10 More Songs That Are Huge Outliers On Rock Albums
2. Escape - Metallica (Ride The Lightning)
As much as we’d all like to think that musicians have complete creative control over their work, it’s often the case that the higher-ups will stick their beaks in and make decisions on behalf of the talent.
Take for example Ride the Lightning, the second album by emerging rock titans Metallica from 1984. Hot off the heels of their first release, Kill ‘Em All, the band wanted to put out more hard-hitting thrash songs, which they did with efforts like Trapped Under Ice, Fight Fire with Fire, and Creeping Death.
The record executives wanted something else though. They wanted something for the radio.
Metallica were pressured into writing Escape, which ended up sounding much more commercial and formulaic than the rest of the record. James Hetfield still hates this song because it reminds him of being forced to sell out.
Thankfully, because these guys have always been great, Escape isn’t a bad song. It’s not particularly groundbreaking, but it does what it set out to do and does it well. Just don’t expect to see it played live - they have performed precisely one time in front of an actual crowd.