No band has defined and upheld the standards of ‘80s metal as much as Metallica. Even with the lineup changes, the new haircuts and the streamlined music that have marked the latter part of the ‘90s and ‘00s, Metallica earned their rep as one of rock’s post-‘70s innovators. They barreled out of the ‘80s’ metal scene with a tougher, faster and more abrasive thrash sound that put all of their California contemporaries to shame. Their third album, 1986’s ‘Master of Puppets,’ is a landmark recording of the genre. Four years later they entered the mainstream with their self-titled ‘Black Album,’ which made them stars and set in motion two decades of ambitious projects, including a live album with the San Francisco Symphony and a much-maligned collaboration with Lou Reed. Despite the bumps, they remain one of the best and most popular bands on the planet.

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