Metallica’s ‘Black Album’ Certified 20X Platinum By RIAA

On Wednesday (May 28), Metallica‘s 1991 self-titled record – commonly referred to as The Black Album – was officially certified 20x platinum by the RIAA, marking over 20 million copies sold. The band’s celebrated 1986 album, Master of Puppets, also received an 8x platinum certification. The heavy metal legends marked the momentous achievement by sharing RIAA’s Instagram post, which includes the caption, “Congrats to @metallica! #TheBlackAlbum just hit double diamond and #MasterOfPuppets is now RIAA certified 8x Platinum!” A press release from the band’s publicist states that The Black Album “remains unchallenged as the best-selling album of the Luminate era, outselling every release in every genre over the past 30+ years.” Metallica joins a select group of artists with double-diamond status, including Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, AC/DC’s Back in Black, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV, among others. Amid their ongoing M72 World Tour, Metallica is gearing up to release a deluxe box set for their 1996 album, Load, on June 13th. (Billboard)