This Day in Metal: July 27th 1984 Metallica Released Ride the Lightning

This Day In Metal Jul 27, 2023

On This Day in Metal, July 27th 1984 Metallica released Ride the Lightning.

Ride the Lightning peaked at number 100 on the Billboard 200 with virtually no radio exposure. Although 75,000 copies were initially pressed for the American market, the album sold half a million by November 1987.

It was certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2012 for shipping six million copies in the United States. Many rock publications have ranked Ride the Lightning on their best album lists, saying it had a lasting impact on the genre.

Track Listing

Side one
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Fight Fire with Fire"	Hetfield Lars Ulrich Cliff Burton	4:44
2.	"Ride the Lightning"	Hetfield Ulrich Burton Dave Mustaine	6:37
3.	"For Whom the Bell Tolls"	Hetfield Ulrich Burton	5:11
4.	"Fade to Black"	Hetfield Ulrich Burton Hammett	6:55

Side two
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Trapped Under Ice"	Hetfield Ulrich Hammett	4:04
2.	"Escape"	Hetfield Ulrich Hammett	4:24
3.	"Creeping Death"	Hetfield Ulrich Burton Hammett	6:36
4.	"The Call of Ktulu" (instrumental)	Hetfield Ulrich Burton Mustaine	8:55