Who co-wrote Metallica's “Nothing Else Matters” with James Hetfield?

Lars Ulrich co-wrote Metallica's “Nothing Else Matters” with James Hetfield.

The song is credited to Hetfield and Ulrich. Hetfield wrote the initial material in 1990 while the band was on tour, and the idea began as a personal piece rather than a song intended for Metallica's next album.

After Ulrich heard the composition, the band considered developing it for the record. Its reflective lyrics and arpeggiated guitar opening differed from the band's more aggressive material, but the finished song became one of the album's most enduring tracks.

Kirk Hammett does not play on the studio recording, despite being Metallica's lead guitarist. Michael Kamen wrote the orchestral arrangement, and the London Symphony Orchestra appears on the recording. Those additional contributors are sometimes mistaken for co-writers, but the songwriting credit belongs to Hetfield and Ulrich.