The landmark release becomes only the fourth album in Billboard 200 history to achieve the longevity milestone.
Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album has reached 850 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the fourth release in the chart’s history to accomplish the milestone. It joins Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Legend, and Journey’s Greatest Hits. Produced by Bob Rock along with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, the band’s fifth studio album originally was released on August 12, 1991, becoming their first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it remained at the top spot for four weeks.
Supported by singles such as “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True,” the record earned a 20-times-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America in 2025, representing 20 million certified units in the United States. It stands as the best-selling album in the U.S. in traditional sales for the Luminate era, which began electronic tracking in 1991. The album also holds spots at No. 9 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart and No. 41 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.
