Lists of fastest - selling albums - wikipedia Lists of fastest - selling albums A fast - selling album is defined as one with high sales in its first chart week following release. The highest sales achieved in any country in an album 's debut week are 3.38 million for 25 by Adele in the United States in the week ending 26 November 2015. This passed the previous record of 3.00 million set by the album Distance by Hikaru Utada in Japan in 2001. Contents 1 Canada 2 Germany 3 Ireland 4 Japan 5 New Zealand 6 United Kingdom 7 United States 7.1 Additional records 7.1. 1 Pre-SoundScan era 7.1. 2 SoundScan era 8 See also 9 References Canada This is a list of the fastest - selling albums in Canada since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began in 1995. Rank Year Title Artist Sales Reference 2015 25 Adele 305,928 1997 Let 's Talk About Love Céline Dion 230,212 1999 Millennium Backstreet Boys 191,791 2003 Star Académie Star Académie 173,000 5 2000 Black & Blue Backstreet Boys 156,307 6 2002 A New Day Has Come Céline Dion 151,600 7 2002 Up ! Shania Twain 150,000 8 2008 Black Ice AC / DC 119,000 9 2006 I Think of You Gregory Charles 109,000 10 2014 1989 Taylor Swift 107,000 Germany This is a list of the fastest - selling albums in Germany Rank Year Title Artist Sales Reference 2007 12 Herbert Grönemeyer More than 263,000 2015 25 Adele 263,000 Ireland The fastest - selling album is The Best of 1980 -- 1990 by U2 in November 1998. Japan This is a list of the fastest - selling albums in Japan since Oricon was founded in November 1967. The top two sales records were achieved in the same week, on 28 March 2001, as both albums were promoted as a direct competition between J - pop singers Hikaru Utada and Ayumi Hamasaki. Rank Year Title Artist Sales Reference 2001 Distance Hikaru Utada 3,002,720 2001 A Best Ayumi Hamasaki 2,874,870 1998 The Best `` Pleasure '' B'z 2,709,530 1998 The Best `` Treasure '' B'z 2,500,120 5 2002 Deep River Hikaru Utada 2,350,170 6 2000 Delicious Way Mai Kuraki 2,218,640 7 1999 First Love Hikaru Utada 2,026,870 8 1997 Review Glay 2,003,150 9 Sweet 19 Blues Namie Amuro 1,921,850 10 2002 I Am... Ayumi Hamasaki 1,751,360 New Zealand This is a list of the fastest - selling albums in New Zealand since the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand, later renamed as Recorded Music NZ, was founded in 1972. Rank Year Title Artist Sales Reference 2015 25 Adele 18,766 2009 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle 17,435 United Kingdom This is a list of the fastest - selling albums in the United Kingdom. 25 by Adele is the current fastest - selling album in the UK with over 803,000 copies sold in its first week. Rank Year Title Artist Sales Reference 2015 25 Adele 803,000 1997 Be Here Now Oasis 695,761 2017 ÷ Ed Sheeran 672,000 Progress Take That 518,601 5 2005 X&Y Coldplay 464,471 6 2008 The Circus Take That 432,490 7 2009 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle 411,820 8 2003 Life for Rent Dido 400,351 9 2007 Spirit Leona Lewis 375,872 Notes : ^ I Be Here Now was unconventionally released on a Thursday and debuted at number one based on three - day sales of 695,761. Sales from its first full week of availability, which went from Thursday to Wednesday were 813,000. The second week 's sales for 25 were 439,000. The fifth week 's sales for 25 were 450,000. United States This is a list of the fastest - selling albums ( pure sales ) in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began on March 1, 1991. Rank Year Title Artist Sales Reference 2015 25 Adele 3,378,000 2000 No Strings Attached * NSYNC 2,416,000 2001 Celebrity * NSYNC 1,880,000 2000 The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem 1,760,000 5 2000 Black & Blue Backstreet Boys 1,591,000 6 2002 The Eminem Show Eminem 1,322,000 7 2000 Oops !... I Did It Again Britney Spears 1,319,000 8 2014 1989 Taylor Swift 1,287,000 9 2017 reputation Taylor Swift 1,216,000 10 2012 Red Taylor Swift 1,208,000 11 2005 The Massacre 50 Cent 1,141,000 12 1999 Millennium Backstreet Boys 1,134,000 13 2011 Born This Way Lady Gaga 1,108,000 14 Confessions Usher 1,096,000 15 1998 Double Live Garth Brooks 1,095,000 16 2000 Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water Limp Bizkit 1,055,000 17 Speak Now Taylor Swift 1,047,000 18 Feels Like Home Norah Jones 1,022,000 19 2008 Tha Carter III Lil Wayne 1,006,000 Notes : ^ I The opening number denotes sales from the first four days of availability as The Massacre was unconventionally