List of best-selling albums by women
The following albums, recorded by female solo artists and all-female groups, have sold at least 10 million copies. This list can contain any types of album, including studio albums, extended plays, greatest hits, compilations, soundtracks, and remixes. Various artists albums are eligible for inclusion if a woman is credited as the main artist by record charts and certifying organizations. The figures given do not take into account the resale of pre owned albums.
The Bodyguard soundtrack by Whitney Houston (with various artists) is the best-selling album credited to a woman;[1] its sales are over 45 million copies since its release in November 1992.[2] Come On Over by Shania Twain is recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest-selling studio album by a solo female artist with over 40 million copies.[1] Previous record holders of the best-selling album by a female artist include Carole King's Tapestry, and Whitney Houston's debut album as well Madonna with True Blue according to the Guinness World Records (1989 and 1992 editions, respectively).[3][4][5] Madonna also has the best-selling compilation album by a female artist (and solo artist) with The Immaculate Collection, which sold around 30 million copies.[6] Other notable appearances include Shakira, as the only Latino artist in the list thanks to her crossover album Laundry Service, and Hikaru Utada with First Love as the only Asian artist. Celine Dion has the only entirely non-English album with D'eux, which remains the best-selling French album of all time. The Spice Girls have the best-selling album by a girl group with Spice, while Mariah Carey has the best-selling Christmas album by a female artist with Merry Christmas. Whitney Houston' Whitney Houston remains the biggest-selling debut album of all time by a female artist. Britney Spears' …Baby One More Time is the best-selling debut album by a female teenage artist.
Numerous artists have multiple entries, led by Madonna with nine of her albums and followed by Celine Dion (seven), Mariah Carey (seven), Whitney Houston (six), while Britney Spears, Enya, Shania Twain, and Janet Jackson each have three. The first five artists also have multiple albums with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Currently, Adele's 21 is the best-selling album of the 21st century.
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 10 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold and thereafter by the release year.[a]
List of albums
[edit]* | Indicates a previous record holder of the best-selling music album by a woman |
40 million copies or more
[edit]Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Whitney Houston / various artists | United States | The Bodyguard | 1992 | 45 million[7] |
Shania Twain | Canada | Come On Over | 1997 | 40 million[8] |
30 to 39 million copies
[edit]Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alanis Morissette | Canada | Jagged Little Pill | 1995 | 33 million[9] |
Celine Dion | Falling into You | 1996 | 32 million[10] | |
Celine Dion | Let's Talk About Love | 1997 | 31 million[11][12] | |
Adele | United Kingdom | 21 | 2011 | 31 million[13] |
Madonna | United States | The Immaculate Collection | 1990 | 30 million[14] |
20 to 29 million copies
[edit]11 to 19 million copies
[edit]10 million copies
[edit]See also
[edit]- List of best-selling albums
- List of best-selling girl groups
- List of best-selling female rappers
- List of all-female bands
- List of highest-grossing concert tours by women
- Women in music
Notes
[edit]- ^ 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 30–50% 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 50–60% 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 60–80% in certified units. (That is 1.33% for each additional year after 2000.)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Biggest-selling studio album by a female solo artist". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "Adele's 21 Closing in on Billboard Charts Record". BET. May 10, 2014.
- ^ Biggest seller albums. The Guinness Book of Records: 1989. 1989. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-85112-878-8. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Paula and John Keely (1976). Carole King. Creative Education. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-87191-465-1. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2013 – via Google Books.
- ^ McFarland, Donald; McWhirter, Norris (1992). Guinness World Records 1992. Guinness World Records. p. 197. ISBN 978-0851123783. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
The best-selling album by a woman is True Blue by Madonna, which had sold almost 17 million copies by October 1990.
