What was Metallica’s first-week U.S. sales figure for The Black Album?

Metallica’s The Black Album sold 598,000 copies in the United States during its first week.

The album was released on August 12, 1991, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. That opening-week figure was a major commercial milestone for Metallica, whose audience had previously been centered more strongly in the heavy-metal and thrash-metal communities.

Its success continued far beyond the first week. The album spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling album of Metallica’s career. Its broad appeal came from the combination of memorable riffs, controlled production, emotional ballads, and songs that translated effectively to radio and music television.

The figure refers to U.S. first-week album sales, not worldwide shipments, lifetime sales, or certification units. Those larger totals are often quoted separately and should not be substituted for the specific opening-week number.