List of best-selling albums of the 21st century

This is a list of the best-selling albums of the 21st century to date based on IFPI certification and Nielsen SoundScan sales tracking. The criteria are that the album must have been published (including self-publishing by the artist), and the album must have shipped at least 10 million units starting from January 1, 2001. Units sold include physical copies and digital downloads.

From 2022, IFPI reported three formats of sales chart, newly created Global vinyl album chart, combination of physical copies and digital downloads as Global album sales chart and Global all format chart for totaling of all sales.

Legend

Colors Studio albums Greatest hits and compilations Soundtracks

20 million copies or more

ReleaseyearAlbumArtist/sNationality Worldwide sales(in millions) 2011 21 Adele United Kingdom 31 2002 Come Away with Me Norah Jones United States 27 2002The Eminem ShowEminemUnited States272004American IdiotGreen DayUnited States23201525AdeleUnited Kingdom22 2006 Back to Black Amy Winehouse United Kingdom 20

13–19 million copies

ReleaseyearAlbumArtist/sNationalityWorldwide sales(in millions)2003FallenEvanescenceUnited States17 2002 Let Go Avril LavigneCanada 16 2003 Meteora Linkin Park United States 16 2011 Christmas Michael Bublé Canada / Italy 16 2004ConfessionsUsherUnited States152008The FameLady GagaUnited States15 2014 1989 Taylor Swift United States 14 2001 Laundry Service Shakira Colombia 13 2001 Missundaztood Pink United States 13 2008 Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Coldplay United Kingdom 13 2005 X&Y Coldplay United Kingdom 13 2005 Curtain Call: The Hits Eminem United States 13

10–12 million copies

ReleaseyearAlbumArtist/sNationalityWorldwide sales(in millions) 2001 Songs in A Minor Alicia Keys United States 12 2002 A New Day Has Come Celine Dion Canada 12 2002 Stripped Christina Aguilera United States 12 2003 Get Rich or Die Tryin' 50 Cent United States 12 2003 Life for Rent Dido United Kingdom 12 2004 Feels like Home Norah Jones United States 12 2004 Breakaway Kelly Clarkson United States 12 2008 Fearless Taylor Swift United States 12 2012 Teenage Dream Katy Perry United States 12 2003 Dangerously in Love Beyoncé United States 11 2004 Back to Bedlam James Blunt United Kingdom 11 2004EncoreEminemUnited States11 2005 All the Right Reasons Nickelback Canada 11 2009 The E.N.D. Black Eyed Peas United States 11 2005The Emancipation of MimiMariah CareyUnited States10 2001 Survivor Destiny's Child United States 10 2006 Loose Nelly Furtado Canada 10 2005 Confessions on a Dance Floor Madonna United States 10 2004 Under My Skin Avril Lavigne Canada 10 2001 Silver Side Up Nickelback Canada 10 2001 Britney Britney Spears United States 10 Alt URL 2002 Songs About Jane Maroon 5 United States 10 2002 Justified Justin Timberlake United States 10 2003 Number Ones Michael Jackson United States 10 2006 FutureSex/LoveSounds Justin Timberlake United States 10 2008 I Am... Sasha Fierce Beyoncé United States 10 2009 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle United Kingdom 10 2010RecoveryEminemUnited States102013FrozenVarious Artists—102014XEd SheeranUnited Kingdom10

Best-selling album by year

See also

List of best-selling albums List of best-selling albums in the United States List of best-selling albums by country List of best-selling music artists List of best-selling singles List of best-selling albums in the United States of the Nielsen SoundScan era List of best-selling albums by year in the United States List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year

References