List of best - selling albums of the 2000s ( century ) - wikipedia List of best - selling albums of the 2000s ( century ) This is a list of the best - selling albums of the 2000s, 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, 2000 ; although the year 2000 really belongs to the 20th century. So, 21 would be the best selling album of the 21st century. Units sold include physical copies and digital downloads. Contents 1 Legend 2 30 million copies or more 3 20 -- 29 million copies 4 13 -- 19 million copies 5 10 -- 12 million copies 6 Best - selling album by year 7 See also 8 References Legend Colors Studio albums Greatest hits and compilations Soundtracks 30 million copies or more Year Album Artist / s Nationality Worldwide sales ( in millions ) Ref ( s ) 2000 The Beatles United Kingdom 33.0 2011 21 Adele United Kingdom 31.0 20 -- 29 million copies Year Album Artist / s Nationality Worldwide sales ( in millions ) Ref ( s ) 2002 Come Away with Me Norah Jones United States 27.0 2000 Black & Blue Backstreet Boys United States 24.0 2000 The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem United States 22.9 2002 The Eminem Show Eminem United States 21.4 2000 Hybrid Theory Linkin Park United States 20.8 Confessions Usher United States 20.0 2000 Oops !... I Did It Again Britney Spears United States 20.0 13 -- 19 million copies Year Album Artist / s Nationality Worldwide sales ( in millions ) Ref ( s ) 2015 25 Adele United Kingdom 19.3 2003 Fallen Evanescence United States 17.0 2002 Let Go Avril Lavigne Canada 16.2 2008 The Fame Lady Gaga United States 16.2 2000 A Day Without Rain Enya Ireland 16.0 American Idiot Green Day United States 15.0 Breakaway Kelly Clarkson United States 15.0 2002 A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay United Kingdom 15.0 2000 No Strings Attached NSYNC United States 15.0 2014 X Ed Sheeran United Kingdom 14.0 2001 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Blink - 182 United States 14.0 2001 Laundry Service Shakira Colombia 13.0 2003 Meteora Linkin Park United States 13.3 2001 Missundaztood Pink United States 13.0 2005 X&Y Coldplay United Kingdom 13.0 10 -- 12 million copies Year Album Artist / s Nationality Worldwide sales ( in millions ) Ref ( s ) 2006 Back to Black Amy Winehouse United Kingdom 12.0 2000 All That You Ca n't Leave Behind U2 Ireland 12.0 2001 Songs in A Minor Alicia Keys United States 12.0 2002 A New Day Has Come Celine Dion Canada 12.0 2003 Life for Rent Dido United Kingdom 12.0 Under My Skin Avril Lavigne Canada 12.0 2003 Get Rich or Die Tryin ' 50 Cent United States 12.0 Encore Eminem United States 11.4 2000 Music Madonna United States 11.0 2003 Dangerously in Love Beyoncé United States 11.0 Back to Bedlam James Blunt United Kingdom 11.0 2005 All the Right Reasons Nickelback Canada 11.0 2007 Good Girl Gone Bad Rihanna Barbados 10.0 2002 Stripped Christina Aguilera United States 10.0 2001 Britney Britney Spears United States 10.0 2005 Confessions on a Dance Floor Madonna United States 10.0 2005 The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey United States 10.0 2001 Silver Side Up Nickelback Canada 10.0 2002 Justified Justin Timberlake United States 10.0 2002 Songs About Jane Maroon 5 United States 10.0 2006 FutureSex / LoveSounds Justin Timberlake United States 10.0 2008 Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Coldplay United Kingdom 10.0 2009 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle United Kingdom 10.0 Recovery Eminem United States 10.0 2013 Frozen Various Artists -- 10.0 2008 Fearless Taylor Swift United States 10.0 2014 Taylor Swift United States 10.0 Best - selling album by year 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. Year Album Artist / s Nationality Sales ( in millions ) Source 2001 Hybrid Theory Linkin Park United States 7.5 2002 The Eminem Show Eminem United States 12.9 2003 Come Away with Me Norah Jones United States 16.0 Confessions Usher United States 10.0 2005 X&Y Coldplay United Kingdom 7.3 2006 High School Musical Various Artists -- 7.0 2007 High School Musical 2 Various Artists -- 6.0 2008 Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Coldplay United Kingdom 5.8 2009 I Dreamed a Dream Susan Boyle United Kingdom 6.4 Recovery Eminem United States 6.2 2011 21 Adele United Kingdom 18.1 2012 8.3 2013 Midnight Memories One Direction UK / Ireland 4.0 2014 Frozen Various Artists -- 9.0 2015 25 Adele United Kingdom 17.4 2016 Lemonade Beyoncé United States 2.5 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 Best - selling albums in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began List of best - selling albums by year in the United States List of best - selling Latin albums in the United States References Jump up ^ `` 4 Answers - Should I consider the year 2000 a year of the 20th century or of the 21st century ? ''. www.quora.com. