How many copies has Metallica's The Black Album sold worldwide?

Metallica's The Black Album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

That figure makes the record one of the best-selling albums in music history and Metallica's best-selling album. Its success extended well beyond the band's established heavy-metal audience, helped by concise songwriting, major radio singles, and Bob Rock's polished production.

The album's U.S. performance is especially notable. It became the first album in the Nielsen SoundScan era to pass 16 million U.S. sales and was certified two-times Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2025 for shipping 20 million copies in the country.

Worldwide sales totals can be confused with national certifications or physical-media counts. The commonly cited global figure is over 30 million copies, while the U.S. certification figure measures shipments under RIAA rules.