5 Least Played Metallica Songs During Their Las Vegas Sphere Residency

Even with a highly planned visual production, Metallica have still found ways to keep fans guessing during their residency at Sphere in Las Vegas with some rare song performances.

The band has inserted one-off songs into their usual setlists during the 2026 portion of their residency, which wrapped up on Nov. 7. The 2027 half of the residency begins Jan. 27.

Metallica's Least Played Songs at Sphere (So Far)

Most of the 2026 shows during the Life Burns Faster residency saw Metallica pull from as many as nine albums each night.

Here is a look at which songs they played the least during the Sphere shows.

'Fade to Black'

Times played during residency: one

Last time played before residency: July 3, 2026 (London, England)

'Harvester of Sorrow'

Times played during residency: one

Last time played before residency: July 3, 2026 (London, England)

'Of Wolf and Man'

Times played during residency: one

Last time played before residency: July 3, 2026 (London, England)

'Until it Sleeps'

Times played during residency: one

Last time played before residency: June 21, 2026 (Dublin, Ireland)

'King Nothing'

Times played during residency: three

Last time played before residency: June 25, 2026 (Glasgow, Scotland)

Metallica's Most Played Songs at Sphere (So Far)

The list of Metallica's most played songs during Life Burns Faster at Sphere is much longer, likely due to the nature of the residency.

Each week of the residency includes two shows with a promise of "no repeats" during either night. A similar tactic was used during Metallica's M72 World Tour when they had two dates in one city in the same weekend.

Of course, you also need to have the visuals ready to roll well before the band steps onstage and we can assume they didn't create those for every song in Metallica's catalog.

The most Metallica have played any song during the residency is six times, or once each weekend of the run. That includes the following songs.

• "72 Seasons"
• "...And Justice for All"
• "Battery"
• "Blackened"
• "The Call of Ktulu"
• "Creeping Death"
• "Devil's Dance"
• "Enter Sandman"
• "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
• "Fuel"
• "Hardwired"
• "Leper Messiah"
• "Lux Æterna"
• "Master of Puppets"
• "The Memory Remains"
• "Nothing Else Matters"
• "Now That We're Dead"
• "One"
• "Orion"
• "The Outlaw Torn"
• "Ride the Lightning"
• "Sad but True"
• "Seek & Destroy "
• "The Shortest Straw"
• "The Unforgiven"
• "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
• "Wherever I May Roam"
• "Whiskey in the Jar"

In all, Metallica played a total of 34 different songs across their 12 shows at Sphere in 2026. And while many of the hits were expected, there were a few songs that popped up that fans hadn't heard live since at least the early 2000s.

READ MORE: Metallica Release Stunning Pro-Shot Videos of Full Songs From Sphere Residency

Metallica last played "Devil's Dance" from 1997's Reload album during Rock am Ring in Germany in 2008. It made six setlist appearances during the residency shows despite only being played a total of 43 times coming into 2026.

According to the band's show archives, "...And Justice For All" was another track that made a long-awaited return to their live shows, having last been played in 2014.

Want to dive even deeper into the numbers behind Metallica's setlists? Keep reading for a look at their least and most played songs from every album.