What is the exact date of Cliff Burton's death?

The exact date of Cliff Burton’s death was September 27, 1986. Metallica’s original bassist died in a tour-bus crash near Dörarp, Sweden, during the European leg of the Damage, Inc. Tour.

Burton was asleep on the band’s bus after Metallica’s September 26 performance in Stockholm. Shortly before 7 a.m., the bus skidded off the road and overturned. Burton was thrown through a window, and the vehicle landed on him. He was 24 years old.

The accident’s cause has long been discussed. The driver reported hitting black ice, while James Hetfield and others later questioned that explanation because the road appeared dry and investigators found no ice. No criminal charges were filed against the driver.

A common mix-up is September 26, the date of Burton’s final Metallica concert. His last show took place in Stockholm on that date; his death occurred the following morning. Jason Newsted later replaced him, and Burton received a posthumous writing credit for “To Live Is to Die.”