Metallica Rack Up One Billion Spotify Streams For 2019
In response, the group wrote on Twitter: “Unreal! Thanks to the most dedicated fans in the world… you all are incredible!”
Metallica’s music was streamed one billion times on Spotify in 2019. The metal titans’ official Twitter account revealed their streaming feat on 31 December, adding that “1,026 decades of Metallica music was streamed in 2019!” The group wrote: “Unreal! Thanks to the most dedicated fans in the world… you all are incredible!”
ONE. BILLION. STREAMS. 1,026 decades of Metallica music was streamed in 2019! Unreal! Thanks to the most dedicated fans in the world… you all are incredible! pic.twitter.com/8PBUNnnl19
— Metallica (@Metallica) December 31, 2019
Back in December 2012, Metallica made the first nine of their studio albums, as well as various live material, singles, remixes and collaborations, available for the first time on Spotify. The move was significant because Sean Parker, who co-founded Napster, later sat on the board of Spotify. Metallica waged a battle with Napster more than a decade earlier over the illegal sharing of the band’s music, which resulted in both legal action and a battered public image for the band.
At the press conference in New York announcing the Spotify deal on 6 December 2012, Parker and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich appeared together and seemingly buried the hatchet. Ulrich said, “When [Parker] and I saw each other a few months ago. We could see that we had been put down as adversaries. We realize we had much more in common and sitting down was long overdue. We were younger, maybe somewhat more ignorant. We sat down and had a heart to heart.”
In a statement at its web site, Metallica said, “We are extremely proud to be a part of Spotify, who not only has a proven track record, but is by far the best streaming service.”
Metallica is able to make these deals directly since, as of 2012, the band has complete control over the master tapes of all its audio and video recordings. The band has also launched its own label, Blackened Recordings.
Elsewhere in Metallica news, the band recently paid tribute to Mötörhead frontman Lemmy on the fourth anniversary of his death. On the fourth anniversary of his death on 28 December 2015, Metallica shared footage of Lemmy performing the Mötörhead classic ‘Too Late Too Late’ with them at a September 2009 concert in Nashville, Tennessee on Twitter.
Listen to the Best of Metallica on Apple Music and Spotify.
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