Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Albums That Went Certified Diamond Status

They’ve been thrashing it out for 35 years, now Metallica have released their 10th studio album by the name of “Hardwired … to Self-Destruct” on Friday. The band, founded in 1981, released their first full-blown studio album “Kill’Em All” in 1983 - a speed metal album without compromises.

Metallica’s sound became more intricate during the 1980s and they added some ballads to their playlist. Finally, they got together with Bob Rock to produce what today is one of the best-selling metal albums ever. The album was released in 1991 and carries only the band’s name, it is also referred to as the “Black Album” and features anthems such as “Enter Sandman”.

It has sold a whopping 16 million copies and went certified diamond status in 2012. As our infographic shows, only AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses have albums that did better in this genre.