Metallica’s The Black Album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 for the first time in the band’s career.
The album sold 598,000 copies in its first U.S. week and became Metallica’s first chart-topping album on the Billboard 200. It remained at number one for four consecutive weeks, a major achievement for a group previously identified primarily with the underground and thrash metal scenes.
The Billboard 200 ranks albums and extended plays in the United States using a combination of traditional album sales and, in later eras, equivalent activity from digital and streaming formats. The Hot 100, by contrast, ranks individual songs, so it is not the chart relevant to this album debut.
The Black Album also reached number one in several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand. Its U.S. chart performance helped establish Metallica as a mainstream rock act.