- ^ "30 years in the spotlight: Madonna's highs and lows". The National. Abu Dhabi. June 1, 2021. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Brooklyne, Gipson (January 26, 2012). "Adele's 21 Closing in on Billboard Charts Record". BET. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Vain, Madison (September 28, 2017). "The Catch-Up: Your guide to 24 years of Shania Twain". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Montgomery, James (January 2, 2010). "'YOU OUGHTA KNOW': THE STORY BEHIND BEYONCE'S GRAMMY COVER". MTV. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ "Celine Dion celebrates 25 years of multi-million selling Falling Into You album". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2011-10-01.
- ^ Anderson, Jason (January 19, 2008). "Learning to love Céline Dion". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ "Adele says she battled depression, before and after son's birth". Reuters. October 31, 2016. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Kawaguchi, Judit (November 13, 2007). "Goh Hotoda". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Mims, Taylor (2019-07-22). "Mariah Carey Returns to CAA for Representation in All Areas". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
- ^ "Norah Jones' 2002 debut album won six Grammys and sold 27 million copies: 'It was a a whirlwind!' she recalls". The San Diego Union-Tribune. 24 June 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ Rosen, James (April 19, 2012). ""'A Natural Woman' by Carole King"". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ Bekheet, Dia (February 11, 2012). "Music Industry Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston". VOA.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (March 29, 2012). "MADONNA AND LIONEL RICHIE TO REUNITE ON BILLBOARD CHARTS?". MTV. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "20 years later, what's the legacy of Britney Spears' hit debut album?". CBC Radio One. January 11, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Sarah (12 November 2010). "The 50 best-selling albums ever". NME. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ "EWAN MACCOLL - Music Publishing". Concord Music Group. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Trendell, Andrew (February 7, 2018). ""Turns out Adele made rather a lot of money from her last world tour"". NME. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ ""Contrasting fortunes as Madonna, Jacko turn 50"". ABC Online. August 14, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ Hicks, Jonathan P. (June 27, 2013). "This Day in Black History: June 27, 1987". BET. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ "Tracy Chapman's new greatest hits album celebrates a quietly powerful legacy". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
- ^ "Big Voices: How Pop Divas Reigned In 1996". GRAMMY.com. 2021-03-31. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ Goldberg, Danny (2005). How the Left Lost Teen Spirit. Akashic Books. ISBN 9780971920682. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ Greig, Jon. "Lauryn Hill Says She Was Called 'Crazy' For Calling Out Systemic Racism Over A Decade Ago: Now, It's 'Part Of The Mainstream Chorus' - Blavity". Blavity News & Politics. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- ^ "OOPS! WEEK: 10 FUN FACTS". BritneySpears.com. May 10, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-09-01. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Amy Winehouse Doc Pushes Late Singer Back Into U.K. Album Charts". The Hollywood Reporter. July 9, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ "Cyndi Lauper is back, and the girl still wants to have fun – Times Online". Entertainment.TimesOnline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ Taraborrelli 2002, pp. 303
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (July 5, 2009). "Orbit switches from Madonna to Tennyson with live Radio 3 epic". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^ Rick Fulton (10 January 2011). "Avril Lavigne: Madonna is my idol". Daily Record. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ "100 WOMEN OF THE YEAR, 1989: Madonna". Time. March 5, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Runtagh, Jordan (September 15, 2017). "Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ Thompson, Tom (April 19, 2008). "Let the Yuel Duel Begin". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ "Just who is Dallas Austin?". gulfnews.com. July 2006.
- ^ Bugbee, Teo (June 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Follows Prince: The Artist Who Tamed the Corporate Giant". The Daily Beast – via www.thedailybeast.com.
- ^ Levine, Nick (May 3, 2010). "Toni Braxton: 'Yesterday'". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 6, 2020
- ^ "Biographie : Mariah Carey". Plurielles. TF1 Group. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
- ^ "The Billboard Britlist". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 23 March 2002. pp. 46–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "A multi-million selling superstar". Belfast Telegraph. November 19, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
Enya continued to enjoy steady success during the Nineties up to her 2000 album A Day Without Rain which sold 15 million copies
- ^ "Lady Gaga adds second show in Singapore". AsiaOne. February 27, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (December 15, 2020). "Barry Gibb: 'My brothers had to deal with their demons, but my wife wasn't going to have it'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Morris, Chris (May 17, 2018). "Looking Back at Janet Jackson's Innovative 'janet.' 25 Years Later". Variety. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Terrell, Ashley G. (May 18, 2018). "Jimmy Jam On Janet Jackson's 2018 Billboard Icon Award: It's "Overdue"". Vibe. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Smith 2019, p. 167
- ^ Dresdale, Andrea (August 14, 2019). "Christina Aguilera releasing 20th anniversary edition of debut album". ABC News. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ Winter, Velvet (November 12, 2022). "Like The Beatles, Madonna and Kylie Minogue before her, Taylor Swift is masterful at pivoting". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Cizmar, Martin (10 November 2009). "Enya's Greatest Hits Coming Soon... Wait, Enya Had Hits?". Phoenix New Times Village Voice Media. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ "Dream Girl: Why Beyoncé Knowles is a 21st-century role model". The Independent. September 21, 2011.
- ^ Tamara, Edwin (2011-11-08). "Shakira enshrined with Hollywood sidewalk star". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ^ "Pink Renews Global Deal with EMI Music Publishing". EMI. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16.
- ^ Christopher, Michael (March 25, 2021). "Rock Music Menu: Tina Turner documentary set for debut on HBO". Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Remarks at the Kennedy Center Honors Reception". Vol. 41, no. 49. United States Government Publishing Office. December 4, 2005. pp. 1812–18151. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Graff, Gary. "ABDUL'S DUES". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (September 20, 2019). "Janet Jackson Releases Massive 'Rhythm Nation 1814' Remix Collection". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Norment, Lynn (April 2008). "Don't Call It A Come Back". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company: 74. ISSN 0012-9011.
- ^ "Histoire de culte: comment l'album D'eux de Céline Dion est devenu le disque francophone le plus vendu de tous les temps". Elle (in French). 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Vega, George (November 8, 2020). "Jewel reflects on her 1995 debut album, which sold 12 million copies and changed her life". Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Gilles Rio (17 October 2003). "Céline Dion: The Recordbreaking Diva". Radio France Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
- ^ Chuck Taylor (2007). These Are Special Times Collector's Edition liner notes. p. 4.: "In all, the album has so far sold (...) 12 million worldwide".
- ^ Wang, Daisy (November 9, 2016). "Alicia Keys discovers herself in latest album". The Daily Texan. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
After leaving Columbia University to pursue a singing career, Keys broke into the music scene in 2001 with her album, Songs in A Minor, which sold 12 million copies worldwide and won Keys five Grammys.
- ^ "Queen of Hearts" (PDF). Billboard. 16 February 2008. p. 30. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ^ "RCA Records and Legacy Recordings Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera's Stripped with Deluxe Digital Edition..." RIAA. 14 October 2022. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ Barker, Emily (September 23, 2014). "That's Not What We Call Music: 19 Unfathomably Popular Albums Of The 00s". NME. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
Let us be frank: Dido's debut, 'No Angel', wasn't much cop either. But it was superior to follow-up 'Life For Rent', which sold over 12 million copies worldwide and was the seventh best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK.
- ^ Morandi, Andrea (April 22, 2012). "Norah, voce fuori dal tempo "E io ascolto Billie Holiday"". la Repubblica. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson and Bruno Mars to perform on 'The X Factor' results show". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. November 21, 2007. Archived from the original on November 22, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ "'The Duchess' Turns 13". PAPER. 2019-09-15. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ "Nine years on, Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' is certified Diamond for U.S. sales of 10 million". The Music Network. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Taylor, Colleen (November 12, 2015). "Enya's epilogue to smash hit". The Irish Echo. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Natalie Cole". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (10 June 2023). "Cher on Making Her First Holiday Record: 'I Had No Intention of Doing a Christmas Album' (Exclusive)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ Gerard, Chris (July 15, 2009). "Madonna's 'Hard Candy' Strikes Sour Note". WRC-TV. Washington. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ "Shania Twain's life and career in photos". Hello!. August 28, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Chandler, D. L. (April 5, 2011). "Jay-Z And Beyoncé Celebrate Three Years Of Wedded Bliss". MTV Rapfix. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012.
- ^ "Houston Chronicle – At 37, Olivia Newton-John no longer does 'cutesy' material". Chron.com. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ^ Wilson, David (27 December 2014). "Barbra Streisand's Memories hasn't aged well, for all that it was a big seller". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Levin, Will (September 24, 2019). "Madonna's first four albums to be reissued on stunning crystal clear vinyl". New Musical Express. Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ^ Norment, Lynn (April 2008). "Don't Call It A Come Back". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company: 74–. ISSN 0012-9011.
- ^ Tannenbaum, Rob (October 6, 2015). "Janet Jackson Shows Off Her Resilience on 'Unbreakable': Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ "Controlling the Game". Black Entertainment Television. November 19, 2014. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ Jeff Silberman (May 13, 2000). Executive VP/GM Charles Goldstuck: Accelerating the momentum. Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ Anderson, Sarah (February 12, 2012). "Whitney Houston – tributes pour in". NME. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ Runtagh, Jordan (September 15, 2017). "Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ Fedele, Laura (October 13, 2022). "Sheryl Crow: Tuesday Night Music Club". WFUV. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "Toni Braxton: Back on Top After Bankruptcy". Jet. Vol. 98 no. 6. July 17, 2000. p. 58. ISSN 0021-5996 – via Google Books
- ^ "El reinado de Madonna a través de sus discos". Univision (in Spanish). Univision Communications. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Macias, Ernest (December 6, 2017). "The Catch-Up: Your guide to Mariah Carey's glittering career". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ "VH1 To Do Made For TV Film About TLC". 105.9 Kiss-FM. December 2, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ "Utada is Japan's stealth pop star debuting here". Baltimore Sun. September 30, 2004. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ O'Connell, Mikey (February 11, 2012). "Whitney Houston Dominates iTunes Charts". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Kenneally, Tim (February 14, 2012). "Whitney Houston's Death Could Earn Dolly Parton a Bundle". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ "Destined for a repeat success". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 1, 2004.
- ^ Porto, Bruno (January 7, 2003). "Sex Machines". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Globo.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
(...) and "Britney", released in 2001, sold 10 million copies (150,000 in Brazil).
Alt URL - ^ Fulton, Rick (10 January 2011). "Avril Lavigne: Madonna is my idol". Daily Record.
- ^ "The Business of Justin Bieber". Hollywood Reporter. October 2, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- ^ Corner, Lewis (25 July 2014). "Madonna's new album: What we know so far". Digital Spy.
- ^ Hackett, Vernell (2010). Carrie Underwood: A Biography: A Biography. ABC-CLIO. p. 136. ISBN 978-0313378522. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ "Spanish album an unexpected 'Plan' for Furtado". Kuwait Times. 30 August 2009. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- ^ Qilson, Jen (1 August 2008). "Five Rings To Rule Them All". Billboard. p. 24. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Kimble-Ellis, Sonya (January 1, 2012). Popular Icons: Beyonce. Chelsea House. Infobase Learning. ISBN 9781438141169. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Kisiel, Ryan (January 18, 2010). "Tragedies, feuds and public tantrums: Is the dream finally over for Susan Boyle?". News.com.au. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
Releases first album I Dreamed A Dream through Simon Cowell's label. Sells 10 million copies worldwide.
Bibliography
[edit]- Clerk, Carol (2008). Madonna Style. Music Sales Group. ISBN 978-0-85712-218-6.
- Smith, Sean (2019). Spice Girls: The Story of the World's Greatest Girl Band. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-826756-8.
- Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2002). Madonna: An Intimate Biography. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-2880-0.