“Enter Sandman” was the lead single from Metallica’s 1991 album, commonly known as The Black Album.
The song was the first Black Album composition written and the last of its lyrics to be completed. Its central riff became one of Metallica’s most recognizable musical ideas, while its subject draws on childhood fears and troubled sleep.
The single introduced the album’s more direct, compact sound to radio and television audiences. It helped establish Metallica as a mainstream rock act while retaining heavy guitars and a forceful rhythm section.
The other major commercial singles were “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.” “Don’t Tread on Me” received rock-radio airplay but was not released as a commercial single, which is a frequent source of confusion.