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List of best-selling albums

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This is a list of the world's best-selling albums. The criteria are that the figure must have been published by a reliable source and the album must have sold at least 20 million copies worldwide. Most albums have conflicting estimates of sales figures. In this list the highest sales figure reported for an album is added to the list. Groupings are based on different sales benchmarks, the highest being for claims of at least 100 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. This list can contain any type of album, including studio, greatest hits, compilation, various artists, soundtrack and remix.

A number of issues make exact figures difficult to calculate, as historical data before the 1980s and from developing countries is incomplete. Additionally, fans, record companies and the media are prone to exaggerating sales figures to boost the image of the relevant act. The list also does not take into account the resale of used albums, as well as the emergence of illegal downloading of digital music in the 2000s.

Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best selling album of all time; though sales figures for the album vary, the album is cited as selling as many as 110 million copies worldwide.[1]

Legend

Colors

Studio Albums

Greatest Hits & Compilations

Soundtracks

Over 50 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Michael Jackson Thriller 1982 Pop / R&B 120 [2]

40–49 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
AC/DC Back in Black 1980 Hard rock / Heavy metal 49 [3]
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Progressive rock 45 [4]
Whitney Houston / Various artists The Bodyguard 1992 Soundtrack 44 [5]
Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell 1977 Rock 43 [6]
Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 1976 Rock 42 [1]
Various artists Dirty Dancing 1987 Dance / Pop 42 [7]
Backstreet Boys Millennium 1999 Pop 40 [8]
Bee Gees / Various artists Saturday Night Fever 1977 Disco 40 [9]
Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 Rock 40 [10]

30–39 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Shania Twain Come On Over 1997 Country / Pop 39 [11]
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1971 Hard rock / Heavy metal 37 [12]
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995 Rock 33 [13]
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 Rock 32 [14]
Celine Dion Falling into You 1996 Pop 32 [15]
Mariah Carey Music Box 1993 Pop / R&B 32 [16]
Michael Jackson Dangerous 1991 Pop / R&B / New jack swing 32 [17]
The Beatles 1 2000 Rock 31 [18]
Celine Dion Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop 31 [19]
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973 Glam rock / Piano rock 31 [20]
Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown 1979 Disco / Pop 30 [21]
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Rock 30 [22]
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 Rock 30 [23]
James Horner Titanic 1997 Soundtrack 30 [24]
Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop / Dance 30 [25]
Michael Jackson Bad 1987 Pop / R&B 30 [17]
Pink Floyd The Wall 1979 Progressive rock 30 [26]

20–29 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
ABBA ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits 1992 Pop 28 [27]
Backstreet Boys Backstreet's Back 1997 Pop 28 [28]
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986 Hard rock 28 [29]
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 1987 Hard rock / Heavy metal 28 [30]
Various artists Grease 1978 Pop 28 [24]
Santana Supernatural 1999 Rock 27 [31]
Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Grunge / Alternative rock 26 [32]
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time 1999 Pop 25 [33]
Carole King Tapestry 1971 Pop 25 [34][35]
Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968 Rock 25 [36]
Mariah Carey Daydream 1995 Pop / R&B 25 [37]
Queen Greatest Hits 1981 Rock 25 [38]
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water 1970 Folk Rock 25 [39]
U2 The Joshua Tree 1987 Rock 25 [40]
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 1985 Pop / R&B 25 [41]
Backstreet Boys Black & Blue 2000 Pop 24 [28]
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory 2000 Nu metal / Rap metal / Alternative rock 24 [42]
Madonna True Blue 1986 Pop 24 [43]
Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign 1994 Pop 23 [44]
Spice Girls Spice 1996 Pop 23 [45]
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Britpop / Rock 22 [46][47]
Dido No Angel 1999 Pop 21 [48]
Madonna Like a Virgin 1984 Pop / Dance 21 [49]
Billy Ray Cyrus Some Gave All 1992 Country 20 [50]
Bob Marley & The Wailers Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984 Reggae 20 [51]
Blondie Parallel Lines 1978 Rock 20 [52]
Bon Jovi Cross Road 1994 Rock 20 [53]
Britney Spears Oops!...I Did It Again 2000 Pop 20 [54]
Céline Dion The Colour of My Love 1993 Pop 20 [55]
Cher Believe 1999 Pop 20 [56]
Def Leppard Hysteria 1987 Rock 20 [57]
George Michael Faith 1987 Pop / R&B 20 [58]
Janet Jackson janet. 1993 Pop / R&B 20 [59]
Madonna Ray of Light 1998 Pop / Electronic 20 [60]
Michael Jackson HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I 1995 Pop / Rock / R&B 20 [61]
Michael Jackson Off the Wall 1979 Pop / Disco / R&B 20 [61]
Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2002 Jazz 20 [62]
Prince & The Revolution Purple Rain 1984 Rock 20 [24]
Spice Girls Spiceworld 1997 Pop 20 [63]
Tina Turner Private Dancer 1984 Rock 20 [64]
Usher Confessions 2004 R&B 20 [65]

See also

References

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  2. ^ http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_Michael_Jackson's_total_album_sales_for_Thriller
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  65. ^ "Usher". EMI Music Publishing. Archived from the original on 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2008-11-30.

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