Metallica's self-titled album first gave the band a number-one album on the Billboard 200.
The record debuted at number one in the United States and remained at the top of the Billboard 200 for four consecutive weeks. It was Metallica's first album to lead that chart.
Its success marked a major change in the band's commercial position. Earlier albums had established Metallica as a leading thrash-metal act, but The Black Album reached listeners far beyond the genre's traditional audience.
The Billboard 200 measures album performance in the United States, so it should not be confused with the Billboard Hot 100, which ranks individual songs. Several Black Album singles charted separately on the Hot 100.