Which Metallica bassist died in a bus accident in Sweden in 1986?

Cliff Burton was the Metallica bassist who died in a bus accident in Sweden in 1986.

Burton joined Metallica in 1982 and played on the band’s first three studio albums: Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. His playing combined distortion, melodic lead work, classical influence, and unconventional arrangements, helping expand the role of the bass in thrash metal.

On 27 September 1986, while Metallica were touring Europe, the band’s tour bus crashed near Ljungby, Sweden. Burton was killed at the age of 24. His final Metallica album, Master of Puppets, had been released earlier that year.

Jason Newsted replaced Burton in 1986 and remained Metallica’s bassist until 2001. Robert Trujillo later became the band’s bassist in 2003, so neither musician was involved in the accident.