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 10. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : The Beatles Popularity Analysis BONUS -- Original Compilation Sales 1 ( 2000 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ Talbott, Chris ( March 17, 2012 ). `` Norah Jones to play entire new album at SXSW ''. Deseret News. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Backstreet Boys `` This Is Us '' 2010 China Tour ``. Global Times. December 2, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2010. In November 2000, the group released a new album, Black & Blue, with the idea of the title of the album coming from Brian as the boys were in Los Angeles for a photoshoot. (... ) The album has been estimated as selling 24 million albums worldwide. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Eminem Popularity Analysis The Marshall Mathers LP ( 2000 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Eminem Popularity Analysis The Eminem Show ( 2002 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Linkin Park Popularity Analysis Original Albums Sales Hybrid Theory ( 2000 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` Usher Confessions ''. BET. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. The divorced father of two boys has released seven studio albums -- including his 2004 classic Confessions, which sold 20 million copies worldwide -- garnering six BET Awards, seven Grammys and 17 Billboard Music Awards along the way. Jump up ^ Strecker, Erin ( May 15, 2015 ). `` Britney Spears ' ' Oops !... I Did It Again ' : 15 Best Moments for 15th Anniversary ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Adele Popularity Analysis 25 ( 2015 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jump up ^ Baltin, Steve ( October 12, 2016 ). `` Evanescence Thank Fans With New Box Set ''. Forbes. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Upon its release in 2003, Evanescence 's debut album, Fallen, became a rock phenomenon, selling 17 million copies worldwide, spending 43 weeks in the top 10 and becoming one of only eight albums to spend an entire year in the Billboard top 50. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Avril Lavigne Popularity Analysis Original Album Sales -- Comments ''. chartmasters.org. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Lady Gaga Popularity Analysis Original Albums Sales - The Fame / The Fame Monster ( 2008 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2018. Jump up ^ Duerden, Nick ( November 18, 2015 ). `` Enya interview : Ireland 's most successful solo artist on being stalked, living in a castle, and why she 's single ''. The Independent. Retrieved February 25, 2017. A Day Without Rain, for example, which did n't feature in any critic 's best - of - year polls, sold 16 million copies around the world. Jump up ^ Kordares, Molly ( 20 April 2010 ). `` Green Day Takes Broadway with `` American Idiot '' ``. CBS. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Then the music begins and I remember why Green Day sold over 15 million copies of `` American Idiot '' -- it 's a really good album. Jump up ^ `` Stephen Ferrera Appointed Executive Vice President, A&R, Island and Mercury Records '' ( Press release ). Universal Music Group. August 25, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2013. Some of the wide - ranging projects Mr. Ferrera has A&R 'd at RCA include : Kelly Clarkson 's two - time Grammy award winning album Breakaway ( 15 million albums sold to date ). Jump up ^ `` Focus Group : Coldplay ''. Today FM. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kara, Scott ( October 25, 2012 ). `` Big band theory : who are the brightest stars ? ''. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Albums sold worldwide. Parachutes ( 8.5 million ) ; A Rush of Blood to the Head ( 15 million ) ; X&Y ( 13 million ) ; Viva La Vida ( 10 million ) ; Mylo Xyloto ( 6 million ). Jump up ^ `` Justin Timberlake -- American singer and actor ''. World of Faces. 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2018. The third studio album, No Strings Attached, released in 2000, was sold about 15 million copies. Jump up ^ `` How Ed Sheeran became the biggest male poster on the planet ''. gq-magazine.co.uk. GQ Magazine. 2017 - 02 - 02. