Metallica

Metallica telegraphed its budding shallowness and self-absorption way back in 1983, when leader James Hetfield used “Whiplash”—one of the best songs on the band’s toweringly incredible debut, Kill ’Em All—to growl about how cool it is to headbang to Metallica. The band still managed to release a string of epochal metal albums throughout the ’80s; it’s too bad that diehard fans can’t seem to stay away from each new slab of confusing mediocrity the group now churns out, including 2008’s predictably million-selling Death Magnetic.

Updated 08/28/2009