Formed in 1981 Los Angeles, Metallica helped pioneer the thrash metal genre, pumping out hits like “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman.” More than four decades later, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, and Lars Ulrich are still breaking attendance records on the road. In fact, they boast the genre’s best-selling album of all time, and that record recently joined an elite club.
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This Metal Album Is Platinum 20 Times Over
Released in 1991, Metallica’s self-titled fifth studio album—often referred to as The Black Album—sent the band hurtling into an entirely new stratosphere of fame. Suddenly, everyone was rocking out thanks to songs like “Enter Sandman” and “The Unforgiven.”
Consistently outselling every release in every genre over the past three-plus decades, The Black Album recently surpassed 20 million copies sold in the U.S. alone. It becomes the first-ever metal album to reach that marker, and just the 14th record overall.
August 31, 1991. METALLICA and their "The Black Album" spend 4 weeks at the top of the album charts and will sell 16 million copies in the United States. pic.twitter.com/Ie9nTVx7II
— 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑽𝒀 𝑴𝑬𝑻𝑨𝑳Ⓒ (@HeavyMetal_999) August 31, 2023
Only two albums have eclipsed the 30 million sold mark, with Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 leading the way at 38 million. Michael Jackson’s Thriller, released in 1982, is close behind at 34 million.
Featured image by Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images
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