1992 Hit Ranked Among ‘Greatest Power Ballads' of All Time - An Unexpected Turn for an Iconic Band
In 1992, Metallica had an unexpected top 40 hit with the song "Nothing Else Matters." The emotional ballad, which appeared on the heavy metal band's self-titled 1992 album, peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 2, 1992. With an acoustic guitar intro and heartfelt lyrics penned by James Hetfield, "Nothing Like Matters" was unlike anything Metallica had released before.
Ultimate Classic Rock ranked "Nothing Else Matters" as one of the greatest power ballads in rock history. The outlet noted that while the softer song was "polarizing" to some fans, others praised the hard rockers for "stretching their range."
"Regardless of your opinion, there's no doubt ‘Nothing Else Matters' was a success, ranking among Metallica's most popular singles," UCR concluded.
Hetfield didn't want to share the song-at first
Hetfield has admitted he had mixed feelings about "Nothing Else Matters." In 2008, he told MOJO, "At first I didn't even want to play it for the guys."
Hetfield had written the song about missing his then-girlfriend Kristen Martinez while he was on the road. Guitarist Kirk Hammett was initially surprised by Hetfield's sensitive lyrics.
"All I could think of at the time was, ‘James wrote a f---ing love song to his girlfriend? That's just weird,'" Hammett admitted to Classic Rock magazine. "James always wanted to be perceived as this guy who is very confident and strong. And for him to write lyrics like that - showing a sensitive side…"
Hetfield agreed that the song was very off brand. "What was it about not wanting to write a love song?" he said. "That's pretty easy. It's a huge sign of weakness. You're in Metallica. This is hardcore. What the f--- are you doing?"
"But that song was for me," the rock legend further explained. "It's about being on the road, missing someone at home. But it was written in such a way that it connected with so many people. It wasn't just about two people. It was about a connection with your higher power, lots of different things."
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Hetfield was ‘grateful' for the song
Bandmate Lars Ulrich helped compose the music to go with Hetfield's lyrics, and the two produced the song along with record producer Bob Rock, per Rhino. More than 30 years after its release, "Nothing Else Matters" remains a live concert staple and one of Metallica's signature songs.
Hetfield noted that many people can relate to the song he wrote for himself in a hotel room when he was "bumming out about being away from home."
"It's absolutely crazy, that was the song that I thought was least Metallica, least likely to ever played by us, the last song anyone would really want to hear," he once told The Village Voice of "Nothing Else Matters." "It's quite amazing, it's a true testament to honesty and exposing yourself, putting your real self out there, and taking the risk, taking a gamble that someone's either going to step on your heart with spikes on or they're going to put their heart right next to it, and you never know until you try."
"I'm grateful that the guys forced me to take it out of my tape player and make it Metallica," the rocker added.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 2:48 AM.