# What is the best-selling metal album ever?

> Some metal albums transcended the genre entirely, becoming worldwide cultural touchstones and selling tens of millions of copies. Which best-selling metal album deserves its commercial crown the most?

*By YPB Team · Published April 19, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-selling-metal-album-ever*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Metallica (Black Album)**
   Metallica's 1991 self-titled album with over 30 million copies sold — the best-selling metal album in history.
2. **Back in Black**
   AC/DC's 1980 album tribute to Bon Scott with an estimated 50 million copies sold, making it one of the best-selling albums ever.
3. **Appetite for Destruction**
   Guns N' Roses' 1987 debut that sold over 30 million copies and remains the best-selling debut album in the US.
4. **Hysteria**
   Def Leppard's 1987 stadium rock-metal album featuring seven charting singles and over 25 million copies sold.
5. **Led Zeppelin IV**
   Led Zeppelin's iconic 1971 untitled album containing 'Stairway to Heaven' and selling an estimated 37 million copies.
6. **Slippery When Wet**
   Bon Jovi's 1986 album that sold over 28 million copies with arena rock anthems that dominated the decade.
7. **Master of Puppets**
   Metallica's 1986 thrash masterpiece that eventually achieved multi-platinum status decades after its release.
8. **Dr. Feelgood**
   Mötley Crüe's 1989 commercially triumphant album that debuted at number one with a string of hit singles.
9. **Shout at the Devil**
   Mötley Crüe's 1983 album that broke them into the mainstream and sold over 6 million copies in the US alone.
10. **Bat Out of Hell**
   Meat Loaf's 1977 rock opera-metal album that has sold over 40 million copies and never left the charts.
11. **Pump**
   Aerosmith's 1989 comeback album that sold over 15 million copies and spawned several rock radio staples.
12. **1984**
   Van Halen's 1984 album featuring 'Jump' that sold over 10 million copies and became a defining rock milestone.
13. **The Number of the Beast**
   Iron Maiden's 1982 album that launched them to global stardom, eventually selling over 14 million copies worldwide.

Tags: music, rock, bands, classics, metal