List of best-selling albums
This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music. The criteria are that the figure must have been published by a reliable source and the album must have sold at least 20 million copies worldwide. This list can contain any types of albums, including studio albums, greatest hits, compilations, various artists, soundtracks and remixes. The figures given do not take into account the resale of used albums.[a]
All albums included on this list have their available claimed figures supported by at least 30% in certified copies. The percentage amount of certified sales needed increases the newer the album is, so albums released before 1975 are only expected to have their claimed figures supported by at least 30% in certified copies. However, newer albums, such as 21 and Come Away with Me, are expected to have their claimed figures supported by at least 70% in certified copies. Certified copies are sourced from available online databases of local music industry associations. This is the reason why albums that would otherwise make the list, such as The Sound of Music, Parallel Lines, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Spirits Having Flown, Janet, Believe, Private Dancer, Human Clay, Laundry Service and Back to Black, have not been included.
As a result of the methodology that the American and Canadian certification-awarding bodies (the RIAA and Music Canada respectively) use, each disc in a multi-disc set is counted as one unit toward certification, leading to many double albums on the listsuch as Pink Floyd's The Wall and the Beatles' The Beatlesbeing certified with a number double the number of copies sold there. Such albums have the certifications for the number of copies (not discs) shipped indicated. Conversely, the American certification level for double albums that fit onto one compact disc, such as the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack reflect the actual number of copies sold.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 66 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album.[1] Although sales estimates for Thriller have been as high as 120 million copies, these sales figures are unreliable.[2] Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, while The Beatles and Madonna each have three.
Groupings are based on different sales benchmarks, the highest being for claims of at least 40 million copies, and the lowest being for claims of 2029 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold and thereafter by the artist's first name. Markets' order within the table is based on the number of compact discs sold in each market, largest market at the top and smallest at the bottom.[3]
Contents
Legend
Colors | |
---|---|
Studio albums | |
Greatest hits and compilations | |
Soundtracks | |
Live albums |
40 million copies or more
*All sales figures are shown in millions
Artist | Album | Released | Genre | Total certified copies (from available markets)* |
Claimed sales* | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Jackson | Thriller | 1982 | Pop, Rock, R&B | 47.3
|
66 | [1] |
AC/DC | Back in Black | 1980 | Hard rock | 50 | [23] | |
Pink Floyd | The Dark Side of the Moon | 1973 | Progressive rock | 45 | [26][27] | |
Whitney Houston / Various artists | The Bodyguard | 1992 | R&B, Soul, Pop, Soundtrack | 44 | [32] | |
Meat Loaf | Bat Out of Hell | 1977 | Hard rock, Progressive rock | 43 | [33] | |
Eagles | Their Greatest Hits (19711975) | 1976 | Rock, Soft rock, Folk rock | 42 | [34][35] | |
Bee Gees / Various artists | Saturday Night Fever | 1977 | Disco | 40 | [37][38] | |
Fleetwood Mac | Rumours | 1977 | Soft rock | 40 | [41][42] |
3039 million copies
*All sales figures are shown in millions
Artist | Album | Released | Genre | Total certified copies (from available markets)* |
Claimed sales* | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shania Twain | Come On Over | 1997 | Country, Pop | 29.6
|
39 | [46][47] |
Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin IV | 1971 | Hard rock, Heavy metal, Folk | 37 | [48] | |
Michael Jackson | Bad | 1987 | Pop, Funk, Rock | 35 | [52] | |
Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill | 1995 | Alternative rock | 33 | [53] | |
Celine Dion | Falling into You | 1996 | Pop, Soft rock | 20.2
|
32 | [55] |
The Beatles | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | 1967 | Rock | 32 | [56] | |
Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 1991 | Rock, Funk, Pop | 19.4
|
32 | [62] |
Eagles | Hotel California | 1976 | Rock, Soft rock, Folk rock | 32 | [63] | |
