10 Metallica Songs That Have Been Played The Most Live

10. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - 1,020 Times

Narrowly sneaking into the four figures realm is Welcome Home (Sanitarium), the final song on side one of Metallica's third album, 1986's Master of Puppets.

Based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, this track is about a character unjustly imprisoned in a mental asylum and his desire to break free and return to normal society. If you've read the book or seen the Jack Nicholson film adaptation, then you'll know how well that goes.

From the moment that iconic harmonic opening kicks in, Welcome Home goes hard, with some of the strongest lyrics out of any Metallica track from this time period. It got its first live outing mere weeks after Master of Puppets came out, and has been a consistent part of the Metallica live package ever since.

Whilst it's not the hardest rocker nor does it boast the wildest guitar solo, Welcome Home is such a strong example of why this band are so successful; they're not just about making the most noise or screeching until the microphone breaks, they're well-read, thoughtful, and capable of superb songwriting.

Although, all the noisy stuff is cool too.