10 Best Rock Ballads Of The 90's
3. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
By the start of the 90's, the last people fans were expecting to pump out a ballad was Metallica. The band had just come off a stellar run of thrash metal classics and had bludgeoned their audience with one of their harshest singles: "One." At the same time, things began to turn a page once superproducer Bob Rock entered the picture.
After overcomplicating their songwriting with their previous record, the band were hellbent on making a back-to-basics record with simpler approaches to riffs. Starting off by James Hetfield absent-mindedly strumming his guitar, the unstoppable melody became the basis for "Nothing Else Matters." Hetfield then quickly wrote lyrics to the song about missing his girlfriend while he was on the road.
When Lars Ulrich heard it, he convinced Hetfield to bring it in as a potential track for the Black Album. Once it entered the studio, this initial song exercise became a mini epic, with orchestral instruments and guitar harmonies backing Hetfield's more intimate vocals. The addition of classical accompaniment also opened the door for the band working with Michael Kamen later down the road for their S&M concerts. It may not have been the hardcore thrash ragers fans may have wanted, but this song kicked down the door for new sonic avenues for metal as a whole.