List of best-selling albums worldwide

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The world's best-selling album cannot be listed officially, since there is no international body to count global record sales. Historical data before the 1980s and from developing countries are also incomplete. Information is also lacking for non-English language albums.

Albums are listed in alphabetical order of the artists name, rather than albums sold. Groupings are based on different sales benchmarks. Entries marked with an asterisk (*) are double albums, but they are counted once for each sale. Multiple entries from the same artist are listed in chronological order:

Contents

[edit] Album(s) claimed to have sold at least 100 million copies

Artist Album Year of release Genre Source
Michael Jackson Thriller 1982 R&B/Pop Rock [1][2][3]

[edit] Albums claimed to have sold at least 40 million copies

Artist Album Year of release Genre Source
AC/DC Back in Black 1980 Hard Rock [4]
The Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) 1976 Classic Rock [5]
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Progressive rock [6]
Various Artists/Bee Gees Saturday Night Fever 1977 Disco

[7][1]

[edit] Albums claimed to have sold at least 30 million copies

Artist Album Year of release Genre Source
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995 Alternative [8]
Backstreet Boys Millennium 1999 Pop [9]
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 Rock [10]
Boyz II Men II 1995 Pop/R&B [11]
Céline Dion Falling Into You 1996 Pop [12]
Céline Dion Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop [13]
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 Rock [14]
Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 Rock [15]
James Horner Titanic (soundtrack) 1997 Classic [16]
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1971 Hard Rock [17]
Mariah Carey Music Box 1993 Pop/R&B [18]
Meat Loaf Bat out of Hell 1977 Wagnerian Rock [19]
Michael Jackson Bad 1987 Pop/R&B [20]
Michael Jackson Dangerous 1991 Pop/R&B [21]
Pink Floyd The Wall* 1979 Progressive rock [22]
Shania Twain Come on Over 1997 Pop/Country

[23][24]
Various Artists / Whitney Houston The Bodyguard 1992 Pop/Soul/R&B [25]

[edit] Albums claimed to have sold at least 25 million copies

Artist Album Year of release Genre Source
2Pac The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory 1996 Rap [26]
ABBA Gold - Greatest Hits 1992 Pop [27]
Backstreet Boys Backstreet's Back 1997 Pop [28]
The Beatles Abbey Road 1969 Rock [29]
The Beatles 1 2000 Rock/Pop [30]
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986 Rock [31]
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time 1999 Pop [32]
Mariah Carey Daydream 1995 Pop/R&B [33]
Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Rock (Grunge) [34]
Queen Greatest Hits 1981 Rock [35]
Santana Supernatural 1999 Rock [36]
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water 1970 Folk/Rock [37]
Various Artists Grease (soundtrack) 1978 Pop [38]

[edit] Albums claimed to have sold at least 20 million copies

Artist Album Year of release Genre Source
Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign 1993 Pop [39]
Barbra Streisand Guilty* 1980 Rock/Pop [40]
The Beatles 1962-1966* 1973 Rock/Pop [41]
The Beatles 1967-1970* 1973 Rock/Pop [42]
The Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown 1979 Disco [43]
Billy Joel Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2* 1985 Pop/Rock [44]
Blondie Parallel Lines 1977 Pop/Rock/Disco [45]
Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 2000 Pop [46]
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Rock [47]
Carole King Tapestry 1971 Pop [48]
Céline Dion All the Way... A Decade of Song 1999 Pop [49]
Céline Dion The Colour of My Love 1993 Pop [50]
Cher Believe 1999 Pop/Dance [51]
The Eagles Hotel California 1976 Rock [52]
Elton John Greatest Hits 1974 Pop/Rock [53]
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2000 Rap

[54]
Eminem The Eminem Show 2002 Rap

[55]
Garth Brooks Double Live 1990 Country [56]
Garth Brooks No Fences 1990 Country [57]
Green Day American Idiot (album) 2004 Punk Rock [58]
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 1987 Hard Rock [59]
Julie Andrews and others The Sound of Music (soundtrack) 1965 Pop [60]
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory 2000 Nu Metal/Rapcore [61]
Lionel Richie Can't Slow Down 1983 R&B [62]
Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop [63]
Madonna Like a Virgin 1984 Pop [64]
Madonna True Blue 1986 Pop [65]
MC Hammer Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em 1990 Rap [66]
Michael Jackson Off the Wall 1979 Pop/R&B [67]
Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2002 Jazz [68]
Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Rock [69]
Ricky Martin Ricky Martin 1999 Pop (Latin) [70]
Simon & Garfunkel Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits 1972 Folk/Rock [71]
Spice Girls Spice 1997 Pop [72]
Tina Turner Private Dancer 1984 Pop/R&B/Rock [73]
U2 The Joshua Tree 1987 Rock [74]
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 1985 Pop/Soul/R&B [75]

