The Best of Heavy Metal in 1994

Looking back at the best of heavy metal in 1994, it’s clear that it was a great year for the genre. From Pantera’s groundbreaking album ‘Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboy’s Vulgar Hits’ to Metallica’s self-titled release, there were plenty of metal classics released that year.

Metallica- “Enter Sandman”

“Enter Sandman” is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the first single from their self-titled fifth album, Metallica in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist Hetfield wrote the lyrics, which deal with insomnia and features references to the children’s nightmares’sandman. “Enter Sandman” peaked at number 16 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992. The song is featured regularly on rock radio station playlists and continues to receive significant airplay on active rock and classic metal radio stations. In 2010, VH1 ranked it number 38 on their list of the “100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s”. Rolling Stone placed it at number 59 of “The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”, calling it “one of those rare songs that seems to have been successful despite breaking nearly every rule”.

Pantera- “Walk”

Pantera’s “Walk” is widely considered to be one of the best heavy metal songs of 1994. The song was released as a single from the band’s fifth studio album, Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboy’s Vulgar Hits, and quickly rose to popularity, becoming one of Pantera’s most well-known tracks.

Soundgarden- “Black Hole Sun”

“Black Hole Sun” is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring haunting and melodic riffing, the song became one of the most successful singles of 1994, spending seven weeks atop the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was included on the band’s fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994), for which it won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1995. The song was accompanied by a groundbreaking music video directed by Fred Rosing.

Alice in Chains- “Would?”

“Would?” is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains, appearing on the band’s second studio album, Dirt (1992). The song was released as a single in May 1993. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number two on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada. The music video for “Would?” was Alice in Chains’ first and won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video. The song was included on Alice in Chains’ greatest hits album, Music Bank (1999), and was released as a promotional single from the album.

Tool- “Sober”

From their influential debut album Undertow, “Sober” was one of the firstTool songs to gain mainstream attention. The success of the song helped propel the album to double platinum status. “Sober” is a slow, moody and atmospheric piece that features Maynard James Keenan’s signature dual-vocal style. The song is notable for its use of odd time signatures, which would become a trademark of Tool’s music.

Nine Inch Nails- “Closer”

Nine Inch Nails, a band known for their Industrial Metal sound and suggestive lyrics, released “Closer” in 1994. The song quickly became one of the band’s most well-known songs, and is often considered one of the best Industrial Metal songs of all time.

The song’s music video caused controversy due to its graphic sexual and religious imagery, but this only added to the song’s popularity. “Closer” won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1995, solidifying its place as one of the best Heavy Metal songs of the 1990s.

Stone Temple Pilots- “Interstate Love Song”

Stone Temple Pilots released their third album, Purple, in 1994. It was the first album of theirs to be produced by Brendan O’Brien. The album became a success due in part to the popularity of the single “Interstate Love Song”, which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Green Day- “Basket Case”

“Basket Case” is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as a single from their third studio album, Dookie (1994). The song is about lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s struggles with anxiety and depression. It was well-received by critics and became a commercial success, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Pearl Jam- “Spin the Black Circle”

From their second album, Vs., Pearl Jam’s “Spin the Black Circle” was one of 1994’s heaviest radio hits. The song is a pummeling attack on the senses, with staccato guitar rhythms and Eddie Vedder’s signature growl. The lyrics are cryptic and dark, making “Spin the Black Circle” one of Pearl Jam’s most enigmatic songs.

Nirvana- “Heart-Shaped Box”

Nirvana’s song “Heart-Shaped Box” was released in 1993 as the first single from their album In Utero. “Heart-Shaped Box” was a commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s music video, directed by Anton Corbijn, was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards.