List_of_best-selling_albums

List of best-selling albums

List of best-selling albums

World's best-selling albums of recorded music


This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music in physical mediums, such as vinyl, audio cassettes or compact discs. To appear on the list, the figure must have been published by a reliable source and the album must have sold at least 20 million copies and certified at least 10 million units (the equivalent of a diamond certification by the RIAA).[lower-alpha 1] This list can contain any types of album, including studio albums, extended plays, greatest hits, compilations, various artists, soundtracks and remixes. The figures given do not take into account the resale of used albums. Certified copies are sourced either from available online databases of local music industry associations or a country with an established certifying authority (see List of music recording certifications).

Platinum record for Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982), the best-selling album of all time

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 list—such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and the Beatles' The Beatles (White Album) —being 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. In 2016, RIAA included streaming in addition to track sales and album sales based on the concept of album-equivalent unit for certification purposes, and certification therefore no longer reflects shipment alone.[1][2] For example, in the update of the certification for Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles in August 2018, the album was certified 38× Platinum (increasing from the previous 29× Platinum certification in 2006) based on the new criteria, making it then the album with the highest certification in the United States.[3]

Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold between 70-100 million copies worldwide,[4] is the best-selling album ever.[5][6][7] Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Madonna and Whitney Houston 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 20–29 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold. If two or more artists have the same claimed sales, they are then ranked by certified units and thereafter by the artist's last 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.[8]

Two of the top 5 best selling albums of all time, including Thriller at the top were made by Michael Jackson. He also has the most entries on the list with 5 of his 6 albums being among the highest selling albums ever

Legend

More information Colors ...

40 million copies or more

*All sales figures are shown in millions

More information Artist, Album ...

30–39 million copies

*All sales figures are shown in millions

More information Artist, Album ...

20–29 million copies

*All sales figures are shown in millions

More information Artist, Album ...

Timeline of the best-selling albums

More information Year record set, Artist ...
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. Both the Digital Music Report and the Recording Industry in Numbers were replaced in 2016 by the Global Music Report.[233]

In 2022, for sales of albums in 2021, IFPI reported three formats of sales chart, the Global all-format chart which includes all physical sales, digital downloads and streaming numbers, newly created Global vinyl album chart counting vinyl physical sales, combination of physical sales and digital downloads as Global album sales chart.

More information Year, Album ...

See also

Notes

  1. Certification systems have been established periodically throughout the past half century; thus, certification databases are not able to cover all sales. Some (or all) records released and sold prior to a certification system's establishment year may not be found within the available searchable certification databases. Year of establishment (from largest market to smallest based on Retail Value each market generates respectively):[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
    1. "RIAJ Yearbook 2017: IFPI Global Music Report 2017 (Page 4)". Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
    2. "Les Certifications Officielles: Chronologie Albums". Info Disc. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    3. "Music Canada: What is Gold Platinum Certification?". Music Canada. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    4. "F.I.M.I: Federazione Industria Musicale Itaiana" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    5. "Trofeer" (in Portuguese). IFPI Norway. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    6. "Uge 1, 2001". Hitlisten.nu. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    7. "Guld- og platinplader er devalueret" [Gold and Platinum awards are lowered]. Kultur (in Danish). April 24, 2003. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
    8. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community – Awards". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    9. "Polish certification awards 1995–present" (in Polish). ZPAV. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    10. "Tilastot" [IFPI Statistics] (in Finnish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Finland. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
    11. "The Irish Charts: Certtifications-Awards". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
    12. "Official Top 40 Albums". The Official NZ Music Charts. Recorded Music New Zealand. August 6, 1978. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
    13. "Top Oficial AFP (SEMANA 52 de 2004)". Artistas & Espectaculos. Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2022.

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      1. (online certification-database has begun since 1990. Certifications; however, existed in Australia since the 1970s.)
      2. (online certification-database covers certifications issued since 2009. Certifications; however, have existed in Italy since the 1980s.)[lower-alpha 14]
      3. (online certifications for Denmark start from 2001. Certifications; however, existed in Denmark since the early 1990s.)[lower-alpha 19]
      4. (online certification-database covers certifications issued since 2004. Certifications; however, have existed in Portugal since the 1980s.)[lower-alpha 14]

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