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
B-side
  • Album version
Released1985
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
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) James Hetfield
Producer(s)
Metallica singles chronology
"Creeping Death"
(1984)
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
(1985)
"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), 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).

Mixes

Personnel

Credits adapted from Ride The Lightning liner notes [6]

Metallica

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [8] 18

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [9] 2× Platinum140,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] Gold400,000
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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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. "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's 'Ride the Lightning': 8 Things You Didn't Know, Track by Track". July 27, 2018.
  8. "Metallica Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  9. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  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.