In 2000, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich got the shock of his life: their unreleased song "I Disappear" was playing on radio stations across America - before they'd even finished recording it. This is the wild story of how a leaked demo ended up on Napster, radio DJs started downloading it illegally, and one phone call triggered the biggest lawsuit in digital music history.
Discover how radio stations accidentally became pirates, why Metallica sued 335,000 fans, and how this single incident destroyed Napster while creating the legal framework for every streaming service we use today. From studio vault to Senate hearings, this is the untold story of the leak that changed everything.
Perfect for fans of music history, 90s/2000s nostalgia, radio stories, and anyone curious about how the internet broke the music industry overnight. Learn the real timeline, hear the actual quotes, and understand why this case still matters in the Spotify era.
Credit: The "Napster Bad" image comes from the series that was produced in the years 2000-2001 by Bob Cesca from a group then known as Camp Chaos, satirizing Metallica and their MP3 sharing crackdown.
Send me a text message with your thoughts, questions, or feedback
Visible Wireless by Verizon
Same Verizon coverage, way cheaper bills. No contracts or hidden fees. $20 off for both of us.
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
Fully Modulated is not affiliated with or endorsed by any station, media company, or network. All opinions are solely my own.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com