A lot of people consider Metallica to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. In 1981 the four-piece exploded onto the early heavy metal scene. They have been a dominant force for almost four decades despite line-up changes. Founding members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich are still the heart and soul of the band.

As the drummer in Metallica, Ulrich became known for playing fast thrash drum beats. Another hallmark of Ulrich's approach was playing in sync with Hetfield's rhythm guitar. His playing style has inspired and influenced countless heavy metal drummers. Despite being one of the finest drummers in the genre, Ulrich's taste in music is wide and varied.

In 2017 Lars Ulrich submitted 15 of his favorite metal and hard rock albums for a Rolling Stone article. This list included albums from some of the classic rock bands that likely influenced him. He listed albums from several of his contemporaries and a few newer acts in the heavy metal and hard rock scene. It is easy to see in his commentary on these 15 albums that rock music is his absolute favorite genre.

Yet, rock music isn't the only genre that Lars seems to enjoy. His playlist on the streaming platform Spotify reveals a diverse catalog of songs. The songs included in his playlist span different countries, genres, and time periods. It would be interesting to have him provide commentary on this collection.

Over half of the songs on his Spotify playlist are by American recording artists. For the most part, the American artists presented on this list fall into the broad category of rock. A few of the subgenres of rock to appear on the list include hardcore, punk, alternative, and southern rock. There a few interesting standouts  
from the American acts listed.

'Crazy Horses' by The Osmonds is one standout sure to surprise most people. Standouts like Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, and System Of A Down are not as surprising. Classic bands like Blue Oyster Cult and Lynyrd Skynyrd tend to appeal to many age groups. Metallica's bassist Robert Trujillo was a member of Suicidal Tendencies in his youth.

Songs by British artists make up the next largest grouping on Lars' playlist. Most of the British artists belong to the rock genre. A sampling of British music stretches beyond rock into Britpop, neo-progressive, and hip-hop.

'Supersonic' by Oasis and 'If I Had A Gun...' by Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Birds each feature Noel Gallagher. Gallagher is the only artist to have two songs on Lars' playlist. Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy are both British bands credited as forefathers of heavy metal.

There are three artists on Lars' playlist that are the most disparate standouts on the list. 'Exodus' by  Jamaican reggae pioneer Bob Marley is a well-known classic. American singer Koko Taylor was sometimes called "The Queen of the Blues" (Du Noyer, 2003, p. 181). She appears on the playlist with 'Wang Dang Doodle'. The British hip-hop/electronic dance group StereoMCs complete the playlist with 'Fade Away'.

Lars Ulrich's eclectic playlist is a testament to his penchant for diverse music. He recognizes that inspiration is all around us if we are willing to put in the work and look for it.

Here is a look at Lars’ Playlist on Spotify:

* ‘Tap into the Power’ – Suicidal Tendencies
* ‘Exodus’ – Bob Marley
* ‘Green Machine’ – Kyuss
* ‘If I Had a Gun…’ – Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds
* ‘R U Mine?’ – Arctic Monkeys
* ‘Tattoo Vampire’ – Blue Oyster Cult
* ‘Love’ – The Cult
* ‘Die by the Drop’ – The Dead Weather
* ‘Speed King’ – Deep Purple
* ‘Audit in Progress’ – Hot Snakes
* ‘Streets of Gold’ – Diamond Head
* ‘Wang Dang Doodle’ – Koko Taylor
* ‘Cry for the Bad Man’ – Lynyrd Skynyrd
* ‘Torch Song’ – Marillion
* ‘Breed’ – Nirvana
* ‘Supersonic’ – Oasis
* ‘Crazy Horses’ – The Osmonds
* ‘Calm Like a Bomb’ – Rage Against The Machine
* ‘Sugar Man’ – Rodriguez
* ‘Fade Away’ – Stereo MCs
* ‘Blockbuster’ – Sweet
* ‘The Hidden Masters’ – The Sword
* ‘Radio/Video’ – System of a Down
* ‘Bad Reputation’ – Thin Lizzy
* ‘Charlie’s Out of Prison’ – Warrior Soul
* ‘King of the Road’ – Fu Manchu