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ Leighton, Ken ( September 14, 2011 ). `` Naming Rights ''. San Diego Reader. Retrieved April 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Cobo, Leila ( 28 May 2005 ). Billboard - Shakira x2. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 23 --. ISSN 0006 - 2510. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Linkin Park Popularity Analysis Meteora ( 2003 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Please note all figures have been updated as of June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Pink Renews Global Deal with EMI Music Publishing ''. EMI. April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013. Jump up ^ McClintock, Pamela ( March 25, 2013 ). `` Amy Winehouse Documentary In the Works ''. Billboard. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Winehouse rose to international fame with her second album, Back to Black, which has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide since its release in 2006. Jump up ^ Lang, Nico ( September 18, 2014 ). `` How U2 became the most hated band in America ''. Salon. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Their 2000 record, All That You Ca n't Leave Behind, not only sold a staggering 12 million copies, but it gave the band a renewed relevance in the wake of 9 / 11, when songs like `` Walk On '' came to symbolize an America figuring out how to pick up the pieces. Jump up ^ Wang, Daisy ( November 9, 2016 ). `` Alicia Keys discovers herself in latest album ''. The Daily Texan. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. After leaving Columbia University to pursue a singing career, Keys broke into the music scene in 2001 with her album, Songs in A Minor, which sold 12 million copies worldwide and won Keys five Grammys. Jump up ^ Taylor, Chuck ( 16 February 2008 ). `` Queen of Hearts '' ( PDF ). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. p. 30. Retrieved 25 February 2017. The title track to Dion 's 2002 return `` A New Day Has Come '' spent 21 weeks at No. 1 at AC - setting a record - while the album sold 12 million copies worldwide, according to Sony. Jump up ^ Barker, Emily ( September 23, 2014 ). `` That 's Not What We Call Music : 19 Unfathomably Popular Albums Of The 00s ''. NME. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Let us be frank : Dido 's debut, ' No Angel ', was n't much cop either. But it was superior to follow - up ' Life For Rent ', which sold over 12 million copies worldwide and was the seventh best - selling album of the 2000 's in the UK. Jump up ^ Taylor, James. `` What Are The 10 Highest Selling Pop Punk Albums Of All Time ? ''. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 15. 7 ) Avril Lavigne - `` Under My Skin '', 12 million. Jump up ^ `` Check Out an Infographic of 50 Cent 's Career By the Numbers ''. Complex. February 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` CSPC : Eminem Popularity Analysis Encore ( 2004 ) ''. chartmasters.org. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jump up ^ Gerard, Chris ( July 15, 2009 ). `` Madonna 's ' Hard Candy ' Strikes Sour Note ''. WRC - TV. Washington. Retrieved August 10, 2010. `` Music, '' released in 2000 was mediocre at best, but it was a massive hit, selling 11 million copies worldwide. Jump up ^ Chandler, D.L. ( April 5, 2011 ). `` Jay - Z And Beyoncé Celebrate Three Years Of Wedded Bliss ''. MTV Rapfix. Viacom. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Jump up ^ McCormick, Neil ( September 14, 2007 ). `` A soldier 's guide to stardom ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Blunt 's debut album, Back to Bedlam, has sold 11 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful British album of the new century. ^ Jump up to : Kara, Scott ( October 25, 2012 ). `` Big band theory : who are the brightest stars ? ''. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. World - wide album sales with All the Right Reasons the most popular selling more than 11 million copies followed by Silver Side Up with 10 million. Jump up ^ Copsey, Rob ( June 1, 2017 ). `` Rihanna celebrates the tenth anniversary of her breakthrough album Good Girl Gone Bad : ' I 'm forever grateful ' ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Biografías de artistas : Christina Aguilera ''. VH1 Latin America. Retrieved August 26, 2017. Jump up ^ Marolle, Emmanuel ( October 4, 2013 ). `` Christina Aguilera, c'est bien ce soir ''. Le Parisien. Retrieved August 26, 2017. Jump up ^ Stephen M. Silverman ( October 7, 2002 ). `` Will Britney Make It as a Grown - Up ? ''. People Magazine. Jump up ^ Corner, Lewis ( July 25, 2014 ). `` Madonna 's new