Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox song
"Nothing Else Matters" is a power ballad by American heavy metal band Metallica.<ref name="powerballad">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was released in 1992 as the third single from their self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, number six on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Denmark, and reached the top ten on many other European charts. Recognized as one of Metallica's best known and most popular songs, it has become a staple in live performances.
HistoryEdit
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield wrote the song (credited to Hetfield/Ulrich)<ref name=allmusic>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in 1990 while on tour, when Hetfield "was bumming out about being away from home."<ref name="Village Voice">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Initially, the song was not meant to be released, as Hetfield had written it for himself, but after drummer Lars Ulrich heard it, it was considered for the album.<ref name="Village Voice"/> Hetfield initially had reservations about presenting the song to the band: "I thought that Metallica could only be the four of us. These are songs about destroying things, head banging, bleeding for the crowd, whatever it is, as long as it wasn't about chicks and fast cars, even though that's what we liked. The song was about a girlfriend at the time. It turned out to be a pretty big song."<ref name="Metal Hammer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was one of four demo songs recorded by the band on August 13, 1990.<ref name="Metal Hammer"/>
CompositionEdit
Template:Original research section Its intro is an E minor arpeggio (transposed one half-step lower on stage performances) beginning with the open low E followed by the open G, B and high E strings.
It is one of the few Metallica songs in which Hetfield plays the guitar solo. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett does not play on the studio recording, making it one of the few in the whole Metallica repertoire, along with Cliff Burton's "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth", in which he does not appear.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Hammett stated he did not learn how to play the song until they were well into the tour for the album.
The orchestral arrangements were written by award-winning composer Michael Kamen.
Music videoEdit
The music video premiered on MTV on February 26, 1992.Template:Citation needed It was directed by Adam Dubin and edited by Sean Fullan. The clip consists of parts of the A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica documentary, which was shot during the recordings of Metallica.<ref name="Mamo">Template:Cite magazine</ref> One of them shows Hetfield playing a Gibson EDS-1275 guitar during the second chorus. MTV will not air the video during daytime hours anymore because it features nudity in the form of pin-up posters and Playboy centerfolds that are taped up in the studio. It also has a picture of Winger's Kip Winger which Ulrich is seen throwing darts at. On the band's 2006 music video compilation DVD, the posters are censored, as was done with the nudity featured in the music videos for "Turn the Page" and "Whiskey in the Jar".
In August 2021, the music video hit one billion views on YouTube, making it Metallica's first music video to do so.<ref name="Mamo"/>
LiveEdit
The song has become a staple in Metallica's live performances, and has been dedicated to their fans.Template:Cn
A live version in which this can be heard can be found on the CD/DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México. Other live recordings can be found on Live Shit: Binge & Purge, on S&M, Cunning Stunts DVD, the DVD/Blu-ray The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria as well as on the soundtrack for the band's feature film Through the Never, and also featured on 2019 S&M follow-up live album, S&M2.Template:Cn
Track listingEdit
- This version was released in Europe April 27, 1992,<ref>Live at Wembley Stadium release date Template:Webarchive</ref> and it contained the three songs Metallica played at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on April 20, 1992, at Wembley Stadium.
PersonnelEdit
- James Hetfield – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
- Jason Newsted – bass guitar
- Lars Ulrich – drums
Additional personnel
- Michael Kamen – orchestral arrangement
- Bob Rock - production
ChartsEdit
Template:Col-start Template:Col-2
Weekly chartsEdit
Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 1 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref name="l">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 11 |
| Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name="Pennanan">Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin: levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd, 2003. Template:ISBN</ref> | 4 |
| Holland Airplay (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 2 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 4 |
| Spain (AFYVE)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 5 |
| Chart (1999–2000) | Peak position |
|---|
| Chart (2007–2010) | Peak position |
|---|
| Chart (2012–2022) | Peak position |
|---|
Year-end chartsEdit
| Chart (1992) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
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69 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
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34 |
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}}</ref> |
26 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
22 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
21 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
71 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
12 |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 39 |
| Chart (2000) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
31 |
| Chart (2008) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
100 |
CertificationsEdit
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Alternative versionsEdit
"Nothing Else Matters '99"Edit
For its appearance on S&M, its orchestration was arranged by Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. This live version is featured on the album S&M. It was also released as the single "Nothing Else Matters '99", which included the b-sides "-Human", and the S&M version of "For Whom the Bell Tolls", on November 22, 1999.<ref>Nothing Else Matters '99 release date Template:Webarchive</ref> This version was also played with guitars tuned to E♭.
ChartsEdit
Weekly charts
Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2000) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
12 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
42 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
20 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
9 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
21 |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
31 |
"Elevator Version"Edit
There is also an acoustic remix of "Nothing Else Matters" that is called "Elevator Version", with no electric guitars (replaced by acoustic guitars, even for the solo), Kamen's orchestrations, and Hetfield's voice only; it appears as the B-side to "Sad but True".
Jungle Cruise versionEdit
An instrumental version of "Nothing Else Matters" appears on the soundtrack of the 2021 film Jungle Cruise. The band collaborated with the film's composer James Newton Howard to record a new orchestral arrangement of the song for the film.<ref name=jungle>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Metallica_Collider">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lucie Silvas versionEdit
Template:Infobox song "Nothing Else Matters" is a special Europe-only single by British singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas. It was released in exactly the same way as "Don't Look Back", with the same B-sides and artwork.
Track listingEdit
ChartsEdit
| Chart (2005) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 | 13 | |
| Germany | 38 | |
| Greece<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
35 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 160 |
Gregorian versionEdit
Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. In 1999, they recovered their version to be included on their album Masters of Chant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Miley Cyrus versionEdit
Template:Infobox song On January 7, 2021, it was announced that Miley Cyrus would be releasing a cover version that would feature Elton John on piano, drummer Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica's bassist Robert Trujillo and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Cyrus also announced in October 2020 that she plans to release a full album of Metallica covers. Cyrus previously covered "Nothing Else Matters" during her 2019 set at Glastonbury.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The cover, produced by Andrew Watt, was released on June 22, 2021, as a promotional single from Metallica's tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, released on September 10. The video for this version was uploaded the same day on Cyrus' YouTube channel.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The cover is also featured on John's album The Lockdown Sessions, which released on October 22.
ChartsEdit
Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chart| Chart (2021) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
26 |
Hardwell mashupEdit
On December 23, 2022, Hardwell released a mashup of "Nothing Else Matters" and his song "F*cking Society", featured on the deluxe edition of his album Rebels Never Die.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Other cover versionsEdit
- The Metallica Blacklist features cover versions by a variety of artists, including Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, Dave Gahan, Mickey Guyton, Dermot Kennedy, Mon Laferte, Igor Levit, My Morning Jacket, PG Roxette, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton and Tresor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ReferencesEdit
Template:Metallica Template:Lucie Silvas Template:Miley Cyrus songs