Founded over 40 years ago in Los Angeles, California, Metallica has become one of the most influential metal bands of all time. The band has sold over 125 million albums, played thousands of shows for hundreds of millions of fans, won nine Grammy Awards and are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Since 2003, the band has featured James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo, while Jason Newsted, Dave Mustaine, Cliff Burton, and Ron McGovney all had a big impact during their stints in the band as well.
From Ride the Lightning to 72 Seasons, Metallica has delivered a plethora of memorable records for their legion of fans which spans multiple generations. Here we take a definitive look at Metallica’s discography and rank all 11 full-length studio albums.
Ranking every Metallica studio album from worst to best
No. 11 - St Anger (2003)
Metallica decided to take a different direction for their eighth studio album St Anger which was released in 2003. Recorded during a time of emotional turmoil for the band, St Anger puts that emotion to the test in a big way as the band showcased a side fans have never seen before. They ditched the thrash metal and hard rock sound of the '80s and '90s for a more alternative metal-style record that featured no guitar solos and raw production.
The result left many diehard fans disappointed and clamoring for a return to form. While there are tracks that have aged gracefully including the title track, "Some Kind of Monster", and "All Within My Hands", the album as a whole falls flat which results in a last-place finish.
No. 10 - Load (1996)
Fresh off the huge success of their self-titled album Metallica and its supporting tour, Metallica experimented with multiple genres including hard rock, southern rock, and blues on the album Load which was released five years later in 1996. Upon release, the album received mixed reviews with fans divided over the band’s new look and style, which was vastly different from years past.
Songs such as "Hero of the Day", "Bleeding Me", and "The Outlaw Torn" have been featured on the live album S&M and are the biggest highlights of the album along with "King Nothing" and "Mama Said", the latter of which brought in a legion of southern rock and country fans to the band's fanbase. Load is not a bad record by any means, but it falls short in comparison to the records that defined the pioneers of the thrash metal genre.