At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Metallica opened the show with a medley that no one saw coming. Known for their heavy metal dominance, they surprised the crowd by tearing through quickfire covers of iconic songs from completely different genres starting with Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” then launching into Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and even Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” It was a raw, high-energy tribute to modern rock and pop cu