Enter Sandman

{{Listen|filename=Metallica - Enter Sandman.ogg|title="Enter Sandman"|description=Sample of "Enter Sandman" from Metallica's 1991 album Metallica. In this sample, the main riff of the song can be heard in the beginning followed by the verse and the pre-chorus. The whole song evolved from an early version of the main riff, written by guitarist Kirk Hammett.|format=Ogg}}

"Enter Sandman" was the first song Metallica had written for their 1991 eponymous album.{{cite video|people=Lars Ulrich|title=Classic Albums: Metallica – Metallica|medium=DVD|publisher=Eagle Rock Entertainment|year=2001}} Metallica's songwriting at that time was done mainly by rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, after they gathered tapes of song ideas and concepts from the other members of the band, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted. Ulrich's house in Berkeley, California, was used for this purpose. "Enter Sandman" evolved from a guitar riff that Hammett wrote, after being inspired by Soundgarden's 1989 album Louder Than Love.{{Cite web |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/kirk-hammett-enter-sandman-riff-was-inspired-soundgarden |title=Kirk Hammett: "Enter Sandman" Riff Was Inspired By Soundgarden |last=Camp |first=Zoe |date=September 14, 2017 |website=Revolver |access-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326022910/https://www.revolvermag.com/music/kirk-hammett-enter-sandman-riff-was-inspired-soundgarden |url-status=live }} Originally, the riff was two bars in length, but Ulrich suggested the first bar be played three times and the second bar only be repeated every fourth time. The instrumental parts of the song were quickly finished,{{cite video | people =James Hetfield | title =Classic Albums: Metallica – Metallica | medium =DVD | publisher=Eagle Rock Entertainment | date = 2001 }} but Hetfield did not come up with vocal melodies and lyrics for a long time. The song was among the album's last to have lyrics, and the lyrics featured in the song are not the original; Hetfield felt that "Enter Sandman" sounded "catchy and kind of commercial" and so to counterbalance the sound, he wrote lyrics about "destroy[ing] the perfect family; a huge horrible secret in a family" that included references to crib death.{{cite AV media|people=James Hetfield |title=When Metallica Ruled the World |medium=TV Documentary |url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/when_ruled_the_world/89764/episode_videos.jhtml |access-date=August 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130212019/http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/when_ruled_the_world/89764/episode_videos.jhtml |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |publisher=VH1 |quote=Extras – "James On Writing "Enter Sandman" Lyrics, 2004; When Ruled the World |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|title=The Greatest Songs Ever! Enter Sandman |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1973 |author=Grierson, Tim |work=Blender |year=2006 |access-date=September 10, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101141956/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1973 |archive-date=November 1, 2007 }} For the first time in Metallica's history, however, Ulrich and producer Bob Rock told Hetfield that they felt he could write better lyrics. Nevertheless, according to Ulrich, the song was the "foundation, the guide to the whole record" even before it had lyrics.

An instrumental demo was recorded on August 13, 1990. The album Metallica was mostly recorded in Los Angeles at One on One Studios, between October 6, 1990, and June 16, 1991, although Ulrich, Hetfield, and Rock also recorded for a week in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, between April and May 1991. As the first to be produced by Bob Rock, it was recorded differently from previous Metallica albums; Rock suggested that the band members record in the studio while playing together, rather than separately.{{cite video | people =Bob Rock | title = Classic Albums: Metallica – Metallica | medium =DVD | publisher=Eagle Rock Entertainment | date = 2001 }}

"Enter Sandman" had what Hetfield described as a "wall of guitars"— three rhythm guitar tracks of the same riff played by himself to create a "wall of sound". According to engineer Randy Staub, close to 50 takes of the drums were recorded because Ulrich did not record the song in its entirety, but rather recorded each section of the song separately.{{cite video | people =Randy Staub | title = Classic Albums: Metallica – Metallica | medium =DVD | publisher=Eagle Rock Entertainment | date = 2001 }} Because it was difficult to get in one take the "intensity" that the band wanted, numerous takes were selected and edited together. Staub mentioned that the production team spent much time getting the best sound from each part of the room and used several combinations of 40 to 50 microphones in recording the drums and guitars to simulate the sound of a live concert. The bass guitar sound also gained importance with Rock; as Newsted states, Metallica's sound was previously "very guitar-oriented" and that "when he [Rock] came into the picture, bass frequencies also came into the picture."{{cite video | people =Jason Newsted | title =Classic Albums: Metallica – Metallica| medium =DVD | publisher=Eagle Rock Entertainment | date = 2001 }} As the first single, "Enter Sandman" was also the first song to be mixed, a task that took roughly ten days because the band and Bob Rock had to create the sound for the entire album while mixing the song.

