Metallica’s The Black Album reached number one in its first week on the U.S. Billboard 200.
The achievement was significant because it was the band’s first album to top that chart. Metallica had already built a strong following through albums such as Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All, but the self-titled 1991 release expanded that audience dramatically. Its streamlined songs and highly polished production made the record unusually accessible for a heavy-metal album.
The album sold 598,000 copies in its first week and remained at number one for four consecutive weeks. It also debuted at number one in nine other countries, demonstrating that its success was international rather than limited to the United States.
The Billboard 200 measures album popularity in the United States and should not be confused with the Billboard Hot 100, which ranks individual songs. “Enter Sandman,” for example, reached number 16 on the Hot 100, while the album itself achieved the higher-ranking album-chart result.