11 Most Played Cover Songs During Metallica Concerts

If Metallica play a cover song during a show, it's not to be kitschy.

They have a purpose and that's to let you know where they came from and the bands that influenced who they are today. Members of Metallica have quite literally worn their influences on their sleeve.

Interviews from the 1980s show James Hetfield and Cliff Burton chatting away while wearing their Misfits shirts. Burton also proudly displayed his tattoo of the horror punk band's fiend skull logo.

Lars Ulrich frequently shouts out the acts who were vital to Metallica's sound. Some of them even date back to his childhood.

Here is a look back at the most played cover songs during Metallica shows and what those performances have meant both to the band and the original artists.

11. 'Overkill'

Original artist: Motorhead

Times played: 64

First played: Dec. 14, 1995 at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, Calif.

Last played: Sept. 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Metallica haven't played Motorhead's "Overkill" since 2011 and for good reason. There's simply no way to top their performance that night at Yankee Stadium.

In 2010, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax came together for what was called the Big 4 concerts. The shows, held exclusively in Europe, were billed as having the "big four" thrash metal bands at the time.

A year later, the Big 4 finally made it to the U.S. with shows at the Polo Grounds in Indio, California and Yankee Stadium in New York. The latter closed with a cover of "Overkill" that included members of all four bands performing on stage at the same time.

10. 'Helpless'

Original artist: Diamond Head

Times played: 66

First played: March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, Calif.

Last played: Dec. 13, 2024 at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif.

Lars Ulrich has been upfront about the impact Diamond Head has had on Metallica. In a 2010 interview, the drummer told Australian rock station Triple M that he found himself "fed up" with not being able to get his band off the ground in 1981.

That's when he headed to London to see Diamond Head and eventually meet them backstage.

"I had actually written them a couple of fan letters. I was stunned to find out that they actually knew who I was. Maybe they didn't get as much fan mail as I expected, because the letters that I had sent them were actually on their radar," Ulrich said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).

Ulrich ended up staying with the band for the next several weeks, where he would find inspiration to keep going as a musician.

9. 'Blitzkrieg'

Original artist: Blitzkrieg

Times played: 92 times

First played: March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, Calif.

Last played: Nov. 6, 2022 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida

As you run through this list, you'll notice multiple entries that have the "first played" listed as being a March 14, 1982 show in Anaheim, Calif. That date is what is widely considered to be Metallica's first-ever live performance in front of an audience.

And as with most bands just starting, Metallica pulled heavily from other artists and loaded their setlist with covers. After opening the set with "Hit the Lights," Metallica played a cover of "Blitzkrieg"

A studio version of the cover would get a proper release more than 16 years later on Metallica's Garage Inc. album.

8. 'Turn the Page'

Original artist: Bob Seger

Times played: 94

First played: Oct. 18, 1998 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles

Last played: April 12, 2023 on the Howard Stern Show in Los Angeles

When it came to covering "Turn the Page," it was the song's subject matter that spoke more to Metallica than the original artist, Bob Seger.

"The lyrics are us," James Hetfield said in an interview about the making of Garage Inc.

Hetfield was alluding to the song's iconic "here I am, on the road again" lyric and how to connected with Metallica as a band that tours heavily.

"We're the road dogs and that is one song we can really relate to."

7. 'Whiskey In the Jar'

Original artist: The traditional Irish song that dates back to the 17th century

Times played: 110

First played: Nov. 17, 1998 at The Warehouse in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Last played: July 5, 2026 at London Stadium in London, England

Several bands have found success playing "Whiskey in the Jar," but it was Irish rock band Thin Lizzy's 1972 cover that made the most impact with music fans in the U.S. You can count Metallica's James Hetfield among them.

In 2011, Metallica covered the song during a performance in Ireland where Hetfield took a moment to profess his love for late Thin Lizzy leader Phil Lynott in his home country. That continued on social media following the show.

"Much respect and love to my favorite songwriter, Mr. Phil Lynott," Hetfield shared on the band's Instagram.

"Whiskey in the Jar" continues to appear on Metallica setlists today. The band last played it during a July 2026 show in London.

6. 'Die, Die My Darling'

Original artist: Misfits

Times played: 121

First played: Oct. 18, 1998 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles

Last played: May 9, 2018 at Hartwall Areena, Helsinki, Finland

The Misfits continue to be one of Metallica's most frequently covered artists. Their love of the classic punk band was front and center when the late Cliff Burton was still playing bass, with his Misfits "fiend skull" tattoo visible while on stage.