The simpler songs in the album Metallica, including "Enter Sandman", are a departure from the band's previous, more musically complex album ...And Justice for All.{{cite news|title =...And Justice for All — Review|url =https://www.allmusic.com/album/r12992|author =Huey, Steve|publisher =AllMusic|access-date =September 1, 2007|archive-date =October 28, 2010|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101028070042/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r12992|url-status =live}}{{cite web|title =Enter Sandman Song Review|url =https://www.allmusic.com/song/t850588|author =True, Chris|publisher =AllMusic|access-date =August 27, 2007|archive-date =June 28, 2012|archive-url =https://archive.today/20120628154807/http://www.allmusic.com/song/t850588|url-status =dead}} Ulrich described "Enter Sandman" as a "one-riff song", in which all of its sections derive from the main riff credited to Kirk Hammett.

"Enter Sandman" moves at a tempo of 123 beats per minute for the song length of 5:32 which is slightly above the average song length of the album.{{cite book | title = Metallica — Black (Play it like it is — Guitar Tabulature Book) | publisher=Cherry Lane Music | year = 1991 | pages = 5–12| isbn = 0-89524-675-9}} It begins with a guitar intro using a chorus pedal similar to the main riff; an E minor chord on a guitar using the wah-wah pedal is then introduced, followed by heavy use of tom-tom drums. Distorted guitars then build up to the main riff, which starts 56 seconds into the song and utilizes variations of the E/B♭ (musical note) tritone.{{cite book | last = Rooksby | first = Rikki | title = Inside Classic Rock Tracks | publisher=Backbeat | year = 2001| isbn = 0-87930-654-8 | page = 132}} P. J. Howorth, in The Wah Wah Book, characterized the main riff as "sinister".{{cite book | last = Howorth | first = P. J. | title = The Wah Wah book | publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation | year = 1994 | pages = 42–45 | isbn =0-7119-5259-0}} The song then follows a common structure, playing two iterations of a verse, a pre-chorus, and a chorus. On the chorus and pre-chorus, the song modulates one whole tone, up to F♯ (musical note), and after the second chorus, Hammett plays a guitar solo with the main, pre-chorus, and chorus riffs in the background. Hammett makes use of the wah-wah pedal and a wide range of scales, including E minor pentatonic, B minor, F-sharp minor, E minor, and the E dorian mode. One of the final licks of the solo was inspired by the Heart song "Magic Man" as used in Ice-T's "Personal".{{cite journal|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/metallica-talkin-thrash?page=0,7/1|title=Metallica: Talkin' Thrash|author=Bienstock, Richard|journal=Guitar World|date=December 2008|page=7|publisher=Future US|access-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625065802/http://www.guitarworld.com/metallica-talkin-thrash?page=0%2C7%2F1|archive-date=June 25, 2016|url-status=dead}} Just a few seconds before the solo ends, the breakdown starts, in which the clean drum intro starts, then the acoustic guitar intro when the last notes of Kirk's solo echo over it into the background, are heard together with Hetfield teaching a child the "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" bedtime prayer and reciting a variation of the lullaby rhyme "Hush Little Baby" where he is heard saying "Hush little baby don't say a word, and never mind that noise you heard. It's just the beasts under your bed, in your closet, in your head".{{cite web|title =Metallica lyrics|url =http://www.metallica.com/Media/Albums/album_6_lyric.asp?skin_id=13#1|publisher =Metallica|access-date =February 12, 2008|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081227093522/http://www.metallica.com/Media/Albums/album_6_lyric.asp?skin_id=13#1|archive-date =December 27, 2008|df =mdy-all}} After building again to a chorus, the song starts to fade out while the band plays the same riffs as the buildup intro in reverse order. Lyrically, the song is about "nightmares and all that come with them", according to Chris True of AllMusic. The title is a reference to the sandman, a character from Western folklore who makes children sleep.{{cite encyclopedia

