This Famous Pop Rock Star Once Called Metallica the “Worst Band of All Time”

The post-pandemic celebrity online drama was really something of a balm in an otherwise dark time in the world. Celebrities were beefing pretty hard around 2022, and one of the most controversial moments (at least for metalheads) came when The 1975’s frontman, Matty Healy, publicly said that Metallica was the “worst band of all time.”

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Back in October of that year, Healy sat down with Pitchfork for an interview that ended up going viral. In the interview, the publication’s Ryan Dombal asked Healy about his personal favorites when it came to music. He was forthright about his love for fellow Brit, Kate Bush. However, his short few words about metal icons Metallica raised some eyebrows.

“I f*cking hate Metallica,” Healy said. “My worst band of all time.”

Those were some big words, considering Metallica is one of the world’s biggest metal bands of all time. And, unsurprisingly for the often no-filter-having Healy, it wasn’t the first time he let the world know that he wasn’t a fan of the “Master Of Puppets” hitmakers. While he didn’t expand on his verbal hatred for the metal band in the Pitchfork interview, he did mention a few years earlier on a podcast called The Face in 2020 that he had never liked Metallica.

So, who does Matty Healy actually like? Outside of Kate Bush, he mentioned that he enjoyed everyone from Converge to Poison The Well to Refused. That latter Swedish punk band is, apparently, Healy’s “favorite heavy metal band of all time.” It seems like Healy is more of a metalcore or post-hardcore kind of guy.

Matty Healy Got Some Pushback Over His Metallica Comments

Naturally, some diehard Metallica fans weren’t entirely happy about Healy’s comments. In more than a few social media posts covering the Pitchfork interview, plenty of fans of both Metallica and The 1975 took to the comment sections to voice their ire and disappointment.

“Another hard day to defend this man,” said one fan of Healy.

“There’s no possible way of this band to be even in the tiny bit of level of Metallica,” said a fan of Metallica.

Outside of saying Metallica is the worst band ever, Healy has also gotten into hot water in recent years. In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Healy made some questionable comments about cancel culture. In 2023, he was under fire for some racist comments he made about rapper Ice Spice on a podcast, among a few other instances. 

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