Metallica's self-titled album first entered the Billboard 200 at number one.
Its chart debut made it the band's first album to reach the top position on the main U.S. albums chart. The record sold 598,000 copies in its first week and immediately established that Metallica's audience extended far beyond the traditional thrash metal market.
The commercial breakthrough followed a major stylistic shift. Compared with the long, intricate arrangements of ...And Justice for All, the 1991 album favored shorter songs, repeated hooks, and a large, highly polished production. “Enter Sandman” became the lead single and helped introduce the album to mainstream radio and MTV audiences.
The album remained at number one for four consecutive weeks. Its debut is sometimes confused with Metallica's later chart history, because several subsequent releases also reached the top of the Billboard 200. The 1991 record was the first Metallica album to achieve that distinction.