, becoming disabled, losing loved ones,...
s and all that come with them", according to Chris True of Allmusic. The title is a reference to the
sandmanThe Sandman is a figure in folklore who brings good sleep and dreams.Sandman may also refer to:-People:*Mariano Rivera or Sandman, New York Yankees relief pitcher*Howard Simms or Sandman, vaudeville tap dancer...
, a character from
WesternWestern culture refers to cultures of European origin.The term "Western culture" is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and technologies...
folkloreFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
who makes children sleep.
Release and reception
Initially, the song "Holier Than Thou" was slated to be the opening track and first single from
Metallica; according to the documentary
A Year and a Half in the Life of MetallicaA Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica is a two-part documentary about the process of making the Metallica album , and the following tour. It was produced by Juliana Roberts and directed by Adam Dubin....
, producer Bob Rock told Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield that the album has "five or six songs that are going to be classics", not only with fans but also on the radio, and that "the first song that should come out is 'Holier Than Thou'". According to Rock, Ulrich was the only band member who felt, even before recording, that "Enter Sandman" was the ideal song to be the first single. Ulrich has said that there was a "big argument"; however, after explaining his point of view to the rest of the band, "Enter Sandman" eventually became the opening track and first single of the album.
The single was released on July 29, 1991, two weeks before the release of
Metallica. The album debuted at #1 on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and sold over 15 million copies worldwide, allowing "Enter Sandman" to become, as Chris True describes it, "one of the most recognizable songs of all time in rock". The single peaked at #16 on the US Hot 100 chart and at #5 on the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
. On September 30, 1991, it became Metallica's second single to achieve
gold statusMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped a certain number of copies.Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after the precious materials gold, platinum and diamond...
in the United States, for shipping more than 500,000 copies. In addition to the nominations received by the album as a whole, the song was nominated for
Best Rock SongThe Grammy Award for Best Rock Song has been awarded since 1992. The award is presented to the writers of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year. Bruce Springsteen is the category's biggest winner, at four awards.-...
at the
34th Grammy AwardsThe 34th Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1992. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year . Natalie Cole was the big winner winning three awards including Album of the Year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
in 1992, ultimately losing to "The Soul Cages" by Sting.
"Enter Sandman" was acclaimed by critics. Chris True of Allmusic declared it "one of Metallica’s best moments" and a "burst of stadium level metal that, once away from the buildup intro, never lets up". According to him, the song's breakdown "brilliantly utilizes that 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' bedtime prayer in such a way as to add to the scary movie aspect of the song". Steve Huey, in Allmusic review of
Metallica, described it as one of the album's best songs, with "crushing, stripped-down grooves". Robert Palmer of
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
described "Enter Sandman" as "possibly the first metal
lullabyA lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive...
" and wrote that the song "tell[s] the tale" of the album's "detail and dynamic, [...] song structures and impact of individual tracks". Sid Smith from the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
called the song "psycho-dramatic" and noted that the "terse motifs served notice that things were changing" with Metallica's new album.
BlenderBlender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine's Tim Grierson says that the lyrics "juxtapose childhood bedtime rituals and nightmarish imagery" and praises the "thick bottom end and propulsive riff".
"Enter Sandman" has received many accolades.
Rolling Stone magazine listed it as the 399th song on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list, and
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
placed it 22nd in their list of the "40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time", 18th in their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" and 88th in their 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Songs from the Past 25 Years".
Blender magazine included the song in their "The Greatest Songs Ever!" series of articles and placed it 65th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
QQ is a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130,179 as of June 2007.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new...
magazine listed it 81st in their list of "The 100 Songs That Changed The World" and 55th in their list of "The 1001 Best Songs Ever".
Total GuitarTotal Guitar is a monthly magazine in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from guitars and drums to video games, mountain bikes and health and fitness...
magazine readers chose the song's riff as the fifth greatest ever, while
Kerrang!Kerrang! is a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. The magazine's name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.-History:...
places it fourth on their list of the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time". The
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music...
includes it in their list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock".
In 2009, it was named the 5
th greatest hard rock song of all time by
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
.
