The other evening I kicked back, cracked a few beers and watched Metallica’s “Through the Never”. I have always been a fan of the group, caught them live on several occasions and own all of their albums. However, this time I watched their concert through the lens of a marketer, and what did I learn?
Metallica’s hooks have evolved into their own mini-brands that fuel the group’s ongoing success.
To help explain what I mean let’s look at a few great Metallica hooks and how they exploited them into a multi-million dollar franchise.
First take a listen to the opening of their 1988 hit One. The simple haunting guitar hook sits on top of a background of gunfire helping set-up the overall feel of the song. It is a well crafted piece of music that would eventually catapult into it’s own brand image starting with a music video that left every kid in the late 80’s/early 90’s in complete awe.
Now watch how they carried that hook (now a brand) through to their live show 24 years later.
In 1984 the group unleashed Ride the Lightning offering up one of the most iconic Metallica tunes to date, For Whom the Bell Tolls. The song started with the sounds of, you guessed it, church bells followed by the pounding full band hits that have become a rally cry of fans everywhere.
Metallica has proven they know how to write a hook, and those hooks come from every member of the group. There are the dual guitar riffs that open Seek and Destroy. The haunting opening of Welcome Home (Sanitarium). Lars’ precision double bass in One.They even managed to turn lyrics into hooks. Remember Hetfield’s prayer in Enter Sandman followed by that “BOOM”? This group knows how to make music that sticks in our collective minds. Hooks that are so memorable they have evolved into very valuable brands for the franchise.
And it isn’t just hooks that Metallica has branded through the years. They also branded entire albums, carrying iconic themes through decades of live shows. Remember the cover for their 1986 release Master of Puppets?
They carried that imagery over into their live shows. Here they are performing in Seattle in 1986. Notice the iconic crosses in the background?
Now here they are performing 24 years later. They stay up-to-date with the latest in stage performance technology, but stick to the branded imagery of the album. Those haunting white crosses.
How about the cover of And Justice For All?
Lady Justice came to life, and then crashed down, in their most recent tour which was featured in the live concert video Through The Never.
Metallica’s ability to write hooks has placed the group on a successful trajectory. There is no doubt that when Elektra Records A&R director Michael Alago, and co-founder of Q-Prime Management Cliff Burnstein, attended that September 1984 Metallica concert they realized the potential of those hooks and the opportunities that Metallica’s sound provided, which encouraged them to sign the group to a deal that has since launched one of the most successful acts on the planet.
According to an article in Guitar World “they are on the exclusive list of music artists who have sold more than 100 million records, and each of their albums has enjoyed multi-Platinum status, an achievement that even AC/DC, the Rolling Stones and U2 haven’t matched. And according to an article in Loudwire, in 2012 the group only played thirty shows, but took in $86.1 million in ticket sales. That’s about $3 million per show.
Sure, there are numerous factors that have played into Metallica’s success. They were first movers in the thrash metal scene of the 80’s, helping establish them as a namesake in the genre. A genre whose success lies in touring and not #1 Billboard hits, which ultimately builds a loyal fan base. But there is no doubt that the memorable hooks they developed have emerged as their own icons of music, which, in turn, have provided the group with huge notoriety and success.
Bands and artists seeking long term success in music should break out their note pads and take a course in Metallica, which, by the way, would be the best college class ever!
In my next post we will dive deeper into how hooks have evolved over the years and why musicians should look at them to help fuel their success.