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Initially, the song "Holier Than Thou" was slated to be the opening track and first single from Metallica; according to the documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica, producer Bob Rock told Ulrich and Hetfield that the album has "five or six songs that are going to be classics", not only with fans but also on the radio, and that "the first song that should come out is 'Holier Than Thou{{' "}}.{{cite video | people =Bob Rock | title =A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica | medium =DVD | publisher=Elektra Entertainment | date = 1992 }} According to Rock, Ulrich was the only band member who felt, even before recording, that "Enter Sandman" was the ideal song to be the first single. Ulrich has said that there was a "big argument"; however, after explaining his point of view to the rest of the band, "Enter Sandman" eventually became the opening track and first single of the album.{{cite web|title =Metallica — Timeline – 1991|url =http://www.metallica.com/timeline.asp?page=events&n_categoryid=827&year=1991|publisher =Metallica|access-date =August 31, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070930220409/http://www.metallica.com/timeline.asp?page=events&n_categoryid=827&year=1991|archive-date =September 30, 2007|df =mdy-all}}{{cite web|title =Metallica|url =http://www.metallica.com/Media/Albums/albums.asp?album_id=6|publisher =Metallica|access-date =February 12, 2008|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080208221108/http://www.metallica.com/Media/Albums/albums.asp?album_id=6|archive-date =February 8, 2008|df =mdy-all}}

The single was released on July 29, 1991, two weeks before the release of Metallica. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and nine other countries, and sold over 22 million copies worldwide,{{cite web|title =Metallica History Part 2|url =http://www.metallica.com/Band/history.asp?part=2|publisher =Metallica|access-date =August 27, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110824030222/http://www.metallica.com/404.asp|archive-date =August 24, 2011|df =mdy-all}} allowing "Enter Sandman" to become, as Chris True describes it, "one of the most recognizable songs of all time in rock". The single peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. On September 30, 1991, it became Metallica's second single to achieve gold status in the United States, for shipping more than 500,000 copies.{{cite web|title=RIAA Gold and Platinum Searchable Database |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |publisher=RIAA |access-date=September 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=June 26, 2007 }} In August 2021, the song re-entered the German Singles Chart at No. 1 after a CD single was re-issued whose profit is set to be donated for charity benefitting the German survivors of the 2021 European floods. In addition to the nominations received by the album as a whole, the song was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 34th Grammy Awards in 1992, ultimately losing to "The Soul Cages" by Sting.{{cite web|title =Metallica — Timeline – 1992|url =http://www.metallica.com/timeline.asp?page=events&n_categoryid=830&year=1992|publisher =Metallica|access-date =August 28, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070930220157/http://www.metallica.com/timeline.asp?page=events&n_categoryid=830&year=1992|archive-date =September 30, 2007|df =mdy-all}}{{cite web|title=Grammy Award Winners – 1992 |url=http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=&year=1992&genreID=0&hp=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226041029/http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=&year=1992&genreID=0&hp=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 26, 2008 |publisher=Grammy Awards |access-date=December 27, 2007 }} It was also voted Song of the Year in Metal Edge{{'}}s 1991 Readers Choice Awards.Metal Edge, May 1992

"Enter Sandman" was met with acclaim by critics. Chris True of AllMusic declared it "one of Metallica's best moments" and a "burst of stadium level metal that, once away from the buildup intro, never lets up". According to him, the song's breakdown "brilliantly utilizes that 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' bedtime prayer in such a way as to add to the scary movie aspect of the song". Steve Huey, in AllMusic's review of Metallica, described it as one of the album's best songs, with "crushing, stripped-down grooves".{{cite news|title =Metallica — Review|url =https://www.allmusic.com/album/r12993|author =Huey, Steve|publisher =Allmusic|access-date =August 31, 2007|archive-date =July 18, 2011|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110718103141/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r12993|url-status =live}} Robert Palmer of Rolling Stone described "Enter Sandman" as "possibly the first metal lullaby" and wrote that the song "tell[s] the tale" of the album's "detail and dynamic, [...] song structures and impact of individual tracks".{{cite magazine |title =Metallica — Metallica — Review|url =https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/150659/review/5941896/metallica|author=Palmer, Robert|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date =August 29, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071001215808/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/150659/review/5941896/metallica |archive-date = October 1, 2007|url-status=dead}} Sid Smith from the BBC called the song "psycho-dramatic" and noted that the "terse motifs served notice that things were changing" with Metallica's new album.{{cite news|title =Metallica, Metallica — Review|url =https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/8b8c/|author =Smith, Sid|publisher =BBC|date =June 21, 2007|access-date =September 3, 2007|archive-date =September 17, 2008|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080917135604/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/8b8c/|url-status =live}} Blender magazine's Tim Grierson says that the lyrics "juxtapose childhood bedtime rituals and nightmarish imagery" and praises the "thick bottom end and propulsive riff".

