List of best-selling albums











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


This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music. 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. 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.[a]


All albums included on this list have their available claimed figures supported by at least 30% in certified copies. The percentage amount of certified sales needed increases the newer the album is, so albums released before 1975 are only expected to have their claimed figures supported by at least 30% in certified copies. However, newer albums, such as 21 and Come Away with Me, are expected to have their claimed figures supported by at least 70% in certified copies. Certified copies are sourced from available online databases of local music industry associations. This is the reason why albums that would otherwise make the list, such as The Sound of Music, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Parallel Lines, Spirits Having Flown, Private Dancer, Janet, Believe, Bolo Ta Ra Ra.., Human Clay, Laundry Service and Back to Black, have not been included.


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—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 66 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album.[4] Although sales estimates for Thriller have been as high as 120 million copies, these sales figures are unreliable.[5] Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, while The Beatles, Madonna and Celine Dion 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 and thereafter by the artist's first 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.[6]




Contents






  • 1 Legend


  • 2 40 million copies or more


  • 3 30–39 million copies


  • 4 20–29 million copies


  • 5 Timeline of the best-selling albums


  • 6 Best-selling album by year worldwide


  • 7 See also


  • 8 Notes


  • 9 References




Legend




















Colors

Studio albums

Greatest hits and compilations

Soundtracks

Live albums

40 million copies or more


*All sales figures are shown in millions






































































































Artist
Album
Released
Genre

Total certified copies
(from available markets)*
Claimed sales*
Ref(s)

Michael Jackson

Thriller
1982

Pop, rock, R&B



47.3




  • US: 33 million[7]


  • JPN: 100,000[8]


  • UK: 4.2 million[9]


  • GER: 1.5 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 1.12 million[13]


  • MEX: 1.6 million[14]


  • NLD: 800,000[15]


  • ITA: 100,000[16]


  • SWE: 400,000[17]


  • ARG: 500,000[18]


  • SWI: 300,000[19]


  • AUT: 400,000[20]


  • FIN: 119,061[21]


  • NZ: 180,000[22][23]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




66
[4]

Eagles

Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)
1976

Country rock, soft rock, folk rock



41.2




  • US: 38 million[7]


  • UK: 600,000[9]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 560,000[13]


  • IFPI HKG: 15,000[24]




51

[25][26]

AC/DC

Back in Black
1980

Hard rock



26.1




  • US: 22 million[7]


  • UK: 300,000[9]


  • GER: 1 million[10]


  • FRA: 600,000[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 840,000[13]


  • ITA: 50,000[16]


  • ARG: 160,000[27]


  • SWI: 100,000[19]


  • AUT: 50,000[20]




50
[28]

Pink Floyd

The Dark Side of the Moon
1973

Progressive rock



24.2




  • US: 15 million[7]


  • UK: 4.2 million[9]


  • GER: 1 million[10]


  • FRA: 400,000[11]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 980,000[13]


  • ITA: 100,000[16]


  • ARG: 120,000[27]


  • POL: 70,000[29]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • NZ: 240,000[30]




45
[31]

Whitney Houston / Various artists

The Bodyguard
1992

R&B, soul, pop, soundtrack



28.4




  • US: 18 million[7]


  • JPN: 2 million[32]


  • UK: 2.1 million[9]


  • GER: 1.5 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 350,000[13]


  • BRA: 750,000[33]


  • NLD: 100,000[15]


  • SWE 100,000[17]


  • SPA: 500,000[34]


  • ARG: 240,000[27]


  • SWI: 250,000[19]


  • AUT: 200,000[20]


  • NOR: 200,000[35]


  • FIN: 92,500[21]




45
[36]

Meat Loaf

Bat Out of Hell
1977

Hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal



21.5




  • US: 14 million[7]


  • UK: 3 million[9]


  • GER: 500,000[10]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 1.68 million[13]


  • NZ: 255,000[30]




43
[37]

Eagles

Hotel California
1976

Soft rock



31.5




  • US: 26 million[7]


  • UK: 1.8 million[9]


  • GER: 500,000[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 560,000[13]


  • SPA: 400,000[34]


  • SWI: 100,000[19]


  • AUT: 25,000[20]


  • FIN: 30,933[21]


  • NZ: 135,000[22]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




42
[38]

Bee Gees / Various artists

Saturday Night Fever
1977

Disco



21.6




  • US: 16 million[7]


  • UK: 2.1 million[9]


  • GER: 1.5 million[10]


  • FRA: 200,000[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 770,000[39]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




40

[40][41]

Fleetwood Mac

Rumours
1977

Soft rock



27.9




  • US: 20 million[7]


  • UK: 3.3 million[9]


  • GER: 1.25 million[10]


  • FRA: 300,000[42]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 910,000[13]


  • NZ: 150,000[43]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




40

[44][45]

Shania Twain

Come On Over
1997

Country, pop



29.6




  • US: 20 million[7]


  • JPN: 100,000 [8]


  • UK: 3.3 million[9]


  • GER: 750,000[10]


  • FRA: 300,000[42]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 1.05 million[13]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • MEX: 100,000[14]


  • NLD: 400,000[15]


  • ITA: 50,000[16]


  • SWE 180,000[17]


  • SPA: 100,000[34]


  • BEL: 100,000[46][47]


  • ARG: 120,000[27]


  • SWI: 150,000[19]


  • AUT: 25,000[20]


  • NOR: 300,000[35]


  • DEN: 100,000[48]


  • FIN: 38,958[21]


  • NZ: 315,000[23]




40
[49]


30–39 million copies


*All sales figures are shown in millions


















































































































































































































Artist
Album
Released
Genre

Total certified copies
(from available markets)*
Claimed sales*
Ref(s)
Various artists

Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
1978

Rock and roll



14.4




  • US: 8 million[7]


  • UK: 2.4 million[9]


  • GER: 1.25 million[10]


  • FRA: 400,000[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 980,000[13]


  • SPA: 300,000[34]


  • SWI: 25,000[19]


  • NZ: 15,000[22]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




38


Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin IV
1971

Hard rock, heavy metal, folk rock



29.0




  • US: 23 million[7]


