Metallica's The Black Album sold 598,000 copies in its first U.S. week, according to contemporary chart reporting.
That opening placed the album at number one on the Billboard 200 and represented a major commercial leap for a band previously identified primarily with thrash metal. The figure is commonly cited in accounts of the album's debut and refers to its initial U.S. sales week.
Some later summaries quote different first-week estimates, including approximately 650,000 units. Those numbers reflect differing reporting methods or sources, which is why precise trivia should use the figure attached to the album's chart account. The 598,000 figure is the specific number reported in the album article's release and sales history.
The record quickly earned platinum status and went on to sell millions in the United States and tens of millions worldwide. Its opening week was only the beginning of an unusually durable sales performance: the album continued selling steadily across CDs, cassettes, digital formats, and later reissues.