"Enter Sandman" has received many accolades. Rolling Stone magazine listed it as the 408th song on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list {{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/metallica-enter-sandman-19691231|title=the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time|date=December 11, 2003|publisher=www.rollingstone.com|access-date=March 21, 2012|archive-date=April 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430044548/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/metallica-enter-sandman-19691231|url-status=live}} and 30th on their March 2023 "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list.{{Cite magazine |date=March 13, 2023 |title=The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-heavy-metal-songs-1234688425/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313191405/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-heavy-metal-songs-1234688425/ |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} VH1 placed it 22nd in their list of the "40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time", 18th in their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" and 88th in their 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Songs from the Past 25 Years".{{cite magazine |title =The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|url =https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/4|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date =August 27, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070705153311/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/4 |archive-date = July 5, 2007|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title =40 Greatest Metal Songs|url =http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml|publisher =VH1|access-date =August 27, 2007|archive-date =April 5, 2013|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130405065157/http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/series.jhtml|url-status =dead}}{{cite web|title =100 Greatest Songs of the '90s|url =http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127759/episode_featured_copy.jhtml|publisher =VH1|access-date =June 12, 2008|archive-date =April 5, 2013|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130405065157/http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/series.jhtml|url-status =dead}} Blender magazine included the song in their "The Greatest Songs Ever!" series of articles and placed it 65th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".{{cite news|title=The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51–100 |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1771 |work=Blender |year=2005 |access-date=September 10, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713231707/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1771 |archive-date=July 13, 2007 }} Q magazine listed it 81st in their list of "The 100 Songs That Changed The World" and 55th in their list of "The 1001 Best Songs Ever".{{cite news|title =The 100 Songs That Changed The World|url =http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.now.page&fixture_page=281242&resource=281242|work =Q|access-date =September 10, 2007|archive-date =August 10, 2007|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070810074427/http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.now.page&fixture_page=281242&resource=281242|url-status =live}} Total Guitar magazine readers chose the song's riff as the fifth greatest ever,{{cite news|title =Guns N' Roses top rock riff poll|url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3677965.stm|work =BBC News|date =May 2, 2004|access-date =August 27, 2007|archive-date =April 2, 2021|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20210402021047/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3677965.stm|url-status =live}} while Kerrang! places it fourth on their list of the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time".{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes it in their list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock".{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} It was also featured in Triple J's "Hottest 100 of All Time".{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_alltime/countdown/cd_list.htm |title=Countdown | Hottest 100 – Of All Time | triple j |publisher=ABC |location=Australia |date=July 20, 2009 |access-date=August 22, 2010 |archive-date=October 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006123848/http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_alltime/countdown/cd_list.htm |url-status=live }} In 2009, it was named the 5th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.{{Cite web |last=BraveWords |title=VH1 Counts Down The Top 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs Of All-Time; The Entire List Is Here! |url=https://bravewords.com/news/vh1-counts-down-the-top-100-greatest-hard-rock-songs-of-all-time-the-entire-list-is-here |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=bravewords.com |language=en}}

Since the song's release, there have been claims that the main riff was taken from the song "Tapping into the Emotional Void" by Excel. "Tapping into the Emotional Void" was released originally on their 1989 album The Joke's on You. In 2003, it was reported that Excel members were considering legal action against Metallica due to the similarities between the songs.{{cite news|title =METALLICA Threatened With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit|url =http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=16905|publisher =Blabbermouth.net|date =November 22, 2003|access-date =July 25, 2011|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20040114032527/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=16905|archive-date =January 14, 2004|df =mdy-all}}

