Metallica, one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, has released numerous albums that have achieved massive commercial and critical success. Here are their most successful albums, both in terms of sales and influence:

1. Metallica (The Black Album) (1991)

• Sales: Over 30 million copies worldwide.
• Key Tracks: “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters.”
• Impact: This self-titled album is their best-selling and most commercially successful. It marked a shift toward a more mainstream sound and catapulted them into global superstardom.

2. Master of Puppets (1986)

• Sales: Over 10 million copies worldwide.
• Key Tracks: “Master of Puppets,” “Battery,” “Welcome Home (Sanitarium).”
• Impact: Often regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, it showcased complex compositions and cemented Metallica’s reputation in the metal community.

3. Ride the Lightning (1984)

• Sales: Over 6 million copies worldwide.
• Key Tracks: “Fade to Black,” “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
• Impact: This album demonstrated the band’s growing maturity, with a blend of thrash metal and more melodic elements.

4. …And Justice for All (1988)

• Sales: Over 8 million copies worldwide.
• Key Tracks: “One,” “Harvester of Sorrow,” “Blackened.”
• Impact: Known for its complex song structures and politically charged themes. The single “One” earned them their first Grammy.

5. Kill ‘Em All (1983)

• Sales: Over 3 million copies worldwide.
• Key Tracks: “Seek & Destroy,” “Hit the Lights,” “Whiplash.”
• Impact: Their debut album introduced the world to thrash metal and laid the foundation for their future success.

6. Reload (1997)

• Sales: Over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone.
• Key Tracks: “Fuel,” “The Memory Remains,” “The Unforgiven II.”
• Impact: A continuation of the more experimental, hard rock sound from “Load.”

7. Load (1996)

• Sales: Over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone.
• Key Tracks: “Until It Sleeps,” “King Nothing,” “Hero of the Day.”
• Impact: This album saw the band experimenting with a more alternative and hard rock style.

8. Death Magnetic (2008)

• Sales: Over 2 million copies worldwide.
• Key Tracks: “The Day That Never Comes,” “Cyanide,” “All Nightmare Long.”
• Impact: A return to their thrash roots, widely regarded as a comeback album.

9. Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016)

• Sales: Over 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first year.
• Key Tracks: “Hardwired,” “Moth Into Flame,” “Atlas, Rise!”
• Impact: Showcased their ability to stay relevant in modern music while returning to their aggressive style.

Summary

• Biggest Success: The Black Album remains their most iconic and commercially successful work.
• Critical Favorite: Master of Puppets is often lauded as their magnum opus within the metal genre.

Metallica’s albums continue to influence generations of fans and musicians alike, making them one of the most enduring acts in heavy music history.