Songoftheday 5/4/18 - So close no matter how far couldn't be much more from the heart, forever trusting who we are...

"Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica
from the album Metallica (1991)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 3

Today's song of the day comes from speed-metal superstars Metallica, whose self-titled album which broke them through with mainstream radio had already scored two top-40 pop hits in America with "Enter Sandman" and "The Unforgiven". Third single from what would become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time would be another slower number, "Nothing Else Matters". Written by lead singer/guitarist James Hetfield, the song takes the usual theme of relationship on the road and puts in in a darker place sonically...


"Nothing Else Matters" became the third top-40 pop hit in America from Metallica in May of 1992. The song also climbed to #11 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally, the single did much better, reaching the top ten in Ireland (#3), the Netherlands (#4), Spain (#5), Switzerland (#5), Belgium (#5), the UK (#6), Austria (#6), Italy (#7), Australia (#8), Germany (#9), and France (#10).

Two more singles were released from the album, with the more uptempo "Wherever I May Roam" reaching #82 (also #25 rock) on the pop chart followed by "Sad But True" at #98 (#15 on the rock chart). Both of these also overperformed overseas, with the former going to #1 in Finland, #2 in Norway, #10 in France, and #25 in the UK, and the latter hitting #1 in Finland, #5 in Norway, and #20 in the UK. 

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Here's the band live in 1993 on the tour behind the album...


In 1999, with the release of their symphonic collaboration S&M, Metallica teamed up with the San Francisco Orchestra, and "Nothing Else Matters" was a highlight. It was released as a single again, and climbed to #1 in Belgium, #2 in Germany, #4 in Switzerland, #5 in the Netherlands, and #6 in Austria...


British singer Lucie Silvas covered the song in 2005 in the same tone as the orchestral take, and ended up hitting the top-40 in the Netherlands (#13) and Germany (#38)...


Back to Metallica with their performance from the Live Earth charity concert in 2007...


Forward a couple years to the group in France in 2009...


Latin music siren Shakira also took on the song on her own tour...


Lastly, Metallica from the Global Citizen show in New York City in 2016...


Up tomorrow: the king of pop recruits a true princess.

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