For Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica song)

Last updated

"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls cover.jpg
Promotional single by Metallica
from the album Ride the Lightning
Released1984
RecordedFebruary 20 –March 14, 1984
Studio Sweet Silence (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Genre Heavy metal [1]
Length
  • 5:11 (album version)
  • 3:59 (promo edit)
Label Elektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Metallica singles chronology
"Creeping Death"
(1984)		"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
(1984)		"Master of Puppets"
(1986)
Audio sample
Promotional 12-inch single
No.TitleLength
1."For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Edit)3:59
2."For Whom the Bell Tolls"5:11

Other versions

Metallica

In 1999 and 2019, Metallica recorded "For Whom the Bell Tolls" with the San Francisco Symphony for the live albums S&M and S&M2 , respectively. Other live versions appear on Cliff 'Em All (VHS, 1987), Live Shit: Binge & Purge (1993), Woodstock 94 (1994), Cunning Stunts (DVD, 1997), Français Pour une Nuit (DVD, 2009), Orgullo, Pasión, y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México (2009), The Big Four: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria (DVD, 2010), Quebec Magnetic (DVD, 2012), and Metallica: Through the Never (soundtrack, 2013).

Remixes

A remix by DJ Spooky appeared on the Spawn soundtrack, titled "For Whom the Bell Tolls (The Irony of it All)". Metallica later released it on "The Memory Remains" single, re-titled "For Whom the Bell Tolls (Haven't Heard It Yet Mix)". "The Irony of it All" has vocals from both the chorus and verses of the song, while "Haven't Heard It Yet Mix" only has vocals from the chorus.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Ride The Lightning liner notes. [6]

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [7] 18

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [8] 2× Platinum140,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [9] 2× Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] Gold400,000‡
United States (RIAA) [11] 3× Platinum3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Joel McIver (2009). To Live Is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton. Jawbone Press. p. 119. ISBN   9781906002244 . Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Song Statistics". Metallica.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . March 13, 2023. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Fighting Fire With Fire: Metallica Look Back on 'Ride the Lightning'". Rolling Stone. July 28, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Songfacts: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica".
  6. ↑ Ride The Lightning (liner notes). Metallica. 1984.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Metallica Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  8. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  9. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Metallica – For Whom the Bell Tolls". Radioscope. Retrieved September 6, 2025.Type For Whom the Bell Tolls in the "Search:" field.
  10. ↑ "British single certifications – Metallica – For Whom the Bell Tolls". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Metallica – For Whom the Bell Tolls". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 23, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.