10 Hard Rock Albums That Changed Music History
5. The Black Album - Metallica
After being birthed two decades before, metal still didn't really have much of a presence on the charts by the '90s. Though the genre was still thriving, the latest thrash metal scene tended to be fairly underground, with only the glam metal sounds of Poison giving the world the more candified version of what metal stood for. It was only a matter of time before it got above ground though, and Metallica were more than happy to be metal's promoters on their self titled album.
Despite some hardcore fans saying this was the record that officially wrecked Metallica for good, there's hardly a bad note throughout this album's entire runtime, giving you the different shades of black that metal had to offer. While it's easy to just end the conversation by calling out the more notable hits like Enter Sandman, Sad But True also has one of the most brutal licks to be made by any thrash band, along with James Hetfield getting in tune with his more sensitive side on the ballad Nothing Else Matters.
Whether or not they sold out or became a rock band rather a metal band, the Black Album marked a turning point towards the golden age of metal music, paving the way for everyone from Pantera to the modern hard rock outfits that you see today. Outside of the softer moments, this album put metal on the map and made believers out of the mainstream crowd.