We’re more than 1/3rd through 2016 already, and we’re not sure where the time’s going. What we are sure of is that there’s a lot of metal out and a solid amount of it is selling. Last year in August, we took a look at what the biggest selling metal titles in 2015 were through the first seven months. With April in the books, we thought it might be interesting to take a look at what hard rock and metal has sold the most so far this year. In terms of records released in 2016, congrats are in order so far for Megadeth. They’ve got the only 2016 metal release to sell over 100,000. Deftones are coming for them though, and will likely pass them since the album’s only been out a few weeks and is doing well. Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, Asking Alexandria and Amon Amarth are also among the 200 biggest-selling albums of the year so far that are heavy.
Like last time, you’ll see that a lot of stuff not released this year is still selling. The biggest -selling heavy album of the year so far is Disturbed’s 2015 album Immortalized, likely due to their cover of “The Sound of Silence.” Five Finger Death Punch is still selling too, despite what their label is suggesting. But it’s Metallica, of course that are the big winners. The Black Album will have sold over 100,000 within a week or two, which is pretty solid for a 25 year-old album. Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana’s albums keep selling too. Even Bon Jovi are still moving copies of their 30 year-old Slippery When Wet. Check out the list below. All sales are approximate:
Disturbed, Immortalized (Warner Bros) 112,500 sold
Megadeth, Dystopia (Tradecraft/uME) 108,400 sold
Metallica, Metallica (Blackened), 90,000 sold
Deftones, Gore (Reprise) 80,400 sold
Five Finger Death Punch, Got Your Six (Prospect Park) 58,500 sold
Metallica, Master of Puppets (Blackened) 58,200 sold
Anthrax, For All Kings (Megaforce) 57,500 sold
Shinedown, Threat To Survival (Atlantic) 54,500 sold
Metallica, …And Justice For All (Blackened) 54,250 sold
Killswitch Engage, Incarnate (Roadrunner) 52,250 sold
Dream Theater, Astonishing (Roadrunner) 50,000 sold
Metallica, Ride the Lightning (Blackened) 47,000 sold
Journey, Greatest Hits (Columbia) 45,650 sold
Nirvana, Nevermind (Interscope) 40,600 sold
AC/DC, Back in Black (Columbia) 40,000 sold
Guns N’ Roses, Greatest Hits (Interscope) 38,500 sold
Asking Alexandria, The Black (Sumerian) 38,000 sold
Guns N’ Roses, Appetite For Destruction (Interscope) 34,500 sold
Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet (Island) 33,200 sold
Nirvana, Unplugged In New York (Interscope) 33,100 sold
Disturbed, Sickness (Reprise) 32,000 sold
Amon Amarth, Jomsviking (Metal Blade) 31,500 sold
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic) 31,200 sold
