“Enter Sandman” is listed as 5:31 on Metallica's original The Black Album track listing.
The song opens the album and immediately introduces its streamlined approach: a memorable central riff, a powerful drum-driven groove, and a compact structure compared with many of Metallica's earlier songs. Its running time is long enough for an extended rock arrangement but far shorter than the band's most sprawling compositions.
The nearby times can cause confusion. “Sad but True,” track two, runs 5:24; “The Unforgiven” lasts 6:27; and “Through the Never” lasts 4:04. These are all original-album timings, not alternate edits, live recordings, or remastered bonus versions.
The track was also the album's lead single, released on July 29, 1991. It became one of Metallica's signature songs and helped make the self-titled album accessible to listeners who had not previously followed the band.