Which US chart did Metallica's 1991 album Metallica first top?

Metallica's 1991 album Metallica first topped the US Billboard 200.

The Billboard 200 ranks albums and extended releases in the United States, while the Billboard Hot 100 ranks individual songs. Metallica's achievement therefore concerns the album chart, not the singles chart. The record became the band's first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.

It sold 598,000 copies in its first US week and remained at the top for four consecutive weeks. The album also debuted at number one in nine other countries, establishing an international breakthrough for the band.

This chart performance marked a striking change from Metallica's earlier career. The group had built its reputation through thrash metal and underground touring, but The Black Album's polished production and concise songwriting reached a much larger audience. Its success helped make heavy metal a dominant force in early-1990s popular music.