Metallica to sell back catalogue via iTunes

After fighting the digital music revolution for years, Metallica is finally selling its entire back catalog at the iTunes online music store. iTunes is now carrying 10 releases from the group, from its 1983 debut Kill 'Em All to the 2004 EP Some Kind of Monster. Previously unreleased live tracks have been added to each of the band's first four albums as bonuses only available at iTunes.

Metallica posted a statement at its official website on Monday (July 24th) in which it explained the band's change of heart. The posting read in part, "Over the last year or so, we have seen an ever-growing number of Metallica fans using online sites like iTunes to get their music. So, in continuing with the tradition of offering our albums for sale online...as well as making our live concerts available for download in their entirety...we are now offering fans the opportunity to obtain our songs individually."

Metallica was one of the biggest names missing from the iTunes store at its launch in 2003. The group had refused to sell its songs individually, with a spokesperson saying at the time that the group "would rather not contribute to the demise of the album format."

The metal band also filed a high-profile lawsuit against the original Napster, claiming that its music was being stolen through the file-sharing network. The legal battle helped bring the issue of illegal music downloading into the public eye, but also arguably cost Metallica a tremendous amount of credibility among its own fans and the online music community.

The band is currently working on songs for its ninth studio album, due out sometime next year.