  • UK: 1.8 million[9]


  • GER: 750,000[10]


  • FRA: 600,000[42]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 630,000[13]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • NLD: 100,000[15]


  • ARG: 60,000[27]


  • SWI: 50,000[19]




37
[50]

Michael Jackson

Bad
1987

Pop, funk, rock



19.3




  • US: 10 million[7]


  • UK: 3.9 million[9]


  • GER: 2 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 700,000[12]


  • AUS: 420,000[13]


  • MEX: 350,000[14]


  • SWE 200,000[17]


  • SPA: 300,000[34]


  • AUT: 200,000[20]


  • FIN: 51,287[21]


  • NZ: 135,000[51]


  • IFPI HKG: 15,000[24]




35

[52][53]

Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill
1995

Alternative rock



24.4




  • US: 16 million[7]


  • UK: 3 million[9]


  • GER: 1 million[10]


  • FRA: 300,000[42]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 980,000[13]


  • NLD: 400,000[15]


  • SWE 200,000[17]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • ARG: 60,000[27]


  • POL: 50,000[29]


  • SWI: 50,000[19]


  • NOR: 50,000[35]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • FIN: 65,860[21]




33
[54]

Celine Dion

Falling into You
1996

Pop, soft rock



20.2




  • US: 11 million[7]


  • JPN: 800,000[8]


  • UK: 2.1 million[9]


  • GER: 1.25 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 910,000[13]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • NLD: 600,000[15]


  • SWE: 200,000[17]


  • SPA: 200,000[34]


  • BEL: 200,000[46]


  • ARG: 60,000[27]


  • POL: 100,000[29]


  • SWI: 150,000[19]


  • NOR: 150,000[35]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • FIN: 51,952[21]


  • NZ: 180,000[22]


  • HUN: 25,000[55]




32
[56]

The Beatles

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1967

Rock



18.2




  • US: 11 million[7]


  • UK: 5.1 million[9]


  • GER: 500,000[10]


  • CAN: 800,000[12]


  • AUS: 280,000[13]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • ARG: 300,000[27]


  • NZ: 90,000[23]




32
[57]
Various artists

Dirty Dancing
1987

Pop, rock, R&B



17.9




  • US: 11 million[7]


  • UK: 1.5 million[9]


  • GER: 2 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 770,000[13]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • NLD: 100,000[15]


  • SWE 100,000[17]


  • POL: 50,000[29]


  • SWI: 250,000[19]


  • HKG: 7,500[24]




32
[58]

Michael Jackson

Dangerous
1991

Rock, funk, pop



17.3




  • US: 8 million[7]


  • JPN: 400,000[8]


  • UK: 1.8 million[9]


  • GER: 2 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[42]


  • CAN: 600,000[12]


  • AUS: 700,000[13]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • MEX: 600,000[14]


  • NLD: 300,000[15]


  • SWE 300,000[17]


  • SPA: 600,000[34]


  • SWI: 250,000[19]


  • AUT: 200,000[20]


  • FIN: 61,896[21]


  • NZ: 90,000[23]


  • CHI: 125,000[59]


  • MAL: 175,000[60]




32
[61]

Adele

21
2011

Pop, soul



25.3




  • US: 14 million[7]


  • JPN: 100,000[62]


  • UK: 4.8 million[9]


  • GER: 1.6 million[10]


  • CAN: 800,000[12]


  • AUS: 980,000[13]


  • MEX: 300,000[14]


  • NLD: 450,000[63]


  • ITA: 480,000[16]


  • SWE: 120,000[64]


  • SPA: 300,000[34]


  • ARG: 80,000[65]


  • BEL: 180,000[47]


  • POL: 200,000[29]


  • SWI: 40,000[19]


  • NOR: 30,000[66]


  • AUT: 20,000[20]


  • RUS: 10,000[67]


  • DEN: 150,000[68]


  • POR: 40,000[69]


  • FIN: 83,234[21]


  • IRE: 270,000[70]


  • GRE: 6,000[71]


  • HUN: 12,000[72]


  • NZ: 180,000[73]


  • CHI: 20,000[74]


  • VEN: 10,000[75]




31
[76]

Celine Dion

Let's Talk About Love
1997

Pop, soft rock



19.3




  • US: 10 million[7]


  • JPN: 1 million[8]


  • UK: 1.8 million[9]


  • GER: 1.5 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 420,000[13]


  • NLD: 500,000[15]


  • SWE: 240,000[17]


  • SPA: 400,000[34]


  • BEL: 200,000[46]


  • ARG: 120,000[27]


  • POL: 200,000[29]


  • SWI: 300,000[19]


  • NOR: 200,000[35]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • FIN: 97,744[21]


  • NZ: 135,000[77]


  • HKG: 40,000[24]


  • URY: 3,000[78]




31
[79]

The Beatles

1
2000

Rock



23.4




  • US: 12 million[7]


  • JPN: 2 million[8]


  • UK: 3.3 million[9]


  • GER: 1.65 million[10]


  • FRA: 600,000[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 700,000[13]


  • BRA: 250,000[33]


  • ITA: 50,000[16]


  • SWE 160,000[17]


  • SPA: 500,000[34]


  • ARG: 120,000[27]


  • POL: 100,000[29]


  • SWI: 150,000[19]


  • NOR: 150,000[35]


  • AUT: 150,000[20]


  • DEN: 200,000[80]


  • POR: 120,000[81]


  • FIN: 77,466[21]


  • NZ: 225,000[22]




31
[82]

ABBA

Gold: Greatest Hits
1992

Pop, disco



23.0




  • US: 6 million[7]


  • JPN: 600,000[83]


  • UK: 5.4 million[9]


  • GER: 2.5 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[42]


  • RUS: 10,000[84]


  • MEX: 250,000[14]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • BRA: 100,000[33]


  • AUS: 1.19 million[13]


  • IND: 20,000[85]


  • ITA: 270,000[85][16]


  • SPA: 500,000[34]


  • NLD: 300,000[85]


  • SAF: 50,000[85]


