By the late 80s, with no support from MTV or radio, the Big Four, with a fast-expanding second tier of like-minded acts worldwide, became the defining force in metal. Slayer released Reign in Blood, still regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time; Anthrax aligned themselves with the New York hardcore scene, and their members spawned further thrash outfits in Nuclear Assault and Stormtroopers of Death; Megadeth, formed by acrimoniously exiled Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine, threw down the gauntlet to his former charges and sold millions of albums in their own right; and Metallica, having put the death of bass player Cliff Burton behind them, were slowly but surely positioning themselves to become the biggest metal band in the world.

GQ — There have been stories about you sneaking up behind people in New York City, covering their eyes with your hands, and saying: Guess who. And when they turn around, they see Bill Murray and hear the words “No one will ever believe you.”

Bill Murray: [long pause] I know. I know, I know, I know. I’ve heard about that from a lot of people. A lot of people. I don’t know what to say. There’s probably a really appropriate thing to say. Something exactly and just perfectly right. [long beat, and then he breaks into a huge grin] But by God, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Just so crazy and unlikely and unusual?

Young journalists who once dreamed of trotting the globe in pursuit of a story are instead shackled to their computers, where they try to eke out a fresh thought or be first to report even the smallest nugget of news — anything that will impress Google algorithms and draw readers their way.

Tracking how many people view articles, and then rewarding — or shaming — writers based on those results has become increasingly common in old and new media newsrooms. The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times all display a “most viewed” list on their home pages.

At Gawker Media’s offices in Manhattan, a flat-screen television mounted on the wall displays the 10 most-viewed articles across all Gawker’s Web sites. The author’s last name, along with the number of page views that hour and over all are prominently shown in real time on the screen, which Gawker has named the “big board.”