According to Nielsen Music's year-end report for 2019, "Enter Sandman" was the eighth most-played song of the decade on mainstream rock radio with 126,000 plays. All of the songs in the top 10 were from the 1990s.{{Cite web |url=https://loudwire.com/nirvana-most-played-radio-rock-band-decade/ |title=Nirvana Were the Most-Played Band of the Decade on Rock Radio |last=Trapp |first=Philip |date=January 14, 2020 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |website=Loudwire |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116015928/https://loudwire.com/nirvana-most-played-radio-rock-band-decade/ |url-status=live }}

"Enter Sandman" was the second music video from Metallica and the first from Metallica. It was also the first of six Metallica music videos directed by Wayne Isham.The Videos 1989-2004 liner notes. Recorded in Los Angeles, it premiered on July 30, 1991, two weeks before the release of the album. The plot of the music video directly relates to the theme of the song, combining images of a child having nightmares and images of an old man (R. G. Armstrong) with shots of the band playing the song. The child dreams that he is drowning, falling from the top of a building, covered in snakes, being chased by a truck and finally falling from a mountain while escaping the truck. During the part of the song in which the child recites a prayer, he is being watched by the Sandman. Throughout the video, the picture flickers continuously. The music video won Best Hard Rock Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards and was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Editing. Andrew Blackie of PopMatters has said the video's "narrative suits the sludgy riffs and James Hetfield's twisted lullaby lyric".{{cite news|title =Metallica — The Videos 1989–2004 – Review|url =http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/9297/metallica-metallica-the-videos-1989-2004/|author =Blackie, Andrew|publisher =PopMatters|date =January 12, 2007|access-date =September 3, 2007|archive-date =October 1, 2007|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071001021046/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/9297/metallica-metallica-the-videos-1989-2004/|url-status =live}}

"Enter Sandman" has been played in almost every Metallica live performance since its release. The band released live versions of the song in the videos Live Shit: Binge & Purge, Cunning Stunts, and S&M where the band played with the San Francisco Symphony led by maestro Michael Kamen. The song is discussed in the videos A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica and Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica, and its video is available in The Videos 1989–2004. Metallica has played the song live at awards ceremonies and benefit concerts, such as the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards,{{cite web|title =Video Music Awards — Past VMAs – 1991|url =http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/past-vmas/1991/|publisher =MTV|access-date =August 7, 2007|archive-date =January 5, 2008|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080105055413/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/past-vmas/1991/|url-status =dead}} the 1992 Grammy Awards, the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert,{{cite web |title =Singles — Live at Wembley|url =http://www.chapterinc.com/singles.cfm?recordID=11|publisher=Chapter Inc.|access-date =August 27, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928112028/http://www.chapterinc.com/singles.cfm?recordID=11 |archive-date = September 28, 2007|url-status=dead}} and Live Earth.{{cite news|title =Metallica's 'Live Earth' Setlist Revealed|url =http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=76297|publisher =Blabbermouth.net|date =July 7, 2007|access-date =August 27, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070828042810/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=76297|archive-date =August 28, 2007|df =mdy-all}} Explosives are occasionally set off at 0:49 of the song, when the main riffs start. Following its UK terrestrial broadcast of Live Earth, the BBC received 413 complaints and apologized to Metallica fans for cutting the band's set before "Enter Sandman".{{cite news|title =Metallica Fans Complain To BBC About Band's Abbreviated 'Live Earth' Performance|url =http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=76392|publisher =Blabbermouth.net|date =July 9, 2007|access-date =August 27, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070828044035/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=76392|archive-date =August 28, 2007|df =mdy-all}}{{cite news|title =BBC Apologizes To Metallica Fans|url =http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=76860|publisher =Blabbermouth.net|date =July 16, 2007|access-date =August 27, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070828042426/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=76860|archive-date =August 28, 2007|df =mdy-all}}

Motörhead covered "Enter Sandman" in 1998, and received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

The song was also used by NASA mission control CAPCOM B. Alvin Drew to wake up space shuttle astronauts aboard STS-123. The song was selected for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken by his fiancé.{{cite web|url=http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-123/transcript/fd12.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327221753/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-123/transcript/fd12.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 27, 2008 |title=STS-123 Wake Up Call, Flight Day 12 |publisher=NASA |access-date=August 22, 2010}}

