Metallica's 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album, sold 598,000 copies in its first U.S. week.
The album was released on August 12, 1991, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The first-week figure is notable because it measures the record’s immediate U.S. commercial impact, before its extraordinary long-term sales made it one of the era’s defining albums.
The album’s success was supported by a sequence of major singles and videos, including “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.” Its accessible production helped Metallica reach listeners well beyond the underground thrash-metal audience.
First-week sales should not be confused with total U.S. sales or worldwide sales. The album went on to sell many millions of copies, and its certification history was updated long after the original release. The 598,000 figure specifically describes its opening U.S. sales week.