1986 Metal Album That Changed Rock Music Forever Turns 40 Today

Metallica's formative Master of Puppets album was released on March 3, 1986, and quickly became the most influential and critically acclaimed album in the heavy metal genre.

Master of Puppets was the band's third full-length album, with both Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning being released in the early '80s—but this was the project that put the group on the map as undeniable pioneers of the metal genre.

'Master of Puppets' Changed The Way Audiences Thought About Heavy Metal

There are few bands who can say they genuinely innovated a musical genre quite like Metallica, who introduced a whole new audience to heavy metal for the first time with Master of Puppets.

The album was a critical and commercial success that blended elements of metal that had previously been deemed inaccessible or challenging—such as the loud guitar sounds and screeching vocals—with more catchy, rock-driven melodies. This is something that lead singer James Hetfield became known for, and it's what allowed Metallica to reach such impressive levels of success.

Master of Puppets peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and received strong praise from critics, who found its blend of showstopping musicality and deeper, more radical political messaging to be groundbreaking for the time.

The album was also pushed into the spotlight when Metallica's bassist Cliff Burton was killed during a crash while the band was on tour. He would later be replaced by Jason Newsted on later albums.

The album's title track, "Master of Puppets", was Metallica's biggest hit at the time and remains one of their most memorable tracks today. The single experienced a new wave of popularity when it was featured in Netflix's Stranger Things in 2022, pushing it back into the Top 40 in the United Kingdom.

Master of Puppets was eventually certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA and, notably became the first heavy metal record to be preserved in the National Recording Registry in 2015. This was a massive accomplishment for the genre, and serves as a testament to Metallica's influence over metal music even today.