# List of best-selling albums by women

The following albums, recorded by female solo artists and all-female groups, have sold at least 10 million copies. This list can contain any types of album, including studio albums, extended plays, greatest hits, compilations, soundtracks, and remixes. Various artists albums are eligible for inclusion if a woman is credited as the main artist by record charts and certifying organizations. The figures given do not take into account the resale of pre owned albums.
The Bodyguard soundtrack by Whitney Houston (with various artists) is the best-selling album credited to a woman; its sales are over 45 million copies since its release in November 1992. Come On Over by Shania Twain is recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest-selling studio album by a solo female artist with over 40 million copies. Previous record holders of the best-selling album by a female artist include Carole King's Tapestry, and Whitney Houston's debut album as well Madonna with True Blue according to the Guinness World Records (1989 and 1992 editions, respectively). Madonna also has the best-selling compilation album by a female artist (and solo artist) with The Immaculate Collection, which sold around 30 million copies. Other notable appearances include Shakira, as the only Latino artist in the list thanks to her crossover album Laundry Service, and Hikaru Utada with First Love as the only Asian artist. Celine Dion has the only entirely non-English album with D'eux, which remains the best-selling French album of all time. The Spice Girls have the best-selling album by a girl group with Spice, while Mariah Carey has the best-selling Christmas album by a female artist with Merry Christmas. Whitney Houston' Whitney Houston remains the biggest-selling debut album of all time by a female artist (and a solo artist). Britney Spears' …Baby One More Time is the best-selling debut album by a female teenage artist.
Numerous artists have multiple entries, led by Madonna with nine of her albums and followed by Celine Dion (seven), Mariah Carey (seven), Whitney Houston (six), while Britney Spears, Enya, Shania Twain, and Janet Jackson each have three. The first five artists also have multiple albums with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Currently, Adele's 21 is the best-selling album of the 21st century.
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 10 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold and thereafter by the release year.

## List of albums

Key :
| * | Indicates a previous record holder of the best-selling music album by a woman |

### 40 million copies or more

| Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
| Whitney Houston / various artists | United States | The Bodyguard | 1992 | 45 million |
| Shania Twain | Canada | Come On Over | 1997 | 40 million |

### 30 to 39 million copies

| Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
| Alanis Morissette | Canada | Jagged Little Pill | 1995 | 33 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | Falling into You | 1996 | 32 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | Let's Talk About Love | 1997 | 31 million |
| Adele | United Kingdom | 21 | 2011 | 31 million |
| Madonna | United States | The Immaculate Collection | 1990 | 30 million |

### 20 to 29 million copies

| Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
| Mariah Carey | United States | Music Box | 1993 | 28 million |
| Norah Jones | United States | Come Away with Me | 2002 | 27 million |
| Carole King | United States | Tapestry | 1971 | 25 million |
| Whitney Houston | United States | Whitney Houston | 1985 | 25 million |
| Madonna | United States | True Blue | 1986 | 25 million |
| Britney Spears | United States | ...Baby One More Time | 1999 | 25 million |
| Spice Girls | United Kingdom | Spice | 1996 | 23 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | All the Way... A Decade of Song | 1999 | 22 million |
| Adele | United Kingdom | 25 | 2015 | 22 million |
| Madonna | United States | Like a Virgin | 1984 | 21 million |
| Whitney Houston | United States | Whitney | 1987 | 20 million |
| Tracy Chapman | United States | Tracy Chapman | 1988 | 20 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | The Colour of My Love | 1993 | 20 million |
| Shania Twain | Canada | The Woman in Me | 1995 | 20 million |
| Mariah Carey | United States | Daydream | 1995 | 20 million |
| Lauryn Hill | United States | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | 1998 | 20 million |
| Britney Spears | United States | Oops!... I Did It Again | 2000 | 20 million |
| Amy Winehouse | United Kingdom | Back to Black | 2006 | 20 million |