  • SWE 500,000[17]


  • SWI: 500,000[19]


  • ARG: 240,000[27]


  • BEL: 350,000[46]


  • THL: 20,000[85]


  • NOR: 150,000[85]


  • AUT: 150,000[20]


  • DEN: 300,000[85]


  • KOR: 100,000[85]


  • TWN: 210,000[85]


  • POL: 100,000[29]


  • IRE: 90,000[85]


  • FIN: 145,962[21]


  • POR: 100,000[85][81]


  • NZ: 240,000[22]


  • HKG: 120,000[85]


  • SGP: 165,000[85]


  • HUN: 100,000[85]


  • CHI: 60,000[85]


  • ISR: 40,000[85]


  • CZE: 30,000[85]


  • MAL: 100,000[85]


  • VEN: 5,000[85]


  • ICL: 5,000[85]




30
[86]

Madonna

The Immaculate Collection
1990

Pop, dance



19.4




  • US: 10 million[7]


  • JPN: 800,000[8]


  • UK: 3.6 million[9]


  • GER: 750,000[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 700,000[12]


  • AUS: 840,000[87]


  • BRA: 500,000[33]


  • NLD: 300,000[15]


  • SWE 50,000[17]


  • SPA: 300,000[34]


  • ARG: 180,000[27]


  • SWI: 50,000[19]


  • AUT: 50,000[20]


  • DEN: 50,000[88]


  • FIN: 92,500[21]


  • NZ: 105,000[22]




30
[89]

The Beatles

Abbey Road
1969

Rock



14.4




  • US: 12 million[7]


  • GER: 500,000[10]


  • FRA: 150,000[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 210,000[13]


  • ARG: 500,000[18]


  • NZ: 75,000[23]




30
[90]

Bruce Springsteen

Born in the U.S.A.
1984

Heartland rock



19.6




  • US: 15 million[7]


  • UK: 900,000[9]


  • GER: 1 million[10]


  • FRA: 400,000[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 910,000[13]


  • FIN: 108,913[21]


  • NZ: 240,000[22]




30
[91]

Dire Straits

Brothers in Arms
1985

Roots rock, blues rock, soft rock



17.7




  • US: 9 million[7]


  • UK: 4.1 million[9]


  • GER: 500,000[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 1.19 million[13]


  • ARG: 30,000[27]


  • SWI: 350,000[19]


  • FIN: 116,784[21]


  • NZ: 360,000[30]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




30

[92][93]

James Horner

Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture
1997

Film score



18.1




  • US: 11 million[7]


  • JPN: 1 million[94]


  • UK: 900,000[9]


  • GER: 1.25 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 350,000[13]


  • NLD: 175,000[15]


  • SWE 160,000[17]


  • SPA: 400,000[34]


  • BEL: 150,000[46]


  • POL: 140,000[29]


  • ARG: 60,000[27]


  • SWI: 200,000[19]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • NOR: 100,000[35]


  • FIN: 73,509[21]


  • NZ: 60,000[95]


  • HKG: 20,000[24]




30
[96]

Metallica

Metallica
1991

Heavy metal



25.2




  • US: 16,83 million[7]


  • UK: 900,000[9]


  • GER: 1,500,000[10]


  • FRA: 487,500[11]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 840,000[13]


  • MEX: 600,000[14]


  • NLD: 200,000[15]


  • ITA: 100,000[16]


  • SWE 200,000[17]


  • ARG: 300,000[27]


  • POL: 2


00,000[29]




  • SWI: 150,000[19]


  • NOR: 100,000[35]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • FIN: 118,856[21]


  • NZ: 150,000[23]




31
[97]

Nirvana

Nevermind
1991

Grunge, alternative rock



16.7




  • US: 10 million[7]


  • JPN: 600,000[83]


  • UK: 1.2 million[9]


  • GER: 1 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 350,000[13]


  • BRA: 250,000[33]


  • MEX: 200,000[14]


  • ITA: 100,000[16]


  • SWE 200,000[17]


  • ARG: 300,000[27]


  • BEL: 150,000[47]


  • POL: 100,000[29]


  • SWI: 50,000[19]


  • AUT: 50,000[20]


  • FIN: 46,830[21]


  • NZ: 105,000[22]




30
[98]

Pink Floyd

The Wall
1979

Progressive rock



18.6




  • US: 11.5 million[7]


  • UK: 600,000[9]


  • GER: 2 million[10]


  • FRA: 1 million[11]


  • CAN: 2 million[12]


  • AUS: 770,000[13]


  • ITA: 100,000[16]


  • ARG: 200,000[99]


  • POL: 70,000[29]


  • SWI: 100,000[19]


  • NZ: 210,000[22]


  • HKG: 15,000[24]




30
[100]

Santana

Supernatural
1999

Latin rock



20.5




  • US: 15 million[7]


  • JPN: 200,000 [8]


  • UK: 600,000[9]


  • GER: 1 million[10]


  • FRA: 600,000[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • AUS: 280,000[13]


  • BRA: 250,000[33]


  • MEX: 300,000[14]


  • NLD: 200,000[15]


  • SWE 80,000[17]


  • SPA: 300,000[34]


  • BEL: 100,000[46]


  • ARG: 120,000[27]


  • POL: 100,000[29]


  • SWI: 200,000[19]


  • AUT: 100,000[20]


  • FIN: 50,291[21]


  • NZ: 60,000[22]




30
[101]

Guns N' Roses

Appetite for Destruction
1987

Hard rock



21.6




  • US: 18 million[7]


  • JPN: 200,000[8]


  • UK: 900,000[9]


  • GER: 500,000[10]


  • FRA: 200,000[42]


  • CAN: 1 million[12]


  • BRA: 250,000[33]


  • MEX: 100,000[14]


  • ITA: 50,000[16]


  • SWE 50,000[17]


  • ARG: 180,000[27]


  • SWI: 50,000[19]


  • AUT: 50,000[20]


  • FIN: 25,000[21]




30

[102][103]


20–29 million copies


*All sales figures are shown in millions



























































































































































































































































































































































Artist
Album
Released
Genre
Claimed sales*
Ref(s)