Various artists | Dirty Dancing | 1987 | Pop, Rock, R&B | 32 | [64]
|
|
Adele | 21 | 2011 | Pop, Soul | 25.3
|
31 | [79] |
Celine Dion | Let's Talk About Love | 1997 | Pop, Soft rock | 19.3
|
31 | [82] |
The Beatles | 1 | 2000 | Rock | 22.6
|
31 | [85] |
Madonna | The Immaculate Collection | 1990 | Pop, Dance | 30 | [88] | |
The Beatles | Abbey Road | 1969 | Rock | 30 | [89] | |
Bruce Springsteen | Born in the U.S.A. | 1984 | Rock | 30 | [90] | |
Dire Straits | Brothers in Arms | 1985 | Rock, Pop | 30 | [91][92] | |
James Horner | Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture | 1997 | Soundtrack | 18.1
|
30 | [95] |
Metallica | Metallica | 1991 | Thrash metal, Heavy metal | 30 | [96] | |
Nirvana | Nevermind | 1991 | Grunge, Alternative rock | 16.7
|
30 | [98] |
Pink Floyd | The Wall | 1979 | Progressive rock | 30 | [100] | |
Santana | Supernatural | 1999 | Rock | 20.5
|
30 | [101] |
Guns N' Roses | Appetite for Destruction | 1987 | Hard rock | 30 | [102][103] |
2029 million copies
*All sales figures are shown in millions
Timeline of the highest selling albums
![]() |
The inclusion or exclusion of items from this list, or length of this list, is disputed. Please discuss this issue on the talk page. (July 2013)
|
Year record set | Artist | Album | Record setting sales (millions) | Total sales (millions) | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1945 | Various Artists | Oklahoma! (78 rpm album) | 0.5 | 1.0 | [143][144] |
1956 | Various Artists | Oklahoma! (LP album) | 1.75 | 2.5 | [145] |
1956/1957 | Various Artists | My Fair Lady | 2 | 5 | [146][147][148] |
1960 | Various Artists | South Pacific | 2.25 | 3 | [149] |
1963 | Vaughn Meader | The First Family | 4 | 7.5 | [150][151] |
1968 | Various Artists | The Sound of Music | 8WW | [152] | |
1973 | Carole King | Tapestry | 10+ | [153] | |
1975/1976 | Various Artists | The Sound of Music | 1015SM-T | [154][155] | |
1976 | Carole King | Tapestry | 13.5SM-T | 25 | [156] |
1979 | Bee Gees/Various Artists | Saturday Night Fever | 2527 | 40 | [157][158] |
1984 | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 35 | 5165 | [159][160] |
- Notes
- WWIt is unclear whether this sales figure refers to worldwide sales or US sales.
- SM-TThe exact year in which Tapestry regained the title of "best-selling album of all-time", if it ever regained it at all, is unclear. The album's 1976 sales claim is therefore only listed to be inclusive, as it is plausible that Tapestry had overtaken The Sound of Music in sales during this time period.
Best-selling album by year worldwide
The charts of the best-selling albums by year in the world are compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry annually since 2001. These charts are published in their two annual reports, the Digital Music Report and the Recording Industry in Numbers.
Units sold include physical copies and digital downloads.
Year | Album | Artist(s) | Sales (millions) |
Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Hybrid Theory | Linkin Park | 8.5 | [161] |
2002 | The Eminem Show | Eminem | 13.9 | [162] |
2003 | Come Away with Me | Norah Jones | 18.0 | [163][164] |
2004 | Confessions | Usher | 12.0 | [165] |
2005 | X&Y | Coldplay | 8.3 | [166] |
2006 | High School Musical | Various Artists | 7.0 | [167] |
2007 | High School Musical 2 | 6.0 | [168] | |
2008 | Viva la Vida | Coldplay | 6.8 | [169] |
2009 | I Dreamed a Dream | Susan Boyle | 8.3 | [170] |
2010 | Recovery | Eminem | 5.7 | [171] |
2011 | 21 | Adele | 18.1 | [162] |
2012 | 8.3 | [172] | ||
2013 | Midnight Memories | One Direction | 4.0 | [173] |
2014 | Frozen | Various Artists | 10.0 | [174] |
2015 | 25 | Adele | 17.4 | [175] |
2016 | Lemonade | Beyonc | 2.5 | [176] |
See also
- List of best-selling albums by country
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of best-selling remix albums
- List of best-selling singles
- Lists of albums
- List of best-selling albums of the 21st century
Notes
- ^ To be on this list, albums released:
- before 1975 are required to have their claimed sales figures supported by 30% in certified units.
- between 1975 and 1990 are required to have their claimed figures supported by 3050% in certified units. (That is 1.33% for each additional year after 1975.)
- between 1990 and 2000 are required to have their claimed figures supported by 5060% in certified units. (That is 1% for each additional year after 1990.)
- in 2000 and onwards are required to have their claimed figures supported by 6080% in certified units. (That is 1.33% for each additional year after 2000.)
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