Music video
"Enter Sandman" was the first
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
from the self-titled album, and only the second ever, to be released by Metallica. It was also the first of six Metallica music videos directed by
Wayne IshamWayne Isham is an American music video director who has directed music videos of many popular artists such as Roxette, Mötley Crüe, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, Simple Plan, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, *NSYNC, Shania Twain, Metallica, Keith Urban, Godsmack, Leona Lewis, Aaliyah,...
. Recorded on July 3, 1991 in
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
, it premiered on July 30, 1991, two weeks before the release of the album. The plot of the music video directly relates to the theme of the song, combining images of a child having nightmares and images of an
old manThe Sandman is a figure in folklore who brings good sleep and dreams.Sandman may also refer to:-People:*Mariano Rivera or Sandman, New York Yankees relief pitcher*Howard Simms or Sandman, vaudeville tap dancer...
with shots of the band playing the song. The child dreams that he is drowning, falling from the top of a building, being chased by a truck and finally falling from a mountain while escaping the truck. During the part of the song in which the child recites a prayer, he is being watched by the old man. Throughout the video, the picture flickers continuously. The music video won
Best Hard Rock VideoThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in , and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. That year, though, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, the award was called the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and...
at the
1992 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 1992 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 9, 1992, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1991 to June 15, 1992. The show was hosted by Dana Carvey at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.-Video of the Year:...
and was nominated for
Best CinematographyThe following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Cinematography in a Video....
and
Best EditingThe following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Editing in a Video....
. Andrew Blackie of PopMatters has said the video's "narrative suits the sludgy riffs and James Hetfield’s twisted lullaby lyric".
Appearances and covers
"Enter Sandman" has been played in almost every Metallica live performance since its release. The band released live versions of the song in the videos
Live Shit: Binge & PurgeLive Shit: Binge & Purge is a box set by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released in 1993. It contains three CDs and three VHS tapes, while a newer version contains two DVDs from concerts in San Diego and Seattle and also includes three CDs with songs from a concert in Mexico City on the...
,
Cunning StuntsCunning Stunts is a concert video by heavy metal band Metallica released in 1998. It was released in DVD and VHS formats. The title is also a spoonerism of the term Stunning Cunts....
, and
S&MS&M is a live album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Kamen, recorded on April 21-22, 1999 at Berkeley Community Theatre...
where the band played with the
San Francisco SymphonyThe San Francisco Symphony is a leading orchestra based in San Francisco, California. The current music director is Michael Tilson Thomas, who has held the position since September 1995.-History:...
led by
maestroMaestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...
Michael KamenMichael Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.- Background :Kamen was born in New York City, USA...
. The song is discussed in the videos
A Year and a Half in the Life of MetallicaA Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica is a two-part documentary about the process of making the Metallica album , and the following tour. It was produced by Juliana Roberts and directed by Adam Dubin....
and
Classic Albums: Metallica - The Black AlbumClassic Albums: Metallica - Metallica is a DVD documentary about the making of the self-titled album by the band Metallica. It is part of Series 3 of the Classic Albums series, released by Isis Productions/Eagle Rock Entertainment...
, and its
videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
is available in
The Videos 1989-2004The Videos 1989-2004 is a DVD featuring all Metallica videos released between 1989 and 2004. It was released on December 4, 2006 worldwide, and on December 5 in North America. The DVD sold 28,000 copies in its first week of release. The disc has been released by Warner Bros. Records, although this...
. Metallica has played the song live at awards ceremonies and
benefit concertA benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
s, such as the
1991 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 1991 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1991, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 1990 to June 30, 1991. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.-Video of the Year:...
, the
1992 Grammy AwardsThe 34th Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1992. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year . Natalie Cole was the big winner winning three awards including Album of the Year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
, the
The Freddie Mercury Tribute ConcertThe Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, televised live worldwide to an estimated audience of 1.2 billion viewers. The concert was a tribute to the life of the late Queen frontman, Freddie...
, and
Live EarthLive Earth is an annual event developed to combat climate change.-Background:The plans for the first Live Earth concerts were announced at a media event in Los Angeles on 15 February 2007 by Al Gore, Kevin Wall and other celebrities...
. Following its UK terrestrial broadcast of Live Earth, the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
received 413 complaints and apologized to Metallica fans for cutting the band's set before "Enter Sandman".
