Metallica’s Master Of Puppets has been streamed one billion times

Metallica in 2024 — (Image credit: Ross Halfin)

Metallica’s Master Of Puppets has been streamed one billion times on Spotify.

The 1986 track crossed the 10-digit threshold earlier this week. It’s the California metal titans’ third song to reach the landmark, following Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman, both from their blockbuster 1991 self-titled album (AKA The Black Album).

Master Of Puppets, the title track of Metallica’s lauded third album, was released as a radio single on July 2, 1986, almost four months after its namesake record came out via Elektra. It quickly became a fixture of the band’s setlist and was acclaimed by fans and critics for its technicality and neoclassical touches. Its lyrics refer to the control that alcohol and drug addiction can have over people.

The track was co-written by all of Metallica’s then-members: singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Cliff Burton. It would be one of Burton’s last songwriting credits during his lifetime, as the bassist died in a bus crash while the band were touring Sweden in September 1986. He was 24 years old.

In 2022, Master Of Puppets was featured on the soundtrack of Netflix series Stranger Things’ fourth season and became a mainstream hit. It charted in the US and the UK for the first time since its release and reached number four in the Netherlands.

Amidst the attention post-Stranger Things, Metallica released a music video for the song, 36 years after it first came out, and recorded a viral TikTok of them miming along to the Master Of Puppets scene in the series.

According to setlist database setlist.fm, Master Of Puppets has been performed live 1,758 times, making it Metallica’s most-played song. The band will likely add to that tally when they embark on a run of North American shows later this month. See below for all dates and details.

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Metallica 2025 tour dates:

Apr 19: Syracuse MA Wireless Dome, NY*
Apr 24: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON*
Apr 26: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON+
May 01: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN*
May 03: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN+
May 07: Blacksburg Lane Stadium, VA*
May 09: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH
May 11: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH
May 23: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA+
May 25: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA*
May 28: Landover Northwest Stadium, MD*
May 31: Charlotte Bank Of America Stadium, NC*
Jun 3: Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium, GA*
Jun 6: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL+
Jun 8: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL*
Jun 14: Houston NRG Stadium, TX*
Jun 20: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA+
Jun 22: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA*
Jun 27: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO+
Jun 29: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO*

* Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies support
+ Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills support

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Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.