Cliff Burton Albums Overview
Cliff Burton is best known as the bassist for Metallica from 1982 to 1986, during which the band released three studio albums that shaped thrash metal. His work is documented on AllMusic's Cliff Burton discography page, which lists his studio albums, live recordings, and compilation appearances. Burton's albums are defined by progressive bass lines, classical influences, and studio experimentation that expanded the role of bass in heavy metal.
The three Metallica studio albums featuring Burton are Kill 'Em All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), and Master of Puppets (1986). These records are consistently ranked among the most influential metal albums by publications such as Rolling Stone and NME. Burton's bass tracks on these albums are studied for their technical precision, use of distortion, and melodic complexity that went beyond standard root-note playing.
Sales, Charts, and Commercial Performance
Master of Puppets was the highest-selling Cliff Burton album, achieving 6x Platinum certification from the RIAA for over 6 million copies sold in the United States. Ride the Lightning reached 6x Platinum as well, while Kill 'Em All is certified 3x Platinum. Globally, these albums have sold tens of millions of copies, with Metallica's total career sales exceeding 125 million records worldwide according to