On tours after the release of their album
Load, Metallica staged accidents at indoor shows while playing the song. Among other stunts, a light tower would come crushing down with electrical wires sparking, and a crew member would run onto the stage on fire; such scenes can be seen in the live video
Cunning Stunts. On June 6, 2004, at
Download FestivalThe Download Festival is a three day music download festival held annually at Donington Park, England...
, in England the song was performed with
Joey JordisonNathan Jonas Jordison , sometimes known by his number #1 or Joey Jordison, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is a co-founder and the primary drummer for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Slipknot, as well as the guitarist and backup-vocalist for horror punk...
of
SlipknotSlipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 1995. Slipknot consists of nine members, the current band members are Sid Wilson, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray, Chris Fehn, Jim Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thomson, and Corey Taylor...
playing the drums replacing Ulrich after he suffered a medical emergency. Enter Sandman is also the MMA entrance theme for mixed martial artist
Brock LesnarBrock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist as well as a former professional and amateur wrestler...
.
"Enter Sandman" has been
coveredIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by many artists, including acts as diverse as
Sum 41Sum 41 is a rock band from Ajax, Ontario active since 1996. The current members are Deryck Whibley , Jason McCaslin , Steve Jocz , and Tom Thacker .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
,
MotörheadMotörhead are a British rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. The band was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which re-energized heavy metal in the late '70s and early '80s. Usually a power trio, Motörhead had...
,
ApocalypticaApocalyptica is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists and, since 2003, a drummer. Three of the cellists are graduates of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland...
, Richard Cheese,
Reel Big FishReel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out." The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the album Turn the Radio Off...
, Tropikal Forever,
Die KruppsDie Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.- Members :* Jürgen Engler – Vocals* Ralf Dörper – Synth* Marcel Zürcher – Guitar* Rüdiger Esch – Bass* Achim Faerber – Drums...
,
Björn AgainBjörn Again is a satirical show which parodies ABBA, and takes its name from Björn Ulvaeus, a member of ABBA, and a pun on the phrase "born again"....
and
Pat BooneCharles Eugene Boone , known professionally as Pat Boone, is an American singer, actor and writer who was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold over 45 million albums, had 38 Top 40 hits and starred in more than 12 Hollywood movies...
. Motörhead's cover of the song was nominated for
Best Metal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance has been awarded since 1989. In 1992 and 1994 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance with Vocal....
at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000 but lost to
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members...
's "
Iron Man"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll , as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations...
". The song was also covered on the album
Metallic Assault: A Tribute to MetallicaMetallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica is a tribute album to thrash metal band Metallica. The album features Metallica covers played not by formal bands, but collaborations between musicians from several bands. The album features appearances by many prominent metal musicians.-Track listing:...
, and is notable for featuring
Robert TrujilloRobert Trujillo is an American bassist who is currently in Metallica, but has also played with Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, Jerry Cantrell, and Ozzy Osbourne's band....
playing bass on the track several years before he became a member of Metallica. The song is popular as
entrance musicEntrance music may refer to:* A song that is played when athletes enter the playing field or ring.* A professional wrestler's theme song: Music in professional wrestling....
in sports - most notably for
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
closer
Mariano RiveraMariano Rivera is a Panamanian professional baseball player who has spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", the right-handed Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career...
. It is also played before all
Los Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The Angels have been based in Angel Stadium of Anaheim since 1966...
home games, the
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football TeamThe Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
, the
Iowa Hawkeyes Football TeamThe Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .-...
, the
Virginia Tech Hokies Football TeamThe Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, and the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Hockey Team. It is also a playable song in the video games
Rock Band and Guitar Hero: MetallicaGuitar Hero: Metallica is a music video game developed by Neversoft and distributed by Activision. The game was released in North America on the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 on March 29, 2009 and on PlayStation 2 on April 14, 2009, with a European release in May 2009...
.
This song was also the entrance theme song for
The SandmanJames "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon" and became a five time World Heavyweight Champion...
in
Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
.
The song was referenced to in the first episode of Criminal Minds.
The song made headlines during the
2003 invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq, was led by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain. Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from March 20 to May 1...
after it became known that uncooperative prisoners were exposed to the song for extended periods by American interrogators. According to
United States Psychological OperationsThe purpose of United States psychological operations is to induce or reinforce propaganda favorable to U.S. objectives. It can be used at the strategic, operational, also known as Psychological warfare, level or at the tactical level...
