Dee Snider argues that Metallica has the broad generational appeal needed to headline a Super Bowl halftime show that would satisfy audiences of all ages, told The Ball Podcast.
Snider pointed out that metal songs dominate the in-game entertainment at the Super Bowl, but the halftime show traditionally features pop acts. He believes Metallica stands out as a band with cross-generational reach that extends far beyond their original fanbase.
“I was complaining because during the game it’s always ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Cum On Feel the Noize’, ‘Crazy Train’, ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’, ‘Enter Sandman’,” Snider said. “It’s always this 80s metal themed stuff, and the crowd gets into it. Halftime, it’s pop paradise at the Super Bowl. And I said, ‘Why aren’t you giving…’ It’s not just Boomers, it’s Gen X, it’s a lot of generations. And when you’re dealing with the AC/DCs, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallicas of the world, they’re bands that have much broader appeal than just the people who grew up listening to them. They cross generations, these bands.”
Snider explained that he had publicly called for Metallica to perform at the halftime show, a suggestion that generated significant attention online. “I said, plain and simple, and it was like a million and a half views and reposts, I said, ‘Give us Metallica. They’re the only band that really could still do it. They’ve got the catalog to do it,'” he continued. “You want to talk about an authentic band’s band that didn’t… I know you want to talk about people turning on their bands when they become famous, but this is a band that just did it their way and won, and they appeal to younger people.”
Snider used his own family as an example of how Metallica reaches audiences beyond longtime metal listeners. “My granddaughter, 16 years old, pop princess,” he said. “I look at her playlist, I’m like, ‘Oh god, what did I do wrong?’ And then one day I look and I see ‘Master of Puppets’ on there. You know why? I know exactly why. Stranger Things. Thank God. Stranger Things. My 16-year-old granddaughter is now a metal fan. And she’s also got Bring Me The Horizon on there and she’s got Falling in Reverse. Just because of that one moment where they saw the right song at the right time, presented the right way. It was a great moment with Eddie, the character playing ‘Master of Puppets’, fighting the demons. But anyway, I said every age group across the board will love a Metallica show. Give us Metallica, and people reacted to that.”
Snider made these remarks during a discussion about metal’s role in major sporting entertainment and the potential for the genre to take a larger stage at premium events like the Super Bowl.
Metallica’s path to a Super Bowl halftime show has not been straightforward. In 2016, the NFL rejected Metallica as halftime performers, saying they were too heavy for the show. However, drummer Lars Ulrich later revealed that Metallica would welcome the chance to play the halftime show when the Super Bowl comes to their home city of San Francisco.
The band’s appeal to younger audiences has grown significantly in recent years, particularly through their 1986 single “Master of Puppets.” When the Netflix series Stranger Things featured the song prominently in its season four finale, with character Eddie Munson performing it, the track reached a new generation of listeners and drove a surge in streams for the band.
Metallica has remained active and visible in entertainment beyond a potential Super Bowl appearance. The band started a residency at Sphere Las Vegas on October 1, 2024, and is scheduled to play throughout the fall and winter with dates extending through March 2027. Their M72 World Tour supports their eleventh studio album 72 Seasons, released in April 2023, and the tour continued into 2026 with a European leg that featured the band’s signature “No Repeat Weekend” tradition in select cities.