album : What we know so far ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved August 22, 2017. That was also the last time one of her albums sold over 10 million copies, so maybe Madge is pulling out all of the stops to get another multi-million hit on her hands. Jump up ^ `` Mariah Carey : Come in and smell the perfume ''. The Daily Telegraph. March 17, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2017. ' The Emancipation of Mimi ', to be the biggest - selling album of the year worldwide ( 10 million copies sold ), taking her career total to well over 160 million. ^ Jump up to : Kaufman, Gil ( June 21, 2012 ). `` JUSTIN VS. JUSTIN : CAN BIEBER TAKE TIMBERLAKE 'S CROWN ? ''. MTV. Retrieved December 28, 2016. Jump up ^ Leeds, Jeff ( May 21, 2007 ). `` Second CD by Maroon 5 Faces Great Expectations ''. The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2017. ' Songs About Jane ' sold an estimated 10 million copies worldwide, but that was not enough to assure top executives at Sony BMG, the music giant that distributed it, that the rights to Maroon 5 's future recordings were worth the asking price. Jump up ^ Kisiel, Ryan ( January 18, 2010 ). `` Tragedies, feuds and public tantrums : Is the dream finally over for Susan Boyle ? ''. News.com.au. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Releases first album I Dreamed A Dream through Simon Cowell 's label. Sells 10 million copies worldwide. Jump up ^ Michaels, Sean ( October 29, 2012 ). `` Eminem teases new album -- on a baseball cap ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 25. Eminem 's 2010 LP, Recovery, has sold almost 10m copies. Jump up ^ `` Frozen soundtrack named 2014 's biggest - selling album ''. The Daily Telegraph. April 14, 2015. Jump up ^ Braca, Nina ( 11 December 2017 ). `` Taylor Swift 's ' Fearless ' Is Certified Diamond by RIAA ''. billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 27 December 2017. Jump up ^ Cantor, Brian. `` Taylor Swift Releasing Music To Streaming Services As `` 1989 '' Reaches 10 Million Sales ``. headlineplanet.com. Headline Planet. Retrieved 27 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Linkin Park Lead The Global 20 Of 2001 ''. Billboard. February 16, 2002. ^ Jump up to : `` Adele heads IFPI 2011 global countdown ''. Music Week. March 26, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Debunking Norah Jones ' word - of - mouth success ''. Slate. February 10, 2004. Jump up ^ `` Bertelsmann Annual Report 2004 '' ( PDF ). Bertelsmann Music Group. 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2005. Jump up ^ `` Coldplay top 2005 's global charts ''. BBC News. March 31, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 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. Jump up ^ `` ' High School Musical ' Takes Global Top Spot In 07 ''. Billboard. June 17, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 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. Jump up ^ `` IFPI publishes Recording Industry in Numbers 2010 ''. IFPI. April 28, 2010. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ten million and counting for the unstoppable Adele ''. Music Week. September 7, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Digital Music Report 2013 '' ( PDF ). IFPI. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Digital Music Report 2014 '' ( PDF ). IFPI. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Digital Music Report 2015 '' ( PDF ). IFPI. April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Global Music Report 2016 : State of the Industry '' ( PDF ). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Global Music Report 2017 : Annual State of the Industry '' ( PDF ). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. April 2017. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 25. Lists of best - selling albums Asia China Indonesia Japan South Korea Philippines Taiwan Europe Austria Finland France Germany Italy Portugal Spain United Kingdom North America Canada Mexico United States ( Latin ) Oceania Australia New Zealand South America Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Related topics Remix albums 21st century Fastest - selling albums By country Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_best-selling_albums_of_the_2000s_(century)&oldid=825814618 '' Categories : 21st century in music 21st century - related lists Lists of best - selling albums Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 15 February 2018, at 15 : 59. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who sold the most records in the 2000s
Answer: The Beatles