Over the past four decades the guitarist and singer James Hetfield has written some of the greatest Heavy Metal songs of all time with Metallica. The band is one of the best selling acts in the history of music with an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide. Hetfield was influenced by a wide variety of artists and has spoken about many of those influences throughout his career, once even revealing which song he considers the best ever written. The song James Hetfield said is the best ever written "There is a (best) song for every mood, every day, every action. You know, when I'm driving 'Ace of Spades' (Motörhead) is the best song. But the best song written... I mean, as far as songwriting goes there's so many avenues to go down. As stupid and simple as it sounds, I think 'Stairway to Heaven' (Led Zeppelin) is just one of those songs that so many bands have tried to emulate. You start off light and end up heavy. (Lynyrd Skynyrd) 'Free Bird is that (way), 'One' (Metallica). There's so many songs that have emulated that," James Hetfield said in an interview for the podcast Metallica Report in 2025 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). It was not the first time that Hetfield praised ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ track featured on their fourth album released in 1971. When asked by Rolling Stone in 2004 to list some of his favorite songs, it was one of his choices. “When I first got a guitar, I figured out the first couple of fingerings to this. I ran around the house saying, ‘Check it out! I can play this!’ My family was like, ‘Where’s the rest of the song?’” A few years later, when he learned how to play the guitar properly and was part of his school band Obsession, they used to cover a lot of Led Zeppelin songs. James Hetfield listed Robert Plant as one of the greatest singers of all time He is a big fan of the band and has already listed Robert Plant as one of the greatest singers of all time. When asked by Rolling Stone in 2008, he named the vocalists he believed were the best and placed the British frontman at number 10. He was in front of artists such as Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury and Steven Tyler. However, ranked above him, Hetfield chose names like Ozzy Osbourne, Glenn Danzig, Paul Di’Anno, Lemmy Kilmister, Bon Scott, Chris Cornell, Rob Halford, Layne Staley and Ronnie James Dio. Curiously, in a list Hetfield made and shared with Metallica’s fan club in 2015 about the best things that had happened to him that year, one of his choices was: ‘Meeting Robert Plant.’ He only had the chance to finally meet the singer that year but was lucky enough to have shared the stage with Jimmy Page before. In 2009 when Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Page was also there to induct Jeff Beck. At the end of the ceremony, they all ended up on stage to play the classic ‘Train Kept A’ Rollin’’. Page later recalled that he and Beck actually had to teach Metallica how to play the song. “Led Zeppelin III” is one of James' favorite Led Zeppelin albums Besides their fourth album, Hetfield also likes "Led Zeppelin III", which tends to be overlooked in the band’s discography. Released in 1970, the album featured many acoustic songs, something that did not please some fans. He mentioned that record when asked about the criticism on Metallica‘s “St. Anger” (2003) album. “We feel good about every record, but this one (Death Magnetic) seems to be getting extra good response. With (2003’s) 'St. Anger', time will tell. Not to consider us like Led Zeppelin or anything. But the third ZEP album they were talking smack about, but now it’s one of my favorites.” He continued: “Time will tell. It has to erase all the other stuff attached to it. Like ‘Load’ and the (album cover) photos. And 'St. Anger' and the whole movie about the collapse of Metallica. This one, right out the gate. Pretty amazed,” James Hetfield told Sun Media in 2008. Some of the most famous tracks from that album are “Immigrant Song”, “Since I’ve Been Loving You” and “Tangerine”. Another Zeppelin album Hetfield also praised was “Remasters” (1990). It is a three-LP compilation album of the digitally remastered material by the group. Active from 1968 to 1980, Led Zeppelin was formed by John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant. The band released eight incredibly successful studio albums during those years. In 1982 they put out the posthumous record "Coda", the only one following Bonham’s death in 1980. Although there were a few reunions over the decades on special occasions, they never officially returned. Led Zeppelin still is one of the best-selling bands of all time. They have sold an estimated amount of more than 200 million records worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbhCPt6PZIU&pp=ygUSc3RhaXJ3YXkgdG8gaGVhdmVuThe post The song James Hetfield said is the best ever written appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.