Bob Rock’s Producer Credits for Metallica’s 1990 Self-Titled Album Sold to Hipgnosis

Hipgnosis recently acquired 100 percent of Bob Rock’s producer credits for Metallica’s Metallica for an undisclosed amount. This deal was included alongside Rock’s production credits for several Michael Bublé records, comprising a total of 43 songs.

Metallica, also commonly known as The Black Album, is Metallica’s biggest commercial hit, topping the Billboard charts for four weeks upon its release, landing at number one in 10 countries and being certified 16-times platinum. The band notoriously came into numerous conflicts with Rock during the recording process, however the band’s transition from thrash to slower heavy metal became a hit with critics and audiences alike. This album also spearheaded a number of iconic songs such as “Enter Sandman, ” “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters.”

Rock has produced for a number of noteworthy artists including Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, the Tragically Hip, the Cult, Bryan Adams, the Offspring, Michael Bublé and Van Halen lead vocalist David Lee Roth. He would go on to produce several more Metallica albums following self-titled, such as Load, Reload and St. Anger. Prior to his work as a music producer, Rock was a member of the Payolas, who released “Eye of A Stranger” a hit song featured on the soundtrack for Valley Girl starring Nicolas Cage.

Hipgnosis have recently been acquiring a number of artist catalogs for undisclosed amounts, with recent acquisitions including Latin pop artist Shakira, rock icon Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and producer Jimmy Iovine. Young is the only artist who sold a partial amount of his catalog, at 50 percent.