“Sad but True” was the fifth commercial single released from Metallica's 1991 album, The Black Album.
The album's commercial single sequence was “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and finally “Sad but True.” The last of those was released on February 8, 1993, well after the album's 1991 arrival.
“Sad but True” is built around a slow, heavy riff and became one of the record's most recognizable concert songs. It charted for one week at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100, a more modest peak than some of the album's other singles.
“Don't Tread on Me” is an easy source of confusion: it received rock-radio promotion but was not issued as a commercial single. That distinction leaves “Sad but True” as the fifth commercial release.