Lars Ulrich Explains Why Metallica Permitted ‘Stranger Things’ To Use ‘Master Of Puppets’

Metallica recently changed their tune on licencing music, and it’s now paying off handsomely. Lars Ulrich opened up about the band’s game-changing collaboration with Stranger Things, which saw one of the show’s most pivotal season four scenes use “Master of Puppets” as a backing track, in a Monday (Nov. 28) interview with Howard Stern.

“We used to be the ‘no’ guys with Metallica,” Ulrich explained, adding that he and his bandmates had never wanted to lend their songs to TV and film projects until just a few years ago, when they changed their minds.
“We did a 180,” said the drummer. “We simply stated, ‘You know what? This is ridiculous. Why are we clinging to these [songs] as if they’re the crown jewels?’ We began to say yes to everything. Let us share our music with the rest of the world.”

Metallica experienced a surge in streams after the Netflix sci-fi series heavily featured “Master of Puppets” in its season four finale — during a scene in which Joseph Quinn’s character Eddie epically performs the 1986 track in the Upside Down. “Master of Puppets” made its Billboard Hot 100 debut nearly four decades after its original release, peaking at No. 35.

“It was mindboggling to see how that became a phenomenon,” Ulrich added. “It was completely unexpected.” Who would have thought that 40 years later, these songs could still have such an impact? We were ecstatic to be a part of it.”

This isn’t the first time Metallica has paid tribute to Stranger Things after the tribute. Four days after the season four finale debuted on Netflix, the band gave its approval, writing on Instagram that they were “blown away.” Recently, frontman James Hetfield dressed up as Eddie for Halloween.

Metallica also met up with Quinn for an epic jam session over the summer, which Ulrich discussed with Stern. “He came, we played, he knew the song,” he exclaimed. “He was a real sweetheart.”

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