Metallica Returns To A Chart That Seems A Strange Fit For The Band

Forbes

10-07-2025

Metallica returns to Billboard's Classical Albums chart at No. 24 with S&M, a 25-year-old live set ... More with the San Francisco Symphony. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 06: James Hetfield (L) and Kirk Hammett of Metallica perform with the San Francisco Symphony during the "S&M2" concerts at the opening night at Chase Center on September 06, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by)
Metallica lives on Billboard's hard rock charts, where the group never completely disappears. Sometimes the band remains present with just one album, while in other instances, the rockers claim a successful project and one or even several popular songs.
At the moment, Metallica finds space not just on the hard rock-focused lists, but also on those focused on more general rock music, as well as some rankings that don't stick to only one style, but rather, a single form of consumption. The legends even managed to return to one tally in America that has nothing to do with rock music.
Metallica Returns to the Classical Albums Chart
Metallica finds its way back to the Classical Albums chart this week. The group reappears at No. 24 with S&M, a live recording that flips many of the band's tunes on their head and makes them sound completely different from how most fans know them. The project is credited not only to Metallica but also to Michael Kamen, conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
S&M Peaked Inside the Top 10
S&M debuted on the Classical Albums tally in March 2020, and the set reached its high point of No. 8 in September of that year. Including this latest stay, the project has now spent 27 weeks among the most successful classical recordings in the United States.
Its follow-up, S&M2, was even more successful. In the same week S&M reached its peak in September 2020, S&M2 debuted at No. 1, where it would go on to spend 10 weeks. That full-length has now racked up exactly a year on the Classical Albums ranking.
Metallica's S&M Recently Turned 25
Metallica released S&M in November 1999, and the album recently turned 25 years old. The masterpiece, which is widely regarded as one of the most impressive live albums of all time, sees the band performing some of its most familiar singles — such as 'Master of Puppets,' 'Nothing Else Matters,' and 'Enter Sandman' — with the backing of the San Francisco Symphony, whose performance adds a new element to the heavy metal group's catalog.
Metallica, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets Hit the Sales Chart
Metallica scores a number of hit albums in America this week. In addition to S&M, the group's self-titled effort appears on four rankings, including the Billboard 200, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, and Top Hard Rock Albums, where it holds at No. 8.
Both Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets join Metallica on the Top Album Sales chart, where all three dip from their positions the previous frame.
The group also sees 'Enter Sandman' continue to chart inside the top 10 on both the Hard Rock Streaming Songs and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales tallies at the same time.