10 Times Metal Bands Were Featured on Popular TV Shows & Movies

Since the 90s metal has been growing and making its way into mainstream media and pop culture more and more. Here are some of the most memorable times that metal bands made it into popular TV shows and movies!

Honorable Mention: Metalocalypse

Before diving into the countdown, we can’t overlook Metalocalypse. This animated cult classic follows the misadventures of Dethklok, a death metal band that’s larger than life (and sometimes deadlier than death itself). The show is jam-packed with death metal songs, dark humor, and plenty of inside jokes for metalheads—it deserves a special shoutout.

10: Pantera in SpongeBob SquarePants

Yes, you read that right. The underwater antics of SpongeBob SquarePants got a serious injection of classic heavy metal when an instrumental version of Pantera’s "Death Rattle" blasted during the intense “Pre-Hibernation Week” episode. Who knew Bikini Bottom could get so brutal?

9: Dying Fetus in South Park

The iconic cartoon South Park didn’t shy away from featuring extreme death metal music. Dying Fetus made an unexpected cameo in the episode “Band in China,” where characters Stan Marsh, Butters, Kenny McCormick, and Jimmy Valmer form the fictional band "Crimson Dawn" and perform "Second Skin" by Dying Fetus at an Autumn themed Folk Festival to the concert-goer's surprise.

8. Cannibal Corpse in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Jim Carrey brought his wild antics to a death metal show in this unforgettable scene featuring Cannibal Corpse. Watching Ace Ventura groove to "Hammer Smashed Face" in a crowd of headbangers is as surreal as it is hilarious. In previous interviews, Jim Carrey has talked about death metal acts like Napalm Death and it was a huge moment in metal to see Cannibal Corpse featured in such a popular movie in the 90s.

7: Anthrax in Married... With Children

Anthrax brought the metal to the Bundy household in this classic sitcom episode. Chaos ensues when the band performs a killer version of "In My World" as the cast breaks bottles, lamps, and causes havoc. Pure TV gold!

6. Twisted Sister in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

This one goes out to all the hair metal fans! When Pee-Wee rides through a chaotic movie set, who’s jamming out in the background? None other than Twisted Sister. Their anthem "Burn in Hell" is a quirky yet fitting addition to the surreal adventure.

5: Ice Nine Kills - Terrifier 3

Ice Nine Kills is widely known for their horror-infused metal, but their recent collaboration with gore-filled horror movie Terrifier 3 is the most gruesome display Ice Nine Kills has put out to date. The song "A Work of Art" features an extended-cut 15 minute music video that features actor David Howard Thornton known for his role as Art the Clown in an official collaboration that will join the movie's soundtrack. "A Work of Art" is a huge win for the metal community and the horror community, creating a crossover that made major news headlines.

4: Korn - South Park

Korn’s Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery is a South Park episode that doubles as a hilarious Scooby-Doo parody. Korn even performs "Falling Away from Me," proving their versatility as cartoon characters and metal legends.

3: Black Sabbath - Iron Man

The godfathers of metal teamed up with the godfather of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath plays during the end credits scene of the 2008 Iron Man forever linking the the song and Marvel for fans.

2: Rob Zombie / Rage Against The Machine - The Matrix

The Matrix is one of the most popular movies of all time, and the first movie featured not one, but two different metal tracks. During the futuristic dance club scene Rob Zombie's "Dragula" is blasted at the crowd before the ending scene of the movie features "Wake Up" by Rage Against The Machine.

1: Metallica - Stranger Things

Still one of the most cinematic and popular metal/pop culture crossovers of all time, its no surprise to see Metallica topping this list. In Stranger Things season 4, Metallica's "Master of Puppets" was featured during a season finale scene in the hit Netflix show. Character Eddie Munson shredded the guitar in one of the most epic metal moments in TV history.

Following Metallica's inclusion in Stranger Things the clip went utterly viral and brought Metallica to a whole new audience that may not have been exposed to metal previously. The band’s reaction to the attention was very positive, and the moment showed how impactful metal can be when presented to a wide audience.

Thanks for reading! What was your favorite time metal music was featured in pop culture?

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