Editing Countdown to Extinction (section)

==Sales and impact==
''Countdown to Extinction'' was released on July 14, 1992, through [[Capitol Records]] and debuted at number two on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] with first week sales of 128,000 copies.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQ4EAAAAMBAJ&q=Countdown+to+Extinction+first+week+sales&pg=PA96|access-date=October 10, 2013|last=Mayfield|first=Geoff|title=Between the Bullets|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=96|date=July 5, 1997}}</ref> It was prevented from entering the chart at number one because of [[Billy Ray Cyrus]]' long chart-topping reign with ''[[Some Gave All]]''.<ref name="PR Newswire">{{cite web|title=Megadeth's Double Platinum 'Countdown to Extinction' Album Remastered And Expanded For 20th Anniversary Edition, To Be Released November 6th By Capitol/EMI|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/megadeths-double-platinum-countdown-to-extinction-album-remastered-and-expanded-for-20th-anniversary-edition-to-be-released-november-6th-by-capitolemi-169179266.html|publisher=[[PR Newswire]]|date=September 10, 2012|access-date=October 10, 2013|archive-date=October 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012044643/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/megadeths-double-platinum-countdown-to-extinction-album-remastered-and-expanded-for-20th-anniversary-edition-to-be-released-november-6th-by-capitolemi-169179266.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The album was acknowledged as the band's commercial breakthrough, and according to authors Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist, Megadeth "reached the heights of popularity and critical acclaim" with this particular record.{{sfn|Prown & Newquist|1997|p=227}} Two years after its original release, ''Countdown to Extinction'' was certified [[RIAA certification|double platinum]] and became the band's most commercially successful album, confirming that they had retained their audience in the wake of [[grunge]].{{sfn|Gulla|2006|p=214}} The record was nominated for [[Best Metal Performance]] at the [[1993 Grammy Awards]], while the album's title track won the [[Humane Society]]'s [[Genesis Award]] for raising awareness for animal rights issues.<ref name="PR Newswire"/>

[[File:Megadeth @ Arena Joondalup (12 12 2010) (5273247878).jpg|thumbnail|right|''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' complimented Mustaine's vocals and his interplay with guitarist Marty Friedman on the record.<ref name="Billboard 2">{{cite magazine|author1=Melinda Newman|author2=Chris Morris|author3=Edward Morris|title=Album Reviews: Megadeth — ''Countdown to Extinction''|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=25 July 1992|page=45|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hxAEAAAAMBAJ&q=megadeth+countdown+to+extinction+billboard+review&pg=PA45|access-date=October 19, 2013|archive-date=30 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030000802/https://books.google.com/books?id=hxAEAAAAMBAJ&q=megadeth+countdown+to+extinction+billboard+review&pg=PA45|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

The record enjoyed similar chart success outside of the United States. It managed to peak within the top 5 on the charts in the [[UK Albums Chart|United Kingdom]]<ref name=UKChart>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title=The Official Charts Company - Megadeth|work=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=February 24, 2013|archive-date=May 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508182655/https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|New Zealand]], and charted for eight weeks on both of them.<ref name="Hung Medien">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Megadeth&titel=Countdown+To+Extinction&cat=a|title=Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction|access-date=November 5, 2013|publisher=charts.nz|archive-date=October 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024152547/https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Megadeth&titel=Countdown+To+Extinction&cat=a|url-status=live}}</ref> It also entered the top 10 on the [[Oricon|Japanese]] and [[VG-lista|Norwegian]] albums chart, while it charted slightly lower in several other countries as well.<ref name="Hung Medien"/> It was eventually certified three times platinum from the [[Music Canada|Canadian Music Association]] for shipping 300,000 copies<ref name="Canada">{{cite web|url=http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Countdown+to+Extinction&sa=Megadeth&smt=0|title=Canadian album certifications – Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction|publisher=[[Music Canada]]|access-date=November 5, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105000807/http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Countdown+to+Extinction&sa=Megadeth&smt=0|archive-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref> and received a silver award from the [[British Phonographic Industry]] for having a shipment of 300,000 copies.<ref name="BPI">{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |title=BPI Certifications and Awards |publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]] |access-date=November 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716112934/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |archive-date=July 16, 2016 }}</ref> The album was also eventually certified Gold in Japan and sold 100,000 copies.<ref name="RIAJ"/><ref name="Japan">{{cite web|url=https://www.collectors.com/entertainment-item/megadeth-countdown-to-extinction-japan-award-certified-emis/1096734690311523233|access-date=20 December 2020|title=MEGADETH Countdown to Extinction JAPAN AWARD Certified EMI.SALES AWARD|archive-date=2 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202062024/https://www.collectors.com/entertainment-item/megadeth-countdown-to-extinction-japan-award-certified-emis/1096734690311523233|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Asked how does he think that the album has aged, Dave Mustaine responded: "I think it's timely and timeless at the same time, and I think that's one of the most difficult things for a musician to do. Very few records in our genre are like that. Musically it's heavy and the lyrics are very symbolic."<ref name="Patch"/> In the liner notes of the album's 20th anniversary edition, music journalist Kory Grow wrote that "thanks to a perfect balance of hard-rock song structures, epic choruses, and fleet-fingered guitar work, ''Countdown to Extinction'' became an instant classic, benefiting from copious [[MTV]] and radio play."<ref name="Contact Music"/> [[Artistdirect]] editor in chief Rick Florino called the album a "seminal" release and commented that it "changed the game by preserving the band's thrash intensity and impressive technical prowess, while dropping some of the biggest hooks the genre had ever seen".<ref name="Artistdirect"/> In a retrospective review of the album, Craig Hayes from [[Popmatters]] wrote that ''Countdown to Extinction'''s "status as a gateway metal album is indisputable" and its "popularity speaks volumes about its significance in the metal canon".<ref name=Popmatters/>