Metallica recorded “Nothing Else Matters” for The Black Album on May 30, 1991.
The song was recorded at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles during the final stage of the album sessions. It eventually became the third single, released on April 20, 1992, after “Enter Sandman” and “The Unforgiven.”
James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich are credited as composers, with Hetfield also credited as lyricist. The song began as a private guitar idea from Hetfield, but the band developed it into a power ballad with orchestral support arranged by Michael Kamen.
A common mix-up is assuming Kirk Hammett played the song’s recorded guitar parts because he appears in the video and performs it live. Hammett does not appear on the studio recording. The song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and became one of Metallica’s most recognizable compositions.