released in the middle of the week. Additional records Pre-soundscan era John Fitzgerald Kennedy -- A Memorial Album, recorded on the day of John F. Kennedy 's assassination, sold 4 million copies at 99 cents each within six days of its release. The Beatles ' Rubber Soul sold 1,200,000 copies in `` just the first nine days ''. The Beatles ' Let it Be allegedly had `` a sale of 3,700,000 in just over 2 weeks ''. Carole King 's Music reportedly sold `` 1,300,000 copies on the day of its release in the U.S. '' Elton John 's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, the first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, sold `` 1,400,000 in the U.S. in the first 4 days on the market ''. The Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack reportedly sold `` 4 million double sets '' `` within 2 weeks of release ''. Led Zeppelin 's In Through the Out Door allegedly sold `` 1,700,000 within days of release ''. Prince 's Purple Rain sold 1.5 million copies in its debut week. In 1986, Bruce Springsteen 's Live / 1975 -- 85 sold over 1.5 million copies during its first ten days. SoundScan era Although not in its opening week, Whitney Houston 's The Bodyguard : Original Soundtrack Album moved 1,061,000 units during Christmas week 1992. Although not in its opening week, The Beatles ' compilation 1 moved 1,258,667 units during Christmas week 2000. 25 by Adele sold 1.11 million and 1.16 million copies in its second and fifth weeks of availability, respectively. Taylor Swift is the first artist to have four consecutive albums sell over 1 million copies in its first week. See also List of best - selling albums List of best - selling albums in Canada List of best - selling albums in Japan List of best - selling albums in the United Kingdom Lists of fastest - selling UK debuts albums List of best - selling albums in the United States Best - selling albums in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began Lists of albums References Jump up ^ `` Lady Gaga 's ' Born This Way ' headed toward 1 million - plus first week sales, Billboard says '', LA Times, May 30, 2011 Jump up ^ `` 50 fastest selling albums ever '', NME, Apr 27, 2011 Jump up ^ Caulfield, Keith ( 28 November 2015 ). `` Adele 's ' 25 ' Official First Week U.S. Sales : 3.38 Million ''. Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` ADELE SHATTERS WORLD RECORDS SET BY UTADA HIKARU & AYUMI HAMASAKI ''. Arama Japan. 27 November 2015. Jump up ^ Chart News ( 25 November 2015 ). `` Adele 's 25 Sells 260,000 in 5 Days in Canada ''. Chart News. Retrieved 25 November 2015. Jump up ^ Toronto Star ( 23 November 1997 ). `` Dion 's latest CD shatters sales records ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Williams, John ( 28 November 2007 ). `` Celine is queen of Cdn. charts ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 1 November 2012. ^ Jump up to : Cantin, Paul ( 29 November 2000 ). `` Backstreet falls short of record ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Jump up ^ All Pop ( 29 March 2000 ). `` * Nsync album smashes sales record ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Jump up ^ Williams, John ( 9 April 2003 ). `` Celine ousted from top of charts ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Jump up ^ Cantin, Paul ( 4 April 2002 ). `` Celine Debuts at No. 1 ''. Jam !. Canoe.ca. Retrieved 22 November 2017. Jump up ^ Williams, John ( 27 November 2002 ). `` Shania debuts at No. 1 ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Jump up ^ Williams, John ( 29 October 2008 ). `` AC / DC 's ' Ice ' has rock solid debut ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Jump up ^ Williams, John ( 25 October 2006 ). `` Charles beats The Hip, Sarah to No. 1 ''. Canoe Jam !. Retrieved 27 November 2015. Jump up ^ Cross, Alan ( November 5, 2015 ). `` Weekly Music Sales and Analysis : 05 November 2014 ''. A Journal of Musical Things. Retrieved 5 November 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` '' Neues Album `` 25 '' : Adele gelingt das Triple in Deutschland `` ''. Der Spiegel. Retrieved 27 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` 25 to 1 ! ''. GfK Chart - Track. 27 November 2015. Jump up ^ True, Chris. `` Ayumi Hamasaki ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ Jump up to : Oricon ( 9 April 2001 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. ^ Jump up to : Oricon. 