What was Metallica’s first-week US sales total for The Black Album?

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

That opening figure helped the album debut at number one on the Billboard 200. It was the band’s first album to top that chart and began a commercial run that eventually made the record Metallica’s best-selling release.

The first-week total is a snapshot of the album’s initial impact, not its lifetime sales. The record went on to sell more than 20 million copies in the United States and more than 30 million worldwide according to figures cited in the album’s history. It also became the first album of the Nielsen SoundScan era to pass 16 million US sales.

The album’s success was especially notable because it followed a career built in the heavy-metal underground. Its streamlined songs, prominent bass, polished production, and extensive single campaign helped the band reach listeners far beyond its earlier thrash-metal audience. Later certifications and sales milestones reflect decades of continued purchasing rather than the original launch week.