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, uncooperative prisoners were exposed to the song for extended periods by American interrogators. According to United States Psychological Operations, the intention was to "break a prisoner's resistance [... by] playing music that was culturally offensive to them".{{cite news|title =Sesame Street breaks Iraqi POWs|url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3042907.stm|work =BBC News|date =May 20, 2003|access-date =August 31, 2007|archive-date =January 2, 2018|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20180102074436/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3042907.stm|url-status =live}} Upon discovering that the song was used for these purposes, drummer Lars Ulrich commented saying "it all seems so bizarre and so strange that Metallica's music, which generally sort of facilitates bringing people together, is used in these bizarre circumstances. It's certainly not something that we in any way advocate or condone".{{cite interview |last=Maddow |first=Rachel |author-link=Rachel Maddow |others=Lars Ulrich |title=Metallica's Lars Ulrich joins Maddow |work=The Rachel Maddow Show |publisher=MSNBC |date=April 27, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuNfAFOv2F4&t=6m19s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/iuNfAFOv2F4 |archive-date=December 15, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=April 18, 2015}}{{cbignore}}

When Mariano Rivera was pitching for the New York Yankees, "Enter Sandman" was routinely used as his entrance music; Rivera himself was often nicknamed "Sandman".{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/mariano-rivera-synonymous-with-enter-sandman-c303010648|title=Cue the 'Sandman': Mariano, song synonymous|website=MLB.com|author=Hoch, Bryan|date=September 15, 2011|access-date=September 21, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112175614/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/24568646/|archive-date=November 12, 2014}}

"Enter Sandman" is used in the polka melody "Polka Your Eyes Out" for "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1992 album Off the Deep End. The song was also sampled by British electronic duo Utah Saints and American rapper Chuck D on their track "Power to the Beats". This was the first time that Metallica had cleared a sample of one of their songs.{{Cite web|url = https://www.musicradar.com/news/classic-album-utah-saints-on-two|title = Classic Album: Utah Saints on Two|date = April 15, 2019|access-date = December 2, 2020|archive-date = October 21, 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201021142150/https://www.musicradar.com/news/classic-album-utah-saints-on-two|url-status = live}}

Since 2000, "Enter Sandman" has been used as the entrance theme for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team's home games at Lane Stadium, as well as the start of the school's basketball games at Cassell Coliseum.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-wB0PbYkI&ab_channel=Bean | title=Virginia Tech Enter Sandman Before Tipoff VS In-State Rival Virginia - Absolute Chills - Feb 14 2022 | website=YouTube }} The custom was started when the stadium installed a new scoreboard, and the team debated between using Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and the Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius" before selecting "Enter Sandman".{{cite magazine|last=Shapiro|first=Michael|url=https://www.si.com/college/2018/10/06/virginia-tech-football-entrance-lane-stadium-enter-sandman|title=How Virginia Tech Started Using 'Enter Sandman' for its Entrance|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=October 6, 2018|access-date=June 26, 2020|archive-date=June 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628234103/https://www.si.com/college/2018/10/06/virginia-tech-football-entrance-lane-stadium-enter-sandman|url-status=live}} The song is now "the unofficial theme of the Virginia Tech athletic department," playing, for example, to celebrate the Hokies women basketball team's victory on March 27, 2023, that yielded their first trip to the Final Four.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35975461/elizabeth-kitley-leads-va-tech-ohio-state-final-four|website=ESPN.com|last=Pelton|first=Kevin|title=Virginia Tech Reaches First Final Four over Ohio State|date=March 27, 2023|access-date=March 28, 2023|archive-date=March 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328081219/https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35975461/elizabeth-kitley-leads-va-tech-ohio-state-final-four|url-status=live}} On May 7, 2025, the band performed live at Lane Stadium as part of their M72 Tour; fans’ jumping to “Enter Sandman” was so intense that it registered as a minor earthquake.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/metallica-finally-visits-virginia-techs-lane-stadium-on-tour-sets-off-richter-scale-for-enter-sandman/|last=Kalland|first=Robby|title= Metallica finally visits Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium on tour, sets off Richter scale for 'Enter Sandman'|date=May 8, 2025|access-date=May 8, 2025}}

Since 2021, "Enter Sandman" has been used as entrance music for the Welsh Rugby Union and Premier League side Brentford FC during both sports teams walk-out onto the pitch.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} The same year, the song was covered by Weezer as part of The Metallica Blacklist.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/weezer-metallica-enter-sandman-blacklist-black-album-1206759/|title=Weezer Cover Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ for ‘Black Album’ Anniversary|website=Rolling Stone|last=Shaffer|first=Claire|date=August 3, 2021}}

