Long before the Big 4 concerts, their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and before the release of the multiplatinum Black Album, Metallica were an up-and-coming thrash metal outfit on the path to big, big things. On Sept. 27, 1986, that journey took Metallica to the roads of Europe, where the band was on a late-summer trek riding overnight in a tour bus from Sweden to Denmark. Tragically, the bus flipped over in unseasonably chilly weather, killing bassist Cliff Burton, the man many considered the heart and soul of Metallica. The other three members were shaken up but survived.

Cliff Burton played bass without a pick, as he had agile fingers. His musical mind seemed telepathically linked with that of drummer Lars Ulrich, creating one of the most legendary metal rhythm sections of all time. Burton also played an integral part in writing the first three Metallica albums, with his soaring bass solos often leading the charge. We remember Cliff Burton with our picks for the Top 10 songs from his time in Metallica: