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List of best-selling albums

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This is a list of the world's best-selling albums. 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. Most albums have conflicting estimates of sales figures. In this list the highest sales figure reported for an album is added to the list. Groupings are based on different sales benchmarks, the highest being for claims of at least 100 million copies, and the lowest being for claims of 20–29 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold and thereafter by the artist's first name. This list can contain any type of album, including studio, greatest hits, compilation, various artists, soundtrack and remix.

A number of issues make exact figures difficult to calculate, as historical data before the 1980s and from developing countries is incomplete. Additionally, fans, record companies and the media are prone to exaggerating sales figures to boost the image of the relevant act. The list also does not take into account the resale of used albums, as well as the emergence of illegal downloading of digital music in the 2000s.

Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best selling album of all time; though sales figures for the album vary, the album is cited as selling as many as 110 million copies worldwide.[1]

Legend

Colors

Studio Albums

Greatest Hits & Compilations

Soundtracks

Over 50 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Michael Jackson United States Thriller 1982 Pop / R&B / Rock 110 [1][2]

40–49 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
AC/DC Australia/United Kingdom Back in Black 1980 Rock 49 [3]
Pink Floyd United Kingdom The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Progressive rock 45 [4]
Whitney Houston United States / Various artists The Bodyguard 1992 Soundtrack 44 [5]
Meat Loaf United States Bat Out of Hell 1977 Rock 43 [6]
Eagles United States Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 1976 Rock 42 [1]
Various artists Dirty Dancing 1987 Dance / Pop 42 [7]
Backstreet Boys United States Millennium 1999 Pop 40 [8]
Bee Gees United KingdomAustralia / Various artists Saturday Night Fever 1977 Disco 40 [9]
Fleetwood Mac United KingdomUnited States Rumours 1977 Rock 40 [10]

30–39 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Shania Twain Canada Come On Over 1997 Country / Pop 39 [11]
Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Led Zeppelin IV 1971 Rock 37 [12]
Alanis Morissette Canada Jagged Little Pill 1995 Rock 33 [13]
The Beatles United Kingdom Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 Rock 32 [14]
Celine Dion Canada Falling into You 1996 Pop 32 [15]
Michael Jackson United States Dangerous 1991 Pop / R&B / New jack swing 32 [16]
The Beatles United Kingdom 1 2000 Rock 31 [17]
Celine Dion Canada Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop 31 [18]
Bee Gees United KingdomAustralia Spirits Having Flown 1979 Disco / Pop 30 [19]
Bruce Springsteen United States Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Rock 30 [20]
Dire Straits United Kingdom Brothers in Arms 1985 Rock 30 [21]
James Horner United States Titanic 1997 Soundtrack 30 [22]
Madonna United States The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop / Dance 30 [23]
Michael Jackson United States Bad 1987 Pop / R&B 30 [16]
Pink Floyd United Kingdom The Wall 1979 Progressive rock 30 [24]

20–29 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
ABBA Sweden ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits 1992 Pop 28 [25]
Backstreet Boys United States Backstreet's Back 1997 Rock 28 [26]
Bon Jovi United States Slippery When Wet 1986 Rock 28 [27]
Guns N' Roses United States Appetite for Destruction 1987 Rock 28 [28]
Mariah Carey United States Music Box 1993 Pop / R&B 28 [29]
Various artists Grease 1978 Pop 28 [22]
Santana Mexico Supernatural 1999 Rock 27 [30]
Nirvana United States Nevermind 1991 Grunge / Alternative rock 26 [31]
Britney Spears United States ...Baby One More Time 1999 Pop 25 [32]
Carole King United States Tapestry 1971 Pop 25 [33]Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
Iron Butterfly United States In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968 Rock 25 [34]
Mariah Carey United States Daydream 1995 Pop / R&B 25 [35]
Queen United Kingdom Greatest Hits 1981 Rock 25 [36]
Simon & Garfunkel United States Bridge over Troubled Water 1970 Folk Rock 25 [37]
U2 Republic of Ireland The Joshua Tree 1987 Rock 25 [38]
Whitney Houston United States Whitney Houston 1985 Pop / R&B 25 [39]
Backstreet Boys United States Black & Blue 2000 Pop 24 [26]
Linkin Park United States Hybrid Theory 2000 Nu metal / Rap metal / Alternative rock 24 [40]
Madonna United States True Blue 1986 Pop 24 [41]
Ace of Base Sweden Happy Nation/The Sign 1994 Pop 23 [42]
Spice Girls United Kingdom Spice 1996 Pop 23 [43]
Oasis United Kingdom (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Britpop / Rock 22 [44][45]
Dido United Kingdom No Angel 1999 Pop 21 [46]
Madonna United States Like A Virgin 1984 Pop / Dance 21 [47]
Billy Ray Cyrus United States Some Gave All 1992 Country 20 [48]
Bob Marley & The Wailers Jamaica Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984 Reggae 20 [49]
Blondie United States Parallel Lines 1978 Rock 20 [50]
Bon Jovi United States Cross Road 1994 Rock 20 [51]
Britney Spears United States Oops!...I Did It Again 2000 Pop 20 [52]
Cher United States Believe 1999 Pop 20 [53]
Def Leppard United Kingdom Hysteria 1987 Rock 20 [54]
George Michael United Kingdom Faith 1987 Pop / R&B 20 [55]
Janet Jackson United States janet. 1993 Pop / R&B 20 [56]
Madonna United States Ray of Light 1998 Pop / Electronic 20 [57]
Michael Jackson United States HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I 1995 Pop/Rock/R&B 20 [58]
Michael Jackson United States Off the Wall 1979 Pop/Disco/R&B 20 [58]
Norah Jones United States Come Away with Me 2002 Jazz 20 [59]
Prince & the Revolution United States Purple Rain 1984 Rock 20 [22]
Spice Girls United Kingdom Spiceworld 1997 Pop 20 [60]
Tina Turner United States Private Dancer 1984 Rock 20 [61]
Usher United States Confessions 2004 R&B 20 [62]

Sales records worldwide

Artist Record Certifications[63]
Michael Jackson Best-selling album, Best-selling studio album - Thriller 110 million
Michael Jackson Best-selling album by a solo male artist - Thriller
Michael Jackson Best-selling album by a solo artist, Best-selling album by a pop artist - Thriller
AC/DC Best-selling album by a group, Best-selling album by a non-US artist 49 million
AC/DC Best-selling album by a rock artist, Best-selling rock studio album, Best-selling album by a hard rock group - Back In Black
Pink Floyd Best-selling album by a progressive rock group, Best Selling Album by a British Artist - The Wall 45 million
Pink Floyd Best-selling double album - The Wall
Whitney Houston Best-selling soundtrack album - The Bodyguard 44 million
The Eagles Best-selling Compilation Album, Best-selling album by an R&B artist - Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) 42 million
Backstreet Boys Best-selling album by a male pop group - Backstreet Boys 40 million
Shania Twain Best-selling country studio album - Come on Over 39 million
Shania Twain Best-selling album by a female artist - Come on Over
Garth Brooks Best-selling country album by a solo male artist - Double Live
Alanis Morissette Best-selling album by a solo rock artist - Jagged Little Pill 33 million
Alanis Morissette Best-selling album by a female rock artist - Jagged Little Pill
The Beatles Best-selling album recorded in the 21st century - 1 31 million
Madonna Best-selling female solo artist compilation album - The Immaculate Collection 30 million
Guns N' Roses Best-selling debut album - Appetite for Destruction 28 million
Nirvana Best-selling album by an alternative rock/grunge group - Nevermind 25 million
Britney Spears Best-selling album by a female pop artist - ...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears Best-selling album by a teenager - ...Baby One More Time
Linkin Park Best-selling album by a nu metal group - Hybrid Theory 24 million
Metallica Best-selling album by a heavy metal group - Metallica 22 million
Eminem Best-selling album by a rap artist, Best-selling album by a rap solo artist - The Marshall Mathers LP 23 million
Green Day Best-selling album by a punk rock/pop punk group - Dookie 15 million

Best-selling albums by country

See also

References

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  63. ^ http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblDiamond

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