Metallica's The Black Album sold 598,000 copies in the United States during its first week.
The album was released on August 12, 1991, and became Metallica's first record to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Its opening sales were especially notable because the band had previously been identified primarily with the underground and album-oriented thrash-metal scene rather than mainstream pop success.
The record's accessible arrangements, major singles, and prominent production helped it reach listeners beyond the band's established fan base. It remained at number one on the Billboard 200 for four consecutive weeks and was certified platinum just two weeks after release.
The first-week figure should not be confused with the album's lifetime sales. Metallica eventually sold more than 20 million copies in the United States and more than 30 million worldwide. It also became the first album of the Nielsen SoundScan era to pass 16 million U.S. sales, demonstrating that its commercial impact continued long after the initial release period.