Bon Jovi

Slippery When Wet
1986

Hard rock, glam metal
28
[104]

Mariah Carey

Music Box
1993

Pop, R&B
28
[105]

Eminem

The Eminem Show
2002

Hip hop
27

[106][107]

Linkin Park

Hybrid Theory
2000

Nu metal, rap metal, alternative metal
27
[108]

Norah Jones

Come Away with Me
2002

Jazz
27
[109]

Eric Clapton

Unplugged
1992

Acoustic rock, acoustic blues
26
[110]

Madonna

True Blue
1986

Pop
25
[111]

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers
1984

Reggae
25
[112]

Carole King

Tapestry
1971

Pop
25
[113]

Phil Collins

No Jacket Required
1985

Pop rock
25
[114]

Queen

Greatest Hits
1981

Rock
25
[115]

Simon & Garfunkel

Bridge over Troubled Water
1970

Folk rock
25
[116]

U2

The Joshua Tree
1987

Rock
25
[117]

Prince and The Revolution

Purple Rain
1984

Pop rock, new wave, R&B
25
[118]

Britney Spears

...Baby One More Time
1999

Pop
25
[119]

Elton John

Greatest Hits
1974

Pop
24
[120]

Backstreet Boys

Backstreet's Back / Backstreet Boys
1997

Pop
24
[121]

Backstreet Boys

Millennium
1999

Pop
24
[121]

Spice Girls

Spice
1996

Pop
23

[122][123]

Ace of Base

Happy Nation/The Sign
1993

Pop
23
[124]

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston
1985

Pop, R&B
22
[125]

Oasis

(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
1995

Britpop, rock
22
[126]

Adele

25
2015

Soul, pop, R&B
22
[127]

Eminem

The Marshall Mathers LP
2000

hip-hop
21
[128]

Madonna

Like a Virgin
1984

Pop, dance
21
[129]

Bon Jovi

Cross Road
1994

Hard rock, glam metal
21
[130]

Boston

Boston
1976

Arena rock, hard rock
20
[131]

Britney Spears

Oops!... I Did It Again
2000

Pop
20
[132]

Celine Dion

The Colour of My Love
1993

Pop
20
[133]

Def Leppard

Hysteria
1987

Hard rock, glam metal
20
[134]

Elvis Presley

Elvis' Christmas Album
1957

Christmas, pop, gospel, rock and roll
25
20

[135][136][137]

George Michael

Faith
1987

Pop, R&B, funk, soul
20
[138]

Green Day

Dookie
1994

Pop punk, punk rock, alternative rock
20
[139]

Lionel Richie

Can't Slow Down
1983

Pop, R&B, soul
20
[140]

Mariah Carey

Daydream
1995

Pop, R&B
20
[141]

Michael Jackson

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
1995

Pop, pop rock, funk, R&B, new jack swing
20
[142]

Michael Jackson

Off the Wall
1979

Soul, disco, R&B
20
[143]

Shania Twain

The Woman in Me
1995

Country, pop
20
[144]

Supertramp

Breakfast in America
1979

Progressive rock, art rock
20
[145]

Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman
1988

Folk rock
20
[146]
Various artists

Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
1983

Electro, synthpop
20
[147]

Whitney Houston

Whitney
1987

Pop, R&B
20
[148]

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)
Ref(s)
1945
Various Artists

Oklahoma! (78 rpm album)
0.5
1.0

[149][150]
1956
Various Artists

Oklahoma! (LP album)
1.75
2.5
[151]
1956/1957
Various Artists

My Fair Lady
2
5

[152][153][154]
1960
Various Artists

South Pacific
2.25
3
[155]
1963

Vaughn Meader

The First Family
4
7.5

[156][157]
1968
Various Artists

The Sound of Music
8WW

[158]
1973

Carole King

Tapestry
10+

[159]
1975/1976
Various Artists

The Sound of Music
10–15SM-T


[160][161]
1976

Carole King

Tapestry
13.5SM-T
25
[162]
1979

Bee Gees/Various Artists

Saturday Night Fever
25–27
40

[163][164]
1984

Michael Jackson

Thriller
35
66

[165][4]

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.[166]


Units sold include physical copies and digital downloads.






























































































































Year
Album
Artist(s)
Sales
(millions)
Ref(s)
2001

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park
8.5
[167]
2002

The Eminem Show

Eminem
13.9
[168]
2003

Come Away with Me

Norah Jones
18.0

[169][170]
2004

Confessions

Usher
12.0
[171]
2005

X&Y

Coldplay
8.3
[172]
2006

High School Musical
Various Artists
7.0
[173]
2007

High School Musical 2
6.0
[174]
2008

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Coldplay
6.8
[175]
2009

I Dreamed a Dream

Susan Boyle
8.3
[176]
2010

Recovery

Eminem
5.7
[177]
2011

21

Adele
18.1
[168]
2012
8.3
[178]
2013

Midnight Memories

One Direction
4.0
[179]
2014

Frozen
Various Artists
9.0
[180]
2015

25

Adele
17.4
[181]
2016

Lemonade

Beyoncé
2.5
[182]
2017

÷

Ed Sheeran
6.1
[183]

See also



  • List of best-selling albums by country

  • List of best-selling music artists

  • List of best-selling remix albums

  • List of best-selling singles

  • Lists of albums

  • List of best-selling albums of the 21st century


Notes





  1. ^ 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





  1. ^ "RIAA Debuts Album Award with Streams". RIAA. 1 February 2016..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.


  3. ^ Associated Press (August 20, 2018). "RIAA: Eagles' Greatest Hits Certified 38x Platinum, Passing 'Thriller'". Billboard.


  4. ^ abc "Best-selling album". Guinness World Records. Retrieved June 29, 2017.


  5. ^ Wyman, Bill (January 4, 2013). "Did Michael Jackson's Thriller Really Sell a Hundred Million Copies?". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 26, 2013.


  6. ^ "31. Global Sales of Recorded Music by Country in 2010 (page 24)" (PDF). RIAJ. 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2012.


