What was Metallica’s first-week U.S. sales figure for its 1991 self-titled album?

Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album sold 598,000 copies in the United States during its first week.

That opening placed the album at number one on the Billboard 200, giving Metallica its first chart-topping album in the United States. The record maintained that position for four consecutive weeks.

The sales figure is associated with the album’s initial 1991 launch, before its enormous long-term performance became clear. Over time, Metallica became one of the best-selling albums in American music history and the band’s commercial breakthrough.

The album’s first-week total is sometimes confused with later certification or worldwide sales figures. Those figures measure different periods and markets, whereas 598,000 refers specifically to U.S. sales in the debut week.