[edit] Albums claimed to have sold at least 15 million copies

Artist Album Year of release Genre Source
Abrar-ul-Haq Billo De Ghar 1995 Pop [76]
AC/DC Highway to Hell 1979 Rock [citation needed]
Andrea Bocelli Romanza 1997 Opera/Pop [77]
Avril Lavigne Let Go 2002 Rock/Pop [78]
Backstreet Boys Black & Blue 2000 Pop [79]
The Beatles The Beatles a.k.a. The White Album* 1968 Rock [80]
Bing Crosby Merry Christmas 1957 Pop (Traditional) [81]
Bob Marley Legend 1984 Reggae [82]
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony E. 1999 Eternal 1995 Rap [citation needed]
Bon Jovi Cross Road - The Best of Bon Jovi 1994 Rock [83]
Bon Jovi New Jersey 1988 Rock [84]
Boston Boston 1976 Rock [85]
Céline Dion These Are Special Times 1998 Pop & Classic [86]
The Cranberries No Need to Argue 1994 Rock [87]
Def Leppard Hysteria 1987 Rock [88]
The Eagles The Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 1982 Rock [89]
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973 Pop/Rock [90]
Elton John The Very Best of Elton John 1990 Pop/Rock [91]
Elton John & Hans Zimmer The Lion King (soundtrack) 1994 Pop [92]
Enigma MCMXC a.D. 1990 New Age [93]
Enya A Day Without Rain 2000 New Age [94]
Eric Clapton Unplugged 1992 Rock [95]
Evanescence Fallen 2003 Hard Rock [96]
The Fugees The Score 1996 Hip-Hop/R&B [97]
George Michael Faith 1987 Pop [98]
Genesis We Can't Dance 1991 Rock [99]
Green Day Dookie 1994 Pop Punk [100]
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I 1991 Hard Rock [101]
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion II 1991 Hard Rock [102]
Hootie & The Blowfish Cracked Rear View 1994 Rock [103]
Janet Jackson janet. 1993 Pop/R&B [104]
Journey Greatest Hits 1988 Rock [105]
Kenny G. Breathless 1992 Jazz (Contemporary) [106]
Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits 1980 Country [107]
Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1998 R&B/Hip-Hop [108]
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II 1969 Hard Rock [109]
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy 1973 Hard Rock [110]
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti* 1975 Hard Rock [111]
Madonna Like a Prayer 1989 Pop [112]
Madonna Ray of Light 1998 Pop/Dance [113]
Madonna Music 2000 Pop/Dance [114]
Mariah Carey Butterfly 1997 Pop/R&B [115]
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey 1990 Pop/R&B [116]
Mariah Carey Merry Christmas 1994 Pop/R&B [117]
Mariah Carey # 1's 1998 Pop/R&B [118]
Matchbox Twenty Yourself or Someone Like You 1996 Rock (Alternative) [119]
Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell 1993 Wagnerian Rock [120]
Michael Jackson "HIStory - Past, Present And Future, Book I"* 1995 Pop/R&B/Rock [121]
Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells 1973 Rock [122]
'N Sync No Strings Attached 2000 Pop [123]
No Doubt Tragic Kingdom 1995 Rock (Ska) [124]
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Rock [125]
Pearl Jam Ten (Pearl Jam album) 1991 Rock (Grunge) [126]
Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive* 1976 Rock [127]
Phil Collins No Jacket Required 1985 Pop [128]
Phil Collins ...But Seriously 1989 Pop [129]
Prince Purple Rain 1984 Pop/Rock [130]
Queen Greatest Hits II 1991 Rock [citation needed]
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication 1999 Rock [131]
R.E.M. Automatic for the People 1992 Rock [132]
Shakira Laundry Service 2001 Pop [133]
Shania Twain The Woman in Me 1995 Country [134]
Spice Girls Spiceworld 1997 Pop [135]
Supertramp Breakfast in America 1979 Rock [136]
TLC CrazySexyCool 1994 R&B/Hip Hop [137]
U2 Achtung Baby 1991 Rock [138]
Usher Confessions 2004 R&B [139]
Vanilla Ice To the Extreme 1990 Rap [140]
Whitney Houston Whitney 1987 Pop/Soul/R&B [141]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducties: 40 million sales for 'Saturday Night Fever'
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