Jason Newsted Says Metallica’s Softest Song Broke The Walls For The Band

In a recent appearance on Gater Rocks, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted revealed his view about ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ mentioning it as the softest ballad that broke the walls for the band.

Nothing Else Matters,‘ released as the third single from the band’s self-titled album in 1992, has made a massive impact on the metal scene lasting to the present. In the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, the song reached number 11, while it was in the sixth spot on UK Singles Chart. The track had placed itself in the top ten on many European lists.

Over the years, the track has become one of the staple songs in Metallica’s live shows. The members dedicated ‘Nothing Else Matters’ to their fans. By 2021, it has become the first song for Metallica hitting one billion views on YouTube. Metallica fans and members still talk about this song’s impact on the music industry.

Jason Newsted recently stated that ‘Nothing Else Matters’ provided them to deliver the other heaviest songs to the audience. According to Newsted, others than this song would not be able to make the same impact on the people. He talked about this issue by identifying ‘Nothing Else Matters’ as the song that opened a new gate for the others they wanted to deliver.

Newsted explained in his words:

“‘Nothing Else Matters’ was the first ballad from this heavy band. That softest song broke down the biggest walls for us to take the heaviest songs to the people. It couldn’t have happened the opposite way. We couldn’t have broken down the walls with ‘Fight Fire with Fire,’ ‘Creeping Death,’ and ‘Battery’ to be able to have ‘Nothing Else Matters’ for the masses. It just does not work that way.”

You can watch the entire interview and listen to ‘Nothing Else Matters’ below.