Metallica's Black Album stayed at number one on the Billboard 200 for four weeks. It debuted at the top of the U.S. albums chart after its August 1991 release.
The four-week run was only one part of the album's remarkable chart history. Its steady sales and repeated catalog activity eventually made it one of the longest-charting albums in Billboard history.
The record's chart performance reflected more than a single hit. “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters” and “Wherever I May Roam” all kept the album visible through radio, video and touring cycles.
People sometimes confuse the four-week number-one run with its much longer total chart presence. Those are different measures: the first counts consecutive weeks at the summit, while the second counts every week on the chart.