  7. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeaf
    "RIAA: Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 13, 2016.



  8. ^ abcdefghi
    "Publications > The Record". Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 16, 2013.



  9. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadae
    "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 31, 2018.



  10. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadae
    "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Gold-/Platin-Datenbank')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved December 6, 2011.



  11. ^ abcdefghijklmno
    "InfoDisc: Les Certifications depuis 1973" [InfoDisc: Certifications from 1973]. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). InfoDisc.fr. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2009.



  12. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeaf
    "Music Canada: Gold & Platinum search". Music Canada. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2018.



  13. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabac
    "ARIA Charts – Accreditations". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 15, 2009.



  14. ^ abcdefghij
    "AMPROFON: Certificaciones". AMPROFON. Retrieved November 22, 2011.



  15. ^ abcdefghijklm
    "Dutch Certifications" (in Dutch). NVPI. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2011.



  16. ^ abcdefghijk
    "F.I.M.I: Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana". Federation of the Italian Music Industry (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.



  17. ^ abcdefghijklmnopq
    "Guld & Platina IFPI" [Gold & Platinum IFPI] (in Swedish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Sweden. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2009.



  18. ^ ab
    "Premio Diamante: Los premiados" (in Spanish). CAPIF. Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved September 16, 2012.



  19. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw
    "Hitparade.ch: Edelmetall". Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2011.



  20. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrst
    "IFPI Austria : Gold & Platin" (in German). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2009.



  21. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrst
    "Tilastot: Kulta- ja platinalevyt". Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 3, 2011.



  22. ^ abcdefghijk
    "RIANZ: The Official New Zealand Music Chart". RIANZ. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2011.



  23. ^ abcdef
    "Gold / Platinum Albums". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.



  24. ^ abcdefghijkl
    "IFPIHKG Awards". IFPI. Retrieved January 16, 2013.



  25. ^ Morrison, Pat (May 7, 2012). "Eagles founder Glenn Frey releases an album of classic, jazzy songs". Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved December 3, 2012.


  26. ^ HoustonsEagle.com (February 16, 2012). "Houston's Eagle Celebrates Eagles: Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)". Cox Media Group. Retrieved December 3, 2012.


  27. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqr
    "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2012.



  28. ^
    Partridge, Kenneth (July 25, 2015). "AC/DC's 'Back In Black' at 35: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2015.



  29. ^ abcdefghijklm
    "Polish certification awards 1995–present" (in Polish). ZPAV. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2011.



  30. ^ abc
    Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966–2006. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.



  31. ^
    Smirke, Richard (March 16, 2013). "Pink Floyd, 'The Dark Side of the Moon' At 40: Classic Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2013.



  32. ^
    "Recording Industry Association of Japan - The History of music recordings industry during the 1990s" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved August 27, 2012.



  33. ^ abcdefghijklmn
    "ABPD: Certificados" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2013.



  34. ^ abcdefghijklmn "Spanish Certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 2011-12-07.


  35. ^ abcdefgh
    "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved July 30, 2012.



  36. ^ The Bodyguard Soundtrack worldwide sales:


    • Kimberly, Nordyke (October 30, 2017). "American Music Awards: Christina Aguilera to Honor Whitney Houston With 'Bodyguard' Tribute". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2019.


    • Patrick, Ryan (November 9, 2017). "Exclusive: Whitney Houston's 'Bodyguard' turns 25 with never-before-seen performance". USA Today. Retrieved January 3, 2019.


    • Chuck, Crisafulli (May 15, 2017). "Deep 10: Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard — Original Soundtrack Album". Grammy. Retrieved January 3, 2019.


    • Zach, Johnson (October 30, 2017). "Christina Aguilera Will Honor Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard's 25th Anniversary at the 2017 AMAs". E! News. Retrieved January 3, 2019.


    • Bianca, Garwood (October 13, 2017). "Whitney Houston Estate to Reissue 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack for 25th Anniversary". Ebony. Retrieved January 3, 2019.




  37. ^
    Whitaker, Sterling (October 21, 2012). "35 Years Ago: Meat Loaf's 'Bat Out of Hell' Released". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved December 28, 2014.



  38. ^
    Sauro, Tony (September 29, 2011). "'Back to basics' with Don Henley". Recordnet.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.



  39. ^
    BigKev (December 14, 2012). "Top 200 Highest Selling Albums in Australia". Australian Recording Industry Association. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 22, 2013.



  40. ^
    Byrne, Katie (May 20, 2012). "Bee Gees' Robin Gibb Dead At 62". MTV. Retrieved March 5, 2013.



  41. ^
    The Associated, Press (January 12, 2013). "Maurice Gibb, 53, of disco's Bee Gees: 'Saturday Night Fever' album defined era". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 5, 2013.



  42. ^ abcdefghijklm
    "Les disques d'or". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). Disque en France. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2013.



  43. ^
    "New Zealand album certifications – Fleetwood Mac – Rumours". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved September 24, 2013.



  44. ^
    McLaughlin, Katie (June 27, 2012). "Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' at 35: Still the 'perfect album'". CNN. Retrieved December 13, 2012.



  45. ^
    Arnold, Don (December 12, 2012). "Fleetwood Mac Expanding 'Rumours' for 35th Anniversary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2013.



  46. ^ abcdef
    "Awards 1997–2003". Ultratop. Retrieved February 4, 2011.



  47. ^ abc
    "Ultratop: Goud En Platina". Ultratop. Retrieved February 4, 2011.



  48. ^
    "Danish album certifications – Shania Twain – Come On Over". IFPI Denmark.



  49. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (April 22, 2018). "Shania Twain on abuse, betrayal and finding her voice: 'I wanted a break – but not for 15 years'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 7, 2019.


  50. ^
    Gill, Andy (December 7, 2007). "Led Zeppelin: The music". Irish Independent. Retrieved December 19, 2012.



  51. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart - The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART.


  52. ^
    Stevens, Tom (August 14, 2017). "Michael Jackson's Bad at 30". The Guardian. Retrieved August 24, 2017.



