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). 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).
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 some double albums on the list—such as Pink Floyd's The Wall—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. 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.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Pink Floyd 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.
Legend ColorsStudio albumsGreatest hits and compilationsSoundtracksLive albums
40 million copies or more *All sales figures are shown in millions ArtistAlbumReleasedGenreTotal certified copies*Reported sales* Thriller 1982 Pop, post-disco, funk, rock
70 AC/DC Back in Black 1980 Hard rock
50 / Various artists The Bodyguard 1992 R&B, soul, pop
45 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Progressive rock
45 Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 1976 Country rock, soft rock, folk rock
44 Eagles Hotel California 1976 Soft rock
42
Come On Over 1997 Country, pop
40 Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 Soft rock
40
Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell 1977 Hard rock, glam rock, progressive rock
40 Bee Gees / Various artists Saturday Night Fever 1977 Disco
40
30–39 million copies *All sales figures are shown in millions ArtistAlbumReleasedGenreTotal certified copies*Claimed sales* Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1971 Hard rock, heavy metal, folk rock
37
Bad1987Pop, R&B, funk, rock35 Jagged Little Pill 1995 Alternative rock
33 Various artists Dirty Dancing 1987 Pop, rock, R&B
32
Falling into You 1996 Pop, soft rock
32 Dangerous1991New jack swing, R&B, pop 32 Adele 21 2011 Pop, soul
31 1 2000 Rock
31 Metallica Metallica 1991 Heavy metal
31
Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop, soft rock
31 and the Wailers Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984 Reggae
30 NirvanaNevermind1991Grunge, alternative rock 30 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 1987 Hard rock
30
Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Heartland rock
30 ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits 1992 Pop, disco
30 Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 Roots rock, blues rock, soft rock
30
Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop, dance
30 Santana Supernatural 1999 Latin rock
30 Music Box 1993Pop, R&B30 Pink Floyd The Wall 1979 Progressive rock
30
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 Rock
30
Abbey Road 1969 Rock
30
20–29 million copies *All sales figures are shown in millions Artist Album Released Genre Total certified copies* Claimed sales* Various artists Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture 1978 Rock and roll
28
Come Away with Me 2002 Acoustic pop
28 Eminem The Eminem Show 2002 Hip hop
27
Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture 1997 Film score
27
Unplugged 1992 Acoustic rock, acoustic blues
26 Queen Greatest Hits 1981 Rock
25
...Baby One More Time 1999 Pop, dance-pop, teen pop
25 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986 Hard rock, glam metal
25 Journey Greatest Hits 1988 Rock, hard rock, pop rock
25
Whitney Houston 1985 Pop, R&B
25
No Jacket Required 1985 Pop rock
25 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2000 Hip hop
25 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory 2000 Nu metal, rap metal, alternative metal
25 U2 The Joshua Tree 1987 Rock
25 Prince and The RevolutionPurple Rain1984Pop rock, new wave, R&B 25 Tapestry 1971 Soft rock, pop
25 Madonna True Blue 1986 Pop, dance
25
Faith 1987 Pop, R&B, funk, soul
25 Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water 1970 Folk rock
25
Greatest Hits 1974 Pop
24
Backstreet Boys Millennium 1999 Pop
24 Adele 25 2015 Soul, pop, R&B
23 Spice Girls Spice 1996 Pop, dance-pop, R&B
23 Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign 1993 Dance-pop, reggae pop
23 Green DayAmerican Idiot2004Punk rock 23 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I1995R&B, pop, hip hop 22 All the Way... A Decade of Song 1999 Pop
22
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Britpop, rock
22 Fugees The Score 1996 Hip hop
22
Madonna Like a Virgin 1984 Pop, dance
21 Bon Jovi Cross Road 1994 Hard rock, glam metal
21 Green Day Dookie 1994 Pop-punk, punk rock, alternative rock
20 Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View 1994 Roots rock, heartland rock
20
Elvis' Christmas Album 1957 Christmas, pop, gospel, rock and roll
20 Note, while sales of the original album released in 1957 are only 3.85 million, if this is added to the sales of the eponymous 1970 reissue (11.05 million), 1985 It's Christmas Time reissue (3.71 million), and all other Elvis Presley Christmas albums with a tracklist matching the original album by 90% or more (6.62 million), the sum of 25.2 million is reached. Boston Boston 1976 Arena rock, hard rock
20
Daydream 1995 Pop, R&B
20
Whitney 1987 Pop, R&B
20
The Woman in Me 1995 Country, pop
20
Oops!... I Did It Again 2000 Pop, dance-pop
20 Def Leppard Hysteria 1987 Hard rock, glam metal
20 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill1998Neo Soul, R&B, Hip-hop 20 Tracy Chapman 1988 Folk rock
20 Off the Wall1979Disco, pop, funk, R&B 20 Can't Slow Down 1983 Pop, R&B, soul
20
The Colour of My Love 1993 Pop
20 Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here 1975 Progressive rock
20
Romanza 1997 Operatic pop
20
Back to Black 2006 R&B, soul, jazz
20
Timeline of the best-selling albums
+ Timeline of the highest-selling album record Year record set Artist Album Record-setting sales(millions) Total sales(millions) 1945 Various Artists Oklahoma! (original Broadway cast) 0.5 1.0After 1946The Jolson Story1 1956 Various Artists Oklahoma! (movie soundtrack) 1.75 2.5 1956/1957 Various Artists My Fair Lady 2 5 1960 Various Artists South Pacific 2.25 3 1963 The First Family 4 7.5 1968 Various Artists The Sound of Music 8 1969 In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 8 30 1973 Tapestry 10+ 1975/1976 Various Artists The Sound of Music 10–15 1976 Tapestry 13.5 25 1979 Bee Gees/Various Artists Saturday Night Fever 25–27 40 1984 Thriller 35 70
Notes
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.
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.
YearAlbumArtist(s) Sales(millions)2001Hybrid TheoryLinkin Park9.02002The Eminem ShowEminem13.92003Come Away with Me11.02004ConfessionsUsher12.02005X&YColdplay8.32006High School MusicalVarious Artists7.02007High School Musical 26.02008Viva la Vida or Death and All His FriendsColdplay6.82009I Dreamed a Dream8.32010RecoveryEminem5.7201121Adele18.120128.32013Midnight MemoriesOne Direction4.02014FrozenVarious Artists10.0201525Adele17.42016LemonadeBeyoncé2.52017÷6.12018The Greatest Showman & Various Artists3.520195x20 All the Best!! 1999–2019Arashi3.32020Map of the Soul: 7BTS4.8202130Adele4.72022Greatest Works of ArtJay Chou7.22023FMLSeventeen6.42024The Tortured Poets DepartmentTaylor Swift 5.6 2025The Life of a Showgirl 6.05
See also
Album era Lists of albums List of fastest-selling albums List of best-selling albums by women List of best-selling albums by country List of best-selling Latin albums List of best-selling remix albums List of best-selling music artists List of best-selling albums of the 21st century List of best-selling singles List of best-selling singles by country
Notes
References