Metallica’s reissue of their album “Load” has skyrocketed the decades-old collection back onto the charts, with a staggering 6,900% increase in sales. The newly re-released version includes a super deluxe edition, featuring previously unreleased demos, live recordings, and a book for those who opted for the physical version. During the past tracking period in the United States, “Load” sold 12,100 copies, a dramatic increase from the little less than 200 copies sold in the prior week.
This surge in sales marks an increase of more than 6,900%. The uptick in purchases has made the album a bestseller once again on multiple charts. This week, “Load” reenters the Top Album Sales chart at No.
4, marking its 100th week as one of America’s top-selling titles. The album also returns to the Vinyl Albums chart at No. 12, its highest position to date.
Metallica’s project has also debuted on four other rankings that track album sales not exclusively based on purchases: Top Hard Rock Albums (No. 4), Top Alternative Albums (No. 6), Top Rock Albums (No.
13), and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts (No. 14).
Metallica’s resurgence boosts Load sales
Thanks to these sales, “Load” is back on the Billboard 200, moving 14,200 equivalent units, with only about 2,000 of those coming from any type of consumption other than fans purchasing the full project outright. After three decades, “Load” has also reclaimed its crown on the UK Official Rock & Metal Albums chart. The surge follows the June 13 pre-order deluxe box set release that’s turning heads.
The box set packs 15 CDs, 4 DVDs, and a thick 100-page book. This marks the second time the album has topped the rock charts since its debut in 1996. The album’s impact is felt across the UK charts.
It shot to No. 5 on the Official Vinyl Albums chart while securing the sixth spot on the Official Albums Sales chart and the Official Physical Albums chart. With 79 weeks on UK charts, “Load” has spent 33 weeks in the top spots.
Even in the streaming age, “Load” keeps breaking new ground. For the first time ever, it showed up at No. 45 on the download charts.
On the main UK album chart, it is at spot 46. The limited edition deluxe numbered box set of “Load” is a treasure trove for fans, including a remastered version on 180-gram double LP and CD, a “Mama Said” picture disc, three live LPs, four DVDs featuring unreleased content, an MP3 download card of all audio, tour laminates, a poster, a patch, a Rolling Stone Magazine cover print, guitar and bass picks, Rorschach Test cards, a lyric folder and sheets, and a 128-page hardcover book with never-before-seen photos and stories from those involved. Metallica’s dedication to keeping their music relevant and accessible in various formats has once again proven successful with the massive response to the “Load” reissue.
