The band Metallica is known for many thrash metal masterpieces, but in 1991, they found mainstream superstardom with “Enter Sandman.” Known for its distorted guitar riff and screeching chorus, the song, which was the lead single from the band’s self-titled 1991 album, became a worldwide hit, peaking at No. 16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on Oct. 12, 1991. Coupled with a heavy rotation music video, the single skyrocketed the band into the mainstream 35 years ago.
In May 2026, BBC Music magazine’s Classical Music ranked “Enter Sandman” as one of the most iconic guitar riffs of all time. The outlet noted that the song's "mid-tempo, cyclical groove…perfectly illustrates the power of simplicity.” “It stripped away thrash complexity in favor of a massive, stadium-sized hook that defined the sound of 1990s heavy rock and metal,” the music outlet added.
“Enter Sandman” was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich. But while the song became iconic, it almost didn’t happen. Hetfield told Guitar World, “I can remember when I wrote the lyrics to 'Enter Sandman,' [producer] Bob Rock and Lars came to me and said, ‘These aren’t as good as they could be.’ And that pissed me off so much. …That was the first challenge from someone else, and it made me work harder.”
During a 2023 Masterclass interview, Hetfield admitted he struggled with his lyrics. “I didn’t think ‘Enter Sandman’ was such a great song. Lars Ulrich and Bob Rock said, ‘Go back. I challenge you to go back.’ And I did, and that line, that catch-phrase, ‘Off to never, neverland,’ [came out],” he recalled. “What happens in our sleep? Why do we have these nightmares? A lot of people could identify with that. Everyone has nightmares. And what do you do with them, and why do they show up?”
As for the song’s ultimate success, Ulrich said it was all about timing and the need for the thrash band to make a change.
“With the first four Metallica albums, it was a journey that sort of got more and more progressive, more and more crazy and kooky and long-winded. It got sort of nuttier and nuttier along the way,” the drummer told Classic Rock in an interview. “So …we were like, okay, there’s got to be a reset here, because we can’t just keep going longer and crazier and more progressive. It’s sort of like we hit a wall. So when we got together to write the next batch of songs, the mission statement was: simplify. And the first song we wrote, on day one, was ‘Enter Sandman.’”
“I’m the worst one at being analytical and intellectualizing Metallica songs,” Ulrich added. “But if I have to put that hat on, I guess it was just the right song at the right time.”
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