, the intention was to "break a prisoner's resistance [... by] playing music that was culturally offensive to them".
The song is currently played during the roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.
Bradford BullsBradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It has been one of the major success stories of the Super League era, with the 2003 season being its best where the club successfully won all of the major rugby league honours,...
, who play
rugby leagueRugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
in the European Super League, play an instrumental Enter Sandman as the team leave the dugout and come onto the field.
Tom LeykisThomas Joseph Leykis is an American radio personality. He currently hosts The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis, a weekly lifestyle program dealing with fine food and drink, airing weekends mainly in West Coast markets...
opened his radio program The Tom Leykis Show for 14 years with Enter Sandman.
Honors
Enter Sandman featured in
Triple Jtriple J is a nationally-networked, government-funded Australian radio station , mainly aimed at youth...
's "Hottest 100 Of All Time" at number 31, placed between "
All Along the Watchtower"All Along the Watchtower" is a song written and recorded by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It initially appeared on his album John Wesley Harding...
" by
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
(30th) and "
Blue Monday"Blue Monday" is a dance song recorded in 1982 and originally released as a single in 1983 by British band New Order, and later remixed for further releases in 1988 and 1995. The song has been widely remixed and covered since its original release, and became a popular anthem in the dance club scene...
" by
New OrderNew Order were an English musical group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris . New Order were formed in the wake of the demise of their previous group Joy Division, following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis...
(32nd).
Personnel
- James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica.-Birth:James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, Los Angeles County, California...
: rhythm guitarRhythm guitar is the use of a guitar to provide rhythmic chordal accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a musical ensemble. In ensembles or "bands" playing within the acoustic, country, blues, rock or metal genres , a guitarist playing the rhythm part of a composition supports the...
, vocals
- Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus...
: lead guitarA lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock, heavy metal, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays...
- Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist best known as the former bassist of Metallica. To this day, with more than thirteen years, he has the longest tenure as Metallica's bassist. After he left Metallica, he continued with his project Echobrain, played with Ozzy Osbourne and joined heavy...
: bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
- Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer best known as one of the founders of American heavy metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis prodigy in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age seventeen to pursue his training, but instead...
: drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
- Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer.-Music career with Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:...
: producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
- Randy Staub
Randy Staub is a Canadian recording engineer. He has been nominated for the Juno Awards' "Recording Engineer of the Year" award nine times. He won in 2002 for the songs "How You Remind Me" and "Too Bad" by Nickelback.-Juno Awards:...
: audio engineer
Formats and track listing
US single
- "Enter Sandman" (Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus...
, James HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica.-Birth:James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, Los Angeles County, California...
, Lars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer best known as one of the founders of American heavy metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis prodigy in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age seventeen to pursue his training, but instead...
)
- "Stone Cold Crazy
"Stone Cold Crazy" is a song by English rock band Queen from their successful 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. The song is the eighth track on the album...
" (Freddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his vocal prowess and flamboyant performances...
, Brian MayBrian Harold May, CBE, is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. As a guitarist he uses his home built guitar, "Red Special", and has composed hits such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "Who Wants to Live Forever",...
, John DeaconJohn Richard Deacon is a retired English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he joined...
, Roger TaylorRoger Taylor is an English musician best known as the percussionist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock drummers of the 1970s and 1980s...
)
UK 12" single
- "Enter Sandman" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich)
- "Stone Cold Crazy" (Mercury, May, Deacon, Taylor)
- "Holier Than Thou" (Work in Progress) (Hetfield, Ulrich)
- "Enter Sandman" (Demo) (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich)
UK single
- "Enter Sandman" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich)
- "Stone Cold Crazy" (Mercury, May, Deacon, Taylor)
- "Enter Sandman" (Demo) (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich)
Chart positions
| Chart (1991) |
Peak
position |
| Norwegian Singles Chart |
1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
|
1 |
| UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
|
5 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart |
10 |
| Swiss Singles Chart |
11 |
| Swedish Singles Chart |
14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock stations are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981 issue...
|
10 |
| Chart (2006) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
|
55 |
External links