Why is Metallica so Popular

Metallica, a California rock band, is popular for a single reason: adaption. One only needs to listen to their first album Kill 'em All and then compare it to their newer Saint Anger or Re-Load to see what has changed. The band has staid with the times, adapting their music to fit the people that are listening. Metallica has changed styles multiple times over the years and each change has brought them out on top.

The band's original Thrash Metal turned to less brutal, more melodic tunes with the death of Cliff Burton in a tragic bus accident. The first three albums, those produced with Cliff, had a resonating bass to them; And Justice For All didn't. With the new member of the band, Jason, at bass the band moved towards the heavy metal show with songs like Enter Sandman and King Nothing. These songs were nothing like the more powerful stuff of the Burton age, however the band remained popular. Why? Because the fans idea of good music had changed.

With every album Metallica produced their style has been distinctly different (even playing some old school songs like Turn the Page and Queens Stone Cold Crazy). This style change is most evident in Saint Anger when the band takes a turn for the more aggressive metal of bands like Lamb of God and Machine Head.

This change in style is what has made the band so famous simply because they have played almost every type of rock that has been popular in the last 30 years. This has allowed them to reach a large audience that similar bands like Testament never have.

This makes Metallica one of the more famous, though not the best, metal band of all time.