Two of Metallica’s most iconic albums have reached monumental new sales milestones, cementing their place in music history. The band’s 1991 self-titled fifth LP, famously known as The Black Album, has been certified 20-times platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 20 million copies in the United States. Concurrently, their 1986 masterpiece, Master of Puppets, has been certified 8-times platinum.
The double-diamond achievement for The Black Album is a historic first for the metal genre. The record is now the 14th album ever to surpass the 20-million mark in the U.S., placing Metallica in an elite club of artists that includes the Eagles (Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975), Michael Jackson (Thriller), AC/DC (Back in Black), and Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin IV).
Released in 1991, The Black Album was a cultural phenomenon that transformed Metallica into global superstars. Propelled by a series of massive hit singles including “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” and “Nothing Else Matters,” the album debuted at No. 1 in ten countries. It remains the best-selling album of the modern Luminate (formerly SoundScan) era, having outsold every other release across all genres for more than 30 years.
While its predecessor celebrates commercial dominance, Master of Puppets has been recognized for its own profound cultural impact. The 1986 thrash landmark, now certified for 8 million in sales, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential metal albums of all time.
Master of Puppets was the band’s major label debut and the last record to feature the immense talent of bassist Cliff Burton, who was tragically killed in a tour bus crash later that year. In recognition of its significance, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry, cementing its status as a work of cultural and historical importance.
The Black Album tracklist:
- “The God That Failed”
- “Don’t Tread on Me”
- “Enter Sandman”
- “My Friend Of Misery”
- “Nothing Else Matters”
- “Of Wolf and Man”
- “Sad but True”
- “The Unforgiven”
- “Wherever I May Roam”
- “Holier Than Thou”
- “Through the Never”
- “The Struggle Within”
Master of Puppets tracklist:
- “Battery”
- “Master of Puppets”
- “The Thing That Should Not Be”
- “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”
- “Disposable Heroes”
- “Leper Messiah”
- “Orion”
- “Damage, Inc.”
