Metallica The Black Album

A live performance from Metallica, which has achieved 20x Platinum certification with The Black Album. Photo Credit: Raph_PH

Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album (aka The Black Album) has officially moved 20 million units in the U.S., achieving 20x Platinum certification – and 2x Diamond certification – in the process.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) officially logged those certifications today, a couple months short of the 34th anniversary of Metallica’s release. Unsurprisingly, given that the 12-track effort debuted as the CD era was picking up steam, a substantial portion of its sales derived from physical units shipped during the prior century.

However, The Black Album – including “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters” – continues to ride a wave of consumption success in the streaming era. Certified 12x Platinum in late 1999, Metallica achieved 15x Platinum certification in November 2009 and 16x in December 2012 before cracking double Diamond today.

(Of course, the project’s recent sales aren’t confined to digital. The remastered 30th anniversary edition of The Black Album definitely contributed to the total, including but not solely with a $240 boxset that remains available for purchase on Metallica’s website.)

Thanks to today’s milestone, Metallica is now close to ranking among the top-10 bestselling albums in U.S. history. As things stand, the work is sharing the 12th spot with Green Day’s Dookie (1994), behind a handful of releases from Billy Joel, the Beatles, AC/DC, the Eagles, and other decidedly well-established legacy acts.

Meanwhile, the RIAA today confirmed 8x Platinum certification for Metallica’s Master of Puppets (1986), which initially made its way into the Platinum category 37 years ago en route to hitting 6x Platinum in 2003.

Taken as a whole, these and different commercial feats tie back to still-strong fan interest for Metallica, which is on the road as part of its M72 World Tour.

Currently proceeding through the States, the concert series will arrive in Oceania later in 2025 before a number of European stops (non-presale tickets will become available this Friday) take place in 2026. (Already touring with Metallica, Pantera will also play the M72 Tour’s European leg, the group recently announced.)

With ample superfan support comes the opportunity to move ultra-VIP packages. Passes for the “Nothing Else Matters” Snake Pit Experience, offering meet-and-greet opportunities as well as a variety of other perks, are priced at an astonishing $4,400 a pop not including fees, Metallica’s website shows.

Per the same source, the band has sold through the ultra-expensive passes (which are presumably far more resistant to scalping than their non-VIP counterparts) for several dates.