“Nothing Else Matters” was the third single from Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album.
The single was released on April 20, 1992, after “Enter Sandman” and “The Unforgiven.” Its release highlighted a more vulnerable and melodic side of Metallica, with James Hetfield’s clean guitar arpeggios and vocal delivery contrasting with the band’s more aggressive material.
The song became one of Metallica’s best-known recordings and reached number six on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped the singles chart in Denmark and reached the top 10 in several other European markets. Its popularity made it easy to mistake it for the album’s lead single, even though “Enter Sandman” came first.
Adam Dubin directed the music video, which used footage connected to the recording documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. The song has remained a staple of the band’s live performances.