To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metallica’s ‘The Black Album,’ the band and Blackened Recordings invited 53 artists in 2021 to cover songs from the 1991 record. Before and after that, many names from the industry performed Metallica’s tracks on different platforms, but most of these covers didn’t meet the expectations of Metallica fans, while some of them made it to the list of ‘worst covers ever’ on websites like Reddit. So, here’s a look at five of these cover songs!
5. Limp Bizkit – ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’
In 2003, Limp Bizkit covered ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ from Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’ at the MTV Icon event. The performance split opinions among fans and even Metallica band members. Lars Ulrich didn’t seem to mind Bizkit’s show, but James Hetfield reportedly wasn’t a fan of their version. This cover is still a topic of discussion among fans.
4. Ghost – ‘Enter Sandman’
Ghost was one of the artists that took part in the 2021 tribute album, ‘The Metallica Blacklist,’ with a cover of ‘Enter Sandman.’ Their version of the track received mixed reactions from listeners, as some enjoyed it, but others on forums like Reddit felt it missed the band’s distinct sound. Tobias Forge once mentioned he initially wanted to cover a different song in fear of ‘messing the track.’
3. Miley Cyrus – ‘Nothing Else Matters’
Miley Cyrus’s version of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ appeared on ‘The Metallica Blacklist’ album and was also performed with the band members on The Howard Stern Show. While some listeners found her version good, others felt her vocal style didn’t quite fit the song’s mood. Some people also noted that her cover ‘copied’ the original and lacked a distinct interpretation.
2. Avril Lavigne – ‘Fuel’
Like Limp Bizkit, Avril Lavigne performed ‘Fuel’ during the MTV Icon show in 2003 to honor Metallica’s music. As a 19-year-old singer back then, Lavigne revealed she worked hard for the show, but still, her performance divided fans into two. Some fans praised her take on the song, saying she sang it better than most. Others believed while her band’s performance was good, she sounded uninterested.
1. Snoop Dogg – ‘Sad But True’
Snoop Dogg’s appearance at MTV’s Metallica tribute night included a rap version of ‘Sad But True,’ adding hip-hop elements to the metal song. This cover was met with a lot of criticism from fans and some reviewers, who felt it strayed too far from the original. Some people on social media even referred to Dogg’s version of the track as ‘one of the worst covers ever‘ from time to time.