  53. ^
    Kaufman, Gil (November 5, 2011). "Michael Jackson's New Album Cover Decoded Painting is packed with iconic MJ images". MTV. Retrieved February 28, 2018.



  54. ^
    Montgomery, James (February 1, 2010). "'You Oughta Know': The Story Behind Beyonce's Grammy Cover". MTV News. Retrieved June 18, 2013.



  55. ^ "Arany- és platinalemezek › Adatbázis 2000" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 28 July 2014.


  56. ^ Falling into You worldwide sales:


    • "Global All-Time Top 20 Albums". everyHit.com. Retrieved 18 August 2014.


    • "The 10 Biggest Grammy Blunders". Yahoo!. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.


    • "The 50 best-selling albums ever". NME. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2014.


    • "Total Eclipse of the Charts: Songs by Jim Steinman" (PDF). jimsteinman.com. Retrieved 18 August 2014.


    • "Musique : les 10 albums les plus vendus au monde" (in French). MSN. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.


    • "'Falling Into You' One of the 100 Greatest Canadian Albums Ever". Five Star Feeling Inc. 11 August 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.




  57. ^
    "Back in the Day: Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play". Euronews. June 1, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2012.



  58. ^
    Lee, Chris (May 10, 2009). "'Dirty Dancing,' the mega-hit musical". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2012.



  59. ^
    "Récord de Ana Gabriel" (in Spanish). El Tiempo. Retrieved March 27, 2012.



  60. ^
    "Michael Jackson award". Sony Music Entertainment. LiveAuctioneers. Retrieved May 12, 2012.



  61. ^ Weiss, Jeff (August 7, 2016). "Dangerous Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 31, 2018. The lone #1 single from the 32-million selling Dangerous, “Black or White” spent seven weeks atop the Billboard charts.


  62. ^
    "RIAJ reveals hard copy sales certifications for February 2012" (in Japanese). RIAJ. Retrieved 19 January 2012.



  63. ^
    "Audiomarkt 2011" (PDF) (in Dutch). NVPI. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.



  64. ^
    "Veckolista Album - Vecka 5, 1 februari 2013" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2013.



  65. ^
    "Prensario musica & video No. 463 – Sony Music: Serrat-Sabina, Michel Teló, Adele y Bersuit" (PDF) (in Spanish). Prensario musica & video. March 2012. Search "doble platino and 21". Retrieved 30 October 2012.



  66. ^
    "Trofe Oversikt" (in Norwegian). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Search "Adele". Retrieved 21 September 2014.



  67. ^
    "Lenta.ru: Адель в платине". lenta.ru (in Russian). Лента.Ру. Archived from the original on December 27, 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.



  68. ^
    "Danish album certifications – Adele – 21". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 6 February 2013.



  69. ^
    "Top AFP - Semana 22 de 2011" (in Portuguese). Artistas-espectaculos.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.



  70. ^
    "Adele sells over 250,000 albums in Ireland". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2012-08-03. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved 2013-03-31.



  71. ^
    "Top-75 Albums Sales Chart" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.



  72. ^
    "Arany- és platinalemezek 2013" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.



  73. ^
    "Latest Gold / Platinum Albums". Radioscope. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24.



  74. ^
    "Adele alcanzó coble platino en Chile por su disco '21'" (in Spanish). los40.cl. 2012-04-13. Retrieved 2012-10-30.



  75. ^
    "Adele alcanza "Disco de Oro" en Venezuela" (in Spanish). November 2011. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 24, 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.



  76. ^ Serjeant, Jill (31 October 2016). Osterman, Cynthia, ed. "Adele says she battled depression, before and after son's birth". Vanity Fair. Reuters. Retrieved 14 February 2017.


  77. ^
    Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966–2006. Maurienne House. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.



  78. ^ "Priemos – 1999" (in Spanish). Cámara Uruguaya del Disco.


  79. ^ Let's Talk About Love worldwide sales:


    • Jason Anderson (19 January 2008). "Learning to Love Celine Dion". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 August 2014.


    • "The 50 best-selling albums ever". NME. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2014.


    • "Global All-Time Top 20 Albums". everyHit.com. Retrieved 19 August 2014.




  80. ^
    "Danish album certifications – Beatles – One". IFPI Denmark.



  81. ^ ab
    "Artistas & Espectáculos: Top Oficial AFP" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2012.



  82. ^
    Lewis, Randy (April 8, 2009). "Beatles' catalog will be reissued September 9 in remastered versions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 2, 2009.



  83. ^ ab "RIAJ: ゴールド等認定作品" [Certified Gold Pieces] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2010-05-26.


  84. ^ "Золотой и платиновый альбом в России – International 2008" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonograph Producers. 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2012.


  85. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrst Bronson, Fred (1999-04-03). "Abba's Björn Ulvaeus – The Billboard Interview". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 111 (14): 21–33. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2013-04-25.


  86. ^
    Needham, Alex (27 April 2018). "Abba announce first new songs for 35 years". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2018.



  87. ^
    "ARIA Catalogue Albums Chart – 06/08/2012". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2013.



  88. ^
    "Danish album certifications – Madonna – The Immaculate Collection". IFPI Denmark.



  89. ^
    Lea, Tony Clayton (March 23, 2012). "Girl gone wild: is it time for Madonna to grow up?". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 21, 2012.



  90. ^
    "Back in the Day: Abbey Road hits the shelves". Euronews. September 26, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2012.



  91. ^
    Forde, Ian (July 13, 2012). "Bruce Springsteen still shows who's boss". Irish Examiner. Retrieved September 21, 2012.



  92. ^
    "Mark Knopfler hurt in crash". BBC News. March 18, 2003. Retrieved November 24, 2012.



  93. ^
    "Mark Knopfler | Europe in Concert". Deutsche Welle. 2012. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.



  94. ^
    "List of the albums certified "Million" by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (1989–2011)". September 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2011.



  95. ^
    Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966–2006. Maurienne House. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.



  96. ^
    Ellwood, Gregory (November 16, 2009). "Leona Lewis follows in Celine Dion's 'Titanic' shadow for 'Avatar'". HitFix. Retrieved November 29, 2012.