Kirk Hammett believes the Misfits' influence goes well beyond music. He describes them as being a "gateway" band to both horror-themed music and horror movies, of which Hammett is also a fan.

"I can just picture some 12-year-old kid who comes with his dad and doesn't know anything about the Misfits and sees them, and they're just like, 'wow,'" Hammett said in a 2022 interview for Gibson TV. "And then (he) goes home and picks up an album, sees the album titles and asks his dad, 'What are these album titles?' His dad goes, 'Oh, those are horror movies. Boom! Right there."

5. 'Stone Cold Crazy'

Original artist: Queen

Times played: 165 times

First played: Nov. 2, 1991 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Last played: May 5, 2018 at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden

Metallica fans familiar with Queen's original version of "Stone Cold Crazy" might notice a few differences in this cover. Metallica not only adds "fuckin'" twice to the third verse, but they also rough up the edges of some of Queen's lyrics.

In one part, Freddie Mercury sings "rainy afternoon I gotta blow a typhoon" while Metallica changes it to "rainy afternoon, on a killer typhoon." Elsewhere, Mercury is walking down the street with a "rubber Tommy water gun" compared to Metallica, who are packing a "fully-loaded Tommy gun."

Yeah, don't you dare think Papa Het is bringing a water gun to a gun fight.

4. 'So What'

Original artist: Anti-Nowhere League

Times played: 315 times

First played: Oct. 25, 1992 at Wembley Arena in London, England

Last played: Dec. 9, 2011 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, Calif.

This cover has had a few different lives.

Metallica started playing Anti-Nowhere League's profane punk song, "So What," in 1992. Less than a year later, their version was released for the first time as a B-side to "Sad But True."

Nearly five years later, Metallica would again put the cover on Garage Inc. "So What" would continue appearing on setlists off and on for the next 2100 or so years before eventually being dropped toward the end of 2008.

Outside of a one-off at The Fillmore in San Francisco in 2011, Metallica fans have had to wait to hear "So What" again.

3. 'Breadfan'

Original artist: Budgie

Times played: 345

First played: Oct. 11, 1988 at Hammersmith Odeon in London, England

Last played: May 26, 2024 at Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany

Having Metallica relentlessly cover one of your songs can be quite profitable

Founding Budgie member and former drummer Ray Phillips told the BBC in 2018 that he was in a "really dark place" after leaving the band in 1974. He found himself on the losing side of efforts to start new musical projects on through the early '80s

"I was walking down the road thinking I was better off dead, but the moon was out and I saw my shadow come alongside me and out in front of me."

But then royalties started rolling in from Metallica covering Budgie's "Breadfan" from their 1973 album, Never Turn Your Back on a Friend.

"It's strange, I never considered us mega rock stars, but it started when I was 18 and I'm 70 next birthday (in 2018) and still having this conversation," Phillips said. "It had a massive impact on a lot of bands, including Metallica, Megadeth and Van Halen, who say we influenced them."

2. 'Am I Evil'

Original artist: Diamond Head

Times played: 796

First played: March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, Calif.

Last played: June 26, 2024 at Tons of Rock 2024 in Ekebergsletta, Oslo, Norway

Like the previous entry on this list, members of Diamond Head have also praised Metallica for getting their name in front of modern-day music fans who might be unfamiliar with their work.

"I think a lot of the opportunities we get now wouldn't be there without that Metallica connection," Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler said in a 2022 interview with Metal Pilgrim.

Metallica have continued to cover multiple Diamond Head songs over the years, including putting their version of "Am I Evil" as a B-side to "Creeping Death" in 1984."

"I think if they hadn't, I may have looked elsewhere for employment. I think it would have been harder to keep Diamond Head going without that sort of introduction to their fanbase and bringing in people from outside."

1. 'Last Caress'

Original artist: Misfits

Times played: 833

First played: March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, Calif.

Last played: Sept. 2, 2018 at Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

The fact that "Last Caress" is Metallica's most-played cover is impressive when you realize it hasn't appeared on a setlist in more than eight years. And it's not like they haven't been touring either.

Metallica's love of the Misfits song can be traced back to their very first live show in 1982. Not long after that, Hetfield and Burton were interviewed on camera while drinking beers and both wearing Misfits T-shirts.

Five years later, they released a medley, "Last Caress" and another Misfits song, "Green Hell," as part of The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Revisited. The song combo is also notable for its outro, a purposely poorly played guitar riff from Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills"

And while "Green Hell" is rarely ever covered during Metallica shows (only 12 times according to Setlist.fm), "Last Caress" continues to be a favorite of both the band and their fans.

But what about Metallica's original songs? Keep reading for a look at the most and least played songs from every album.