### 11 to 19 million copies

| Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
| Cyndi Lauper | United States | She's So Unusual | 1983 | 16 million |
| Madonna | United States | Ray of Light | 1998 | 16 million |
| Avril Lavigne | Canada | Let Go | 2002 | 16 million |
| Madonna | United States | Like a Prayer | 1989 | 15 million |
| Mariah Carey | United States | Mariah Carey | 1990 | 15 million |
| Mariah Carey | United States | Merry Christmas | 1994 | 15 million |
| TLC | United States | CrazySexyCool | 1994 | 15 million |
| Toni Braxton | United States | Secrets | 1996 | 15 million |
| Mariah Carey | United States | Number 1's | 1998 | 15 million |
| Dido | United Kingdom | No Angel | 1999 | 15 million |
| Enya | Ireland | A Day Without Rain | 2000 | 15 million |
| Lady Gaga | United States | The Fame | 2008 | 15 million |
| Barbra Streisand | United States | Guilty | 1980 | 15 million |
| Janet Jackson | United States | Janet | 1993 | 14 million |
| Spice Girls | United Kingdom | Spiceworld | 1997 | 14 million |
| Christina Aguilera | United States | Christina Aguilera | 1999 | 14 million |
| Taylor Swift | United States | 1989 | 2014 | 14 million |
| Enya | Ireland | Shepherd Moons | 1991 | 13 million |
| Destiny's Child | United States | The Writing's on the Wall | 1999 | 13 million |
| Shakira | Colombia | Laundry Service | 2001 | 13 million |
| Pink | United States | Missundaztood | 2001 | 13 million |
| Tina Turner | United States | Private Dancer | 1984 | 12 million |
| Paula Abdul | United States | Forever Your Girl | 1988 | 12 million |
| Janet Jackson | United States | Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 | 1989 | 12 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | D'eux | 1995 | 12 million |
| Jewel | United States | Pieces of You | 1995 | 12 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | These Are Special Times | 1998 | 12 million |
| Alicia Keys | United States | Songs in A Minor | 2001 | 12 million |
| Celine Dion | Canada | A New Day Has Come | 2002 | 12 million |
| Christina Aguilera | United States | Stripped | 2002 | 12 million |
| Dido | United Kingdom | Life for Rent | 2003 | 12 million |
| Norah Jones | United States | Feels like Home | 2004 | 12 million |
| Kelly Clarkson | United States | Breakaway | 2004 | 12 million |
| Fergie | United States | The Dutchess | 2006 | 12 million |
| Taylor Swift | United States | Fearless | 2008 | 12 million |
| Enya | Ireland | Watermark | 1988 | 11 million |
| Natalie Cole | United States | Unforgettable... with Love | 1991 | 11 million |
| Cher | United States | Believe | 1998 | 11 million |
| Madonna | United States | Music | 2000 | 11 million |
| Shania Twain | Canada | Up! | 2002 | 11 million |
| Beyoncé | United States | Dangerously in Love | 2003 | 11 million |

### 10 million copies

| Artist | Country | Album | Released year | Estimated sales |
| Whitney Houston | United States | My Love Is Your Love | 1998 | 10 million |
| Olivia Newton-John | Australia | Physical | 1981 | 10 million |
| Barbra Streisand | United States | Memories | 1981 | 10 million |
| Madonna | United States | Madonna | 1983 | 10 million |
| Janet Jackson | United States | Control | 1986 | 10 million |
| Whitney Houston | United States | I'm Your Baby Tonight | 1990 | 10 million |
| Sheryl Crow | United States | Tuesday Night Music Club | 1993 | 10 million |
| Toni Braxton | United States | Toni Braxton | 1993 | 10 million |
| Madonna | United States | Something to Remember | 1995 | 10 million |
| Mariah Carey | United States | Butterfly | 1997 | 10 million |
| TLC | United States | FanMail | 1999 | 10 million |
| Hikaru Utada | Japan | First Love | 1999 | 10 million |
| Whitney Houston | United States | Whitney: The Greatest Hits | 2000 | 10 million |
| Destiny's Child | United States | Survivor | 2001 | 10 million |
| Britney Spears | United States | Britney | 2001 | 10 million |
| Avril Lavigne | Canada | Under My Skin | 2004 | 10 million |
| Mariah Carey | United States | The Emancipation of Mimi | 2005 | 10 million |
| Madonna | United States | Confessions on a Dance Floor | 2005 | 10 million |
| Carrie Underwood | United States | Some Hearts | 2005 | 10 million |
| Nelly Furtado | Canada | Loose | 2006 | 10 million |
| Beyoncé | United States | I Am... Sasha Fierce | 2008 | 10 million |
| Susan Boyle | United Kingdom | I Dreamed a Dream | 2009 | 10 million |