  97. ^
    Vaziri, Aidin (October 10, 2012). "Kirk Hammett: Some kind of monster fan". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 10, 2012.



  98. ^
    Mapes, Jillian; Bojalad, Alec; Maloy, Sarah (June 22, 2011). "Billboard Bits: Nirvana's 'Nevermind' To Be Re-Released, No More Guest Stars on 'Glee'". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2014.



  99. ^ Gold & Platin, capif, archived from the original on May 31, 2011, retrieved 5 July 2009


  100. ^
    Borrelli, Christopher (September 22, 2010). "How The Wall gets built in the first place". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 18, 2013.



  101. ^
    Premkumar, Joel (November 18, 2012). "Viva Santana!". Deccan Herald. Retrieved November 25, 2012.



  102. ^
    Smith, Sara (November 18, 2012). "'American Masters' highlights David Geffen's influence but only hints at a dark side". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.



  103. ^
    Havelock, Laurie (August 9, 2012). "Column - Still hungry? 25 years of Guns'N'Roses' Appetite For Destruction". Q magazine. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.



  104. ^
    Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (May 24, 2011). "Jon Bon Jovi's Star Wars Secret". Forbes. Retrieved December 14, 2012.



  105. ^
    "BET.com Exclusive: Mariah Celebrates 20 Years; Thanks Fans". Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved August 15, 2010.



  106. ^
    "Eminem Total Albums Sold". Statisticbrain. July 11, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2018.



  107. ^
    "Eminem music to hit stock exchange in deal offered by his producers". themusicnetwork. September 26, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.



  108. ^ "Linkin Park Announced As Saturday Headliner + Fall Out Boy As Main Support". Download Festival. November 5, 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2013.


  109. ^
    McCormick, Neil (October 2, 2016). "'Fame happened too fast': Norah Jones on life after Come Away With Me". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 29, 2017.



  110. ^
    Steffen, Chris (January 23, 2015). "Bassist Nathan East on Eric Clapton and "Change the World," Plus, Watch His Documentary". AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2017.



  111. ^
    Kaufman, Gil (March 29, 2012). "Madonna And Lionel Richie To Reunite On Billboard Charts?". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved April 7, 2012.



  112. ^
    Holden, Stephen (April 19, 2012). "Reggae's Mellow King, Defined by a Legacy He Couldn't Outrun". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2012.



  113. ^
    Rosen, James (April 19, 2012). "In her new memoir, "A Natural Woman," singer-songwriter Carole King writes that she served as a "conduit for the great music that came out of her". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 24, 2012.



  114. ^
    "40 Albums Baby Boomers Loved That Millennials Don't Know". Rolling Stone. May 14, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.



  115. ^
    "Queen retain UK album sales crown". BBC News. April 9, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2012.



  116. ^
    Pilgrim, Michael (November 8, 2011). "Imagine... Simon & Garfunkel: the Harmony Game, BBC One, My Transsexual Summer, Channel 4, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved December 13, 2012.



  117. ^
    Cunningham, Simon (March 9, 2012). "25th birthday of U2's Joshua Tree album". The Irish News. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2012.



  118. ^ "Prince's 'Purple Rain' reissue re-enters Top 200 Albums in the top 5". AXS. Retrieved 2018-09-15.


  119. ^
    "The Curious Case Of Britney Spears: 5 Reasons Why The Princess of Pop Rules". 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2011-03-05.



  120. ^ "Elton John's Greatest Hits hits #1". History. Retrieved 20 May 2018.


  121. ^ ab
    "Backstreet Boys – Biography". Sony BMG. 2006. Archived from the original on September 11, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2013. The next two BSB albums ("Backstreet's Back" and "Millennium") enjoyed worldwide sales of 24 million copies each.



  122. ^ "Spice Girls Bio". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 2016-05-11.


  123. ^ Sarah Anderson (12 November 2010). "The 50 best-selling albums ever". NME. Retrieved 3 January 2016.


  124. ^
    Fletcher, Alex (October 26, 2007). "Ace Of Base announce reunion tour". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 7, 2012.



  125. ^ Hyman, Dan (October 3, 2017). "Clive Davis Talks New Career-Spanning Doc, Whitney Houston's Brilliance". =Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 30, 2017.


  126. ^
    Hattenstone, Simon (December 6, 2008). "'Who wants to be a drug addict at 41?'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 31, 2008.



  127. ^
    McIntyre, Hugh (June 24, 2016). "Adele's '25' Is Now Available In Full On Streaming Platforms For The First Time". Forbes. Retrieved July 12, 2016.



  128. ^
    "Eminem To Release Sequel To The Marshall Mathers LP". August 26, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2018.



  129. ^
    Reporter, Daily (August 15, 2008). "Contrasting fortunes as Madonna and Jacko turn 50". The Age. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2009.



  130. ^
    Reporter, Nine O'Clock (June 14, 2011). "Bon Jovi, the most eagerly anticipated concert of the year". Nine O'Clock. Retrieved December 15, 2012.



  131. ^
    Kaufman, Gil (March 27, 2007). "Brad Delp, Singer For '70s Rock Icons Boston, Died Virtually Anonymous". MTV. Retrieved November 24, 2012.



  132. ^
    Roberts, Emma (May 12, 2011). "The Evolution of Britney Spears". MSN. Archived from the original on September 25, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2012.



  133. ^
    Ball, David (Dec 2011). "This Week in History: December 12 to 18". Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 29, 2017.



  134. ^
    Mansfield, Brian (November 12, 2012). "Def Leppard setting off 'Hysteria' with Las Vegas run". USA Today. Retrieved November 24, 2012.



  135. ^ 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.
      Dolan, Jon (December 19, 2012). "The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time: 2. Elvis Presley, 'Elvis' Christmas Album' (1957)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 6, 2017.




  136. ^
    Neutze, Ben (November 17, 2015). "Christmas Albums Are All Awful (and 'Kylie Christmas' Is a Worthy Addition)". Melbourne, Australia: Daily Review. Retrieved December 6, 2017.



