10 Biggest Rock Music Feuds Of The 21st Century So Far
5. Lars Ulrich And Napster
Ah, Napster - we didn't know how good we had it.
Launching in 1999, the file sharing service allowed users to download and discover thousands of hours of music completely free of charge. All of this was highly sketchy of course, but when you could listen to the new Akon song without spending a dime, you didn't care.
Someone who did care was Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, who took Napster to task after his band's entire discography was found on the site.
He and the rest of the group filed a huge lawsuit against the company, accusing them of major copyright infringement and racketeering.
And look, they were absolutely right, but come on, Lars! Did you really think anyone was going to pay to listen to Load?
In the end, the Metallica lawsuit and mounting pressure from the rest of the industry forced Napster to shut its doors for good.
It may only have been around for a year or so and it might have crumbled like a biscuit at the first major legal challenge, but Napster truly was a special time in music.
You had to be there, man.