“Enter Sandman” was the first Black Album track written and became the album's lead single. The song was released on July 29, 1991, shortly before Metallica arrived in stores.
Kirk Hammett brought the central guitar riff after drawing inspiration from Soundgarden's music. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich helped develop the song, and the final writing credit went to Hetfield, Ulrich, and Hammett. Hetfield wrote the lyrics after the instrumental framework was already taking shape.
The song's subject is childhood nightmares and fears surrounding sleep. Its early concept was narrower and darker, but the lyrics were broadened during development. The finished recording became one of Metallica's most recognizable songs and introduced the album's more direct, groove-oriented sound.
“Enter Sandman” reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the 1992 MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video. It is often mistaken for simply the album's biggest single, but it was also the first song written for the record.