Metallica’s The Black Album sold 598,000 copies in its first week in the United States.
That opening was strong enough for the album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, giving Metallica its first album to reach the top of that chart. The release ultimately spent four consecutive weeks at number one.
The album’s commercial impact grew far beyond its opening week. It became Metallica’s best-selling album and helped make the band a global mainstream success without abandoning its heavy-metal identity.
The record’s long-term sales are especially notable because it continued selling steadily for decades. It became the best-selling album of the Nielsen SoundScan era in the United States and was later certified at an exceptionally high level by the Recording Industry Association of America.