Song · Metallica
“Whiplash” by Metallica
From the album Kill ’Em All (1983)
“Whiplash” by Metallica appears on 4 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1990 and 2013. It was first released in 1983 on the album Kill ’Em All. Its best result is #58 on the Studio Brussel De Zwaarste Lijst (2009). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #810 hard rock song of all time.
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"Whiplash" was Metallica's first single, lifted from their 1983 debut Kill ’Em All and released that August, and the title is fair warning. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich wrote it, and it came late, among the final songs written for the album, though the band had been playing it live since October 23, 1982. Hetfield sings and splits the guitars with Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton's bass churns underneath, and Ulrich drives the thing like he's trying to outrun the cops: thrash metal at its most gleefully unhinged.
Paul Curcio produced, with Jon Zazula as executive producer and Chris Bubacz engineering. The single came with a cheeky bonus, "live" takes of "Seek & Destroy" and "Phantom Lord" that were really alternate studio recordings with a crowd dubbed on top.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 536 | Z-Rock | Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990) | 1000 |
| 2002 | 468 | KISW | KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) | 999 |
| 2009 | 58 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Zwaarste Lijst (2009) | 70 |
| 2013 | 92 | KBPI | KBPI Top 200 Songs of All Time | 200 |
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