  137. ^
    Boeder, Jennifer (December 10, 2015). "Cool Christmas Music That Doesn't Suck". Medium. Retrieved December 6, 2017.



  138. ^
    Alice, Vincent (June 25, 2013). "George Michael: 50 years in numbers". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved February 5, 2016.



  139. ^
    Adam, Chandler (February 1, 2014). "Green Day's Album 'Dookie' Is 20 Years Old Today". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved June 17, 2014.



  140. ^
    Perkins, Matthew (November 18, 2008). "Lionel Richie and You Are". ABC News (Australia). Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2012.



  141. ^
    Wright, Matthew (2015-10-01). "How well do you know the lyrics to Mariah Carey's 'Daydream'?". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 2017-05-23.



  142. ^
    "Michael Jackson: list of his records". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. June 26, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2010.



  143. ^
    Fisher, Luchina (November 30, 2011). "10 Things About Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' 30 Years After Its Release". ABC News. Retrieved December 13, 2012.



  144. ^
    How the Left Lost Teen Spirit-- (and how They're Getting it Back). Akashic Books. May 1, 2005. p. 228. ISBN 978-0-9719206-8-2. Retrieved April 13, 2012.



  145. ^
    Doran, John (October 29, 2010). "Supertramp: Breakfast in America review". BBC. Retrieved June 18, 2012.



  146. ^
    Wernick, Adam (November 20, 2015). "Tracy Chapman's new greatest hits album celebrates a quietly powerful legacy". Public Radio International. Retrieved February 5, 2016.



  147. ^
    "Top 25 Movie Soundtracks". Time. February 21, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2016.



  148. ^
    Hicks, Jonathan P. (June 27, 2013). "This Day in Black History: June 27, 1987". BET. Retrieved February 5, 2016.



  149. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs. Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 9780214204807. Retrieved October 17, 2013. first time that a complete score of a Broadway musical was put on wax, by 1945 sales were at half a million


  150. ^ Heck, Peter. ""Oklahoma!" may not be the only Broadway musical with an exclamation mark in its title – but if any musical deserves it, this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic does". Church Hill, USA: Church Hill Theatre. Retrieved October 17, 2013.


  151. ^ Robertson, Patrick (November 11, 2011). Robertson's Book of Firsts: Who Did What for the First Time. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 9781608197385. Retrieved October 17, 2013.


  152. ^ McHugh, Dominic (August 30, 2012). "Loverly: The Life and Times of My Fair Lady". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  153. ^ Marks, Peter (June 12, 2009). "The Broadway cast album: province of a devoted few". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  154. ^ Gross, Mike (January 15, 1966). "Billboard Vol. 78, No. 3: Show Albums Win Longevity Sweepsatakes". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  155. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs. Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 9780214204807. 1 million copies were sold by 1958, 2.25 million by 1960, almost 3 million by 1963


  156. ^ Rolontz, Bob (February 2, 1963). "Billboard Vol. 75, No. 5: The 'First Family' Story–WOW!". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2014.


  157. ^ Fox, Margalit (October 30, 2004). "Vaughn Meader, Star as Kennedy Mimicker, Dies at 68". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2014.


  158. ^ "Beatles Record-Busting LP May Be All-Time Biggest". Rolling Stone. December 21, 1968. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  159. ^ Taylor, Paula and John Keely (1976). Carole King. Creative Education. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-87191-465-1. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  160. ^ Solid Gold: The Popular Record Industry. Transaction Publishers. 1975. p. 468. ISBN 978-1-4128-3479-7. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  161. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Julie Andrews". Allmusic. Retrieved February 24, 2013.


  162. ^ Weller, Sheila (April 2008). "The Rebel Angels". Los Angeles Times. Vanity Fair. p. 6. Retrieved January 21, 2014.


  163. ^ McWhirter, Norris (1980). Guinness Book of World Records 1981. Sterling Publishing Company. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8069-0196-1. Retrieved February 21, 2013. ...25 million copies sold worldwide by May 1, 1979


  164. ^ Jerome, Jim (May 14, 1979). "Al Coury Is the Frankenstein of the Record Business: at R.s.o., He Makes Monsters". People. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.


  165. ^ "Jet Vol. 67, No. 17: Michael Jackson Dominated Headlines with His Music". Jet. 1984–1985. Retrieved February 21, 2013.


  166. ^ "Digital Music Report / Recording Industry in Numbers". ifpi.org. IFPI. Retrieved 14 April 2018.


  167. ^ "2000-2005 Top 50 Albums". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on November 5, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  168. ^ ab "Adele heads IFPI 2011 global countdown". Music Week. March 26, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  169. ^ "Debunking Norah Jones' word-of-mouth success". Slate. February 10, 2004.


  170. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2003" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  171. ^ "Bertelsmann Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Bertelsmann Music Group. 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2005.


  172. ^ "Coldplay top 2005's global charts". BBC News. March 31, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  173. ^ "Walt Disney Records' High School Musical Audio Franchise Makes Global Chart History for Second Consecutive Year". Business Wire. June 16, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  174. ^ "'High School Musical' Takes Global Top Spot In 07". Billboard. June 17, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  175. ^ "Viva La Vida top selling global album of 2008". IFPI. February 16, 2009. Archived from the original on June 24, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  176. ^ "IFPI publishes Recording Industry in Numbers 2010". IFPI. April 28, 2010. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  177. ^ "Ten million and counting for the unstoppable Adele". Music Week. September 7, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  178. ^ "Digital Music Report 2013" (PDF). IFPI. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  179. ^ "Digital Music Report 2014" (PDF). IFPI. Retrieved July 6, 2014.


  180. ^ "Digital Music Report 2015" (PDF). IFPI. April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.


  181. ^ "Global Music Report 2016" (PDF). IFPI. April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.


  182. ^ "Global Music Report 2017" (PDF). IFPI. April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.


  183. ^ "Global Top 10 Albums of 2017", IFPI Global Music Report 2018 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, p. 9, retrieved 24 April 2018











Popular posts from this blog

Shashamane

Carrot

Deprivation index