It was used by Brock Lesnar as an entrance song during 5 of his MMA fights in the UFC. {{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Pro Wrestler The Sandman would use the song as his entrance music during his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

US single

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:37
2. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:19

International CD single

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:37
2. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:19
3. "Enter Sandman (Demo)" – 5:05

International 12-inch vinyl single (4 tracks)

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:34
2. "Holier Than Thou (Work in Progress...)" – 3:48
3. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:17
4. "Enter Sandman (Demo)" – 5:05

International 12-inch vinyl single (3 tracks)

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:34
2. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:17
3. "Enter Sandman (Demo)" – 5:05

International 7-inch vinyl single

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:34
2. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:17

International 7-inch vinyl picture disc single

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:34
2. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:17

Australian 2-track CD single

1. "Enter Sandman" – 5:37
2. "Stone Cold Crazy" – 2:19

Japanese 2-track 3-inch CD single

1. "Enter Sandman"
2. "Stone Cold Crazy"

Personnel adapted from Metallica liner notes,{{Cite AV media notes| title=Metallica| others=Metallica| date=1991| type=liner notes| publisher=Vertigo Records| id=510 022-2}}{{Cite AV media notes| title=Metallica| others=Metallica| date=2021| type=liner notes| publisher=Blackened Recordings| id=00602577471063}} except where noted.

;Metallica

• James Hetfield – guitars, vocals, production
• Lars Ulrich – drums, production
• Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
• Jason Newsted – bass

;Additional Personnel

• Bob Rock's son – child talking{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Chuck|date=October 17, 2012 |title='Enter Sandman' – Story Behind the Song |url=https://ultimatemetallica.com/enter-sandman-story-behind-the-song/ |access-date=November 21, 2023 |website=Ultimate Metallica |language=en}}
• Bob Rock – producer
• Randy Staub – engineer
• Mike Tacci – assistant engineer

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{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Enter Sandman"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|type=single|award=Platinum|number=8|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|access-date=1 May 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|access-date=December 15, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=single|award=Platinum|id=11157|relyear=1991|certyear=2022|access-date=March 29, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|title=Enter Sandman|artist=Metallica|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=1994|relyear=1991|access-date=May 31, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Platinum|relyear=1991|certyear=2023|access-date=May 4, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Platinum|relyear=1991|certyear=2019|id=6734|note=sales since 2009|access-date=December 15, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|type=single|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=30 December 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry |region=Spain|type=single|award=Platinum|certyear=2024|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|accessdate=February 17, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2008|certyear=2024|id=12950-2158-1|access-date=March 1, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|note=Physical|access-date=June 17, 2021|refname=RIAA1}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Platinum|number=9|relyear=1991|certyear=2025|note=Digital|digital=true|salesamount=3,169,026|salesref={{cite web |title=Digital Songs Chart Week Ending October 5, 2017|url=http://www.defjampromo.com/files/2009/10/BB-Digital-Songs-Chart-Wk.-Ending-10-05-17.pdf |publisher=Nielsen SoundScan |access-date=May 28, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330181835/http://www.defjampromo.com/files/2009/10/BB-Digital-Songs-Chart-Wk.-Ending-10-05-17.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |date=October 9, 2017}}|refname=RIAA2}}

{{Certification Table Separator|title=Ringtone}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=ringtone|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=2007|refname=CAN|accessdate=April 28, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=ringtone|artist=Metallica|title=Enter Sandman|award=Gold|relyear=2005|certyear=2021|access-date=June 17, 2021|refname=RIAA}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.metallica.com/songs/enter-sandman/song-25920.html Lyrics] from Metallica's official website

{{Metallica}}

{{Sandman navbox}}

{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video}}

{{Virginia Tech Hokies football navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1991 singles

Category:1991 songs

Category:Elektra Records singles

Category:Metallica songs

Category:Music videos directed by Wayne Isham

Category:Number-one singles in Finland

Category:Number-one singles in Germany

Category:Rise to Remain songs

Category:Sandman

Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Rock

Category:Songs based on children's songs

Category:Songs written by James Hetfield

Category:Songs written by Kirk Hammett

Category:Songs written by Lars Ulrich

Category:Virginia Tech Hokies football

Category:American hard rock songs

Category:Songs about nightmares

Category:Halloween songs

Category:Sports anthems