It’s no secret that Metallica are the biggest metal band in the world, but when you really look at their career, there are some pretty mind-blogging things they’ve accomplished.
Metallica have put out 11 studio albums since they formed in 1981, and 12 if you count their collaborative effort, Lulu, which they worked on with Lou Reed. Sure, that’s quite an achievement on its own, but plenty of bands have released dozens of records during their careers.
They survived the death of bassist Cliff Burton in 1986, who was an imperative part of the band’s heart and soul. However, they carried on with Jason Newsted for a couple of records, and ended up releasing the most successful album of their career with him on bass in 1991 (yes, The Black Album).
That’s a similar feat to AC/DC, who continued with a new singer after Bon Scott died in 1980, and dropped one of the biggest albums in rock history later that year with Brian Johnson.
Metallica underwent another lineup change in the early 2000s when Newsted left and was replaced by Robert Trujillo, all while James Hetfield was being treated for alcoholism in rehab. Yet, these are situations many other artists have dealt with.
READ MORE: A Photo Timeline of Metallica’s Remarkable Career
We’re not putting down any part of Metallica’s history or the many adversities they’ve been through, but instead want to highlight that there are a couple of things they’ve accomplished that are so extraordinary, that not many others have done.
Keep reading to see six mind-boggling things Metallica have accomplished during their career.
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