歴代 アルバム 初動 ランキング ( in Japanese ). Music TV. Retrieved 2 November 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 1 June 1998 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 28 September 1998 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 1 July 2002 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 10 July 2000 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 22 March 1999 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 13 October 1997 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 5 August 1996 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon ( 14 January 2002 ). `` Japan 's Top Selling Albums '' ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 25 October 2012. ^ Jump up to : New Zealand Herald ( 27 November 2015 ). `` Adele breaks NZ record with new album ''. Retrieved 27 November 2015. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( 29 November 2015 ). `` Adele 's ' 25 ' Sells Over Three Million Copies in First Week ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ `` Adele has ( sort of ) scrubbed Oasis 's Be Here Now from UK record books. But it 's complicated ''. Music Business Worldwide. 27 November 2015. Jump up ^ Myers, Justin ( 21 October 2016 ). `` Oasis ' Be Here Now is Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Ed Sheeran smashes Official Chart records as ÷ is the fastest - selling album by a male artist ever ''. Official Charts Company. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017. Jump up ^ NME ( 27 April 2011 ). `` 50 fastest - selling albums ever ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ NME ( 27 April 2011 ). `` 50 fastest - selling albums ever ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ NME ( 27 April 2011 ). `` 50 fastest - selling albums ever ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ NME ( 27 April 2011 ). `` 50 fastest - selling albums ever ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ NME ( 27 April 2011 ). `` 50 fastest - selling albums ever ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ NME ( 27 April 2011 ). `` 50 fastest - selling albums ever ''. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Ingham, Tim ( 27 November 2015 ). `` ADELE HAS ( SORT OF ) SCRUBBED OASIS 'S BE HERE NOW FROM UK RECORD BOOKS. BUT IT 'S COMPLICATED ''. Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 28 November 2015. Jump up ^ Copsey, Rob ( 4 December 2015 ). `` Adele 's 25 logs a second week at Number 1 with bumper sales ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Adele scores the biggest selling album of Christmas 2015 ''. Official Charts Company. ^ Jump up to : Billboard Staff. `` Albums That Sold 1 Million in One Week ''. Billboard. Billboard Music. Retrieved 20 November 2017. Jump up ^ Caulfield, Keith. `` Official : Taylor Swift 's ' Reputation ' Album Sells 1.2 M Copies in US During First Week ''. billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 8 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Lil Wayne 's ' Tha Carter III ' Sells 1 Million ''. billboard.com. Billboard Music. 18 June 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2018. Jump up ^ McWhirter, Alan R. ( 1975 ). Guinness Book of World Records 1975. Sterling. p. 241. Retrieved 2013 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ Staff writer ( 15 January 1966 ). `` Rubber + Soul '' + % 22nine + days % 22 `` Teen Market Is Album Market ''. Billboard. p. 36. Retrieved 18 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : Murrells, Joseph ( 1978 ). The Book of Golden Discs ( 2, illustrated ed. ). Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0 - 214 - 20480 - 4. Jump up ^ Palmer, Robert ( July 22, 1984 ). `` PRINCE CREATES A WINNER WITH ' PURPLE RAIN ' ''. The New York Times. New York City : The New York Times Company. Retrieved June 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Campbell, Mary ( December 27, 1986 ). `` A look back at the year 's events in music ''. The Sumter Daily Item. Google News. Retrieved March 7, 2018. Jump up ^ Geoff Mayfield ( December 5, 1998 ). Between the Bullets : The New Champ. Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2010. Jump up ^ Crandall, Bill ( 27 December 2000 ). `` Beatles Move One Million `` 1 '' s in One Week ``. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 October 2012. Jump up ^ Grein, Paul. `` Chart Watch : Taylor Swift sells more than 1 million copies for the fourth time ''. Yahoo Music. Yahoo. Retrieved 20 November 2017. 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Question: who sold the most albums in first week
Answer: Adele