List of best-selling albums worldwide

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 different estimates of sales. In this list, the highest sales reported for an album is added to the list. Groupings are based on different sales benchmarks. The highest benchmark is for claims of at least 100 million copies, and the lowest are for claims of 20–29 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold and by the artist's first name. This list contains all types of albums, 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. Also, fans, record companies and the media are prone to making the sales figures higher than they actually are to boost the image of the act.  The list also does not take into account the resale of used albums or as the emergence of illegal downloading of digital music.

Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best selling album of all time. The album is cited as selling as many as 110 million copies worldwide.

Legend
ColorsStudio AlbumsGreatest Hits & CompilationsSoundtracks

Over 50 million copies
 Artist  Album  Released  Genre  Sales (millions)  SourceMichael JacksonThriller1982Pop / R&B / Rock130|Himesh ReshammiyaAap Kaa Surroor2006Indipop55

40–49 million copies

 Artist  Album  Released  Genre  Sales (millions)  Source Pink Floyd  The Dark Side of the Moon  1973  Progressive rock  50  AC/DC  Back in Black  1980  Hard rock / Heavy metal  49  Whitney Houston / Various artists  The Bodyguard  1992  Soundtrack 44   Meat Loaf  Bat Out of Hell  1977  Rock  43  Eagles  Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)  1976  Rock  42  Various artists  Dirty Dancing  1987  Dance / Pop  42  Backstreet Boys  Millennium  1999  Pop  40  Bee Gees / Various artists Saturday Night Fever   1977  Disco  40  Fleetwood Mac  Rumours  1977  Rock  40 

30–39 million copies

 Artist  Album  Released  Genre  Sales (millions)  SourceMichael JacksonBad 1987  Pop / R&B  39 Shania TwainCome On Over 1997 Country / Pop 40 Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin IV 1971 Hard rock / Heavy metal 37 Alanis MorissetteJagged Little Pill 1995  Rock  33 Michael JacksonDangerous 1991  Pop / R&B / New jack swing 32 The BeatlesSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967  Rock  32 Celine DionFalling into You 1996  Pop  32 EminemThe Marshall Mathers LP 2000  Hip Hop  32 Mariah CareyMusic Box 1993  Pop / R&B  32 https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019644/bio%7CThe Beatles1 2000  Rock  31 Celine DionLet's Talk About Love 1997  Pop  31 Adele21 2011  Pop/Soul  31 Britney Spears...Baby One More Time 1999  Pop  30 Bee GeesSpirits Having Flown 1979  Disco / Pop  30 Bruce SpringsteenBorn in the U.S.A. 1984  Rock  30 Dire StraitsBrothers in Arms 1985  Rock  30 James HornerTitanic 1997  Soundtrack  30 MadonnaThe Immaculate Collection 1990  Pop / Dance  30 Pink FloydThe Wall 1979  Progressive rock  30 

20–29 million copies
 Artist  Album  Released  Genre  Sales (millions)  Source ABBA  ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits  1992  Pop  28   Backstreet Boys  Backstreet's Back  1997  Rock  28  Bon Jovi  Slippery When Wet  1986  Hard rock   28  Guns N' Roses  Appetite for Destruction  1987  Hard rock / Heavy metal  28  Various artists  Grease  1978  Pop   28  Eminem  The Eminem Show 2002  Hip Hop  27  Santana  Supernatural  1999  Rock   27  Nirvana  Nevermind  1991  Grunge / Alternative rock  26  Carole King  Tapestry  1971  Pop   25  Iron Butterfly  In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida  1968  Rock  25  Mariah Carey  Daydream  1995  Pop / R&B  25  Queen  Greatest Hits  1981  Rock  25  Simon & Garfunkel  Bridge over Troubled Water  1970  Folk Rock   25  U2  The Joshua Tree  1987  Rock   25  Whitney Houston  Whitney Houston  1985  Pop / R&B  25  Backstreet Boys  Black & Blue  2000  Pop  24  Linkin Park  Hybrid Theory  2000  Nu metal / Rap metal / Alternative rock  24   Madonna  True Blue  1986  Pop  24  Britney Spears  Oops!...I Did It Again  2000  Pop   24   Ace of Base  Happy Nation/The Sign  1994  Pop   23  Spice Girls  Spice  1996  Pop   23  Oasis  (What's the Story) Morning Glory?   1995  Britpop / Rock   22  Dido  No Angel  1999  Pop   21  Madonna  Like A Virgin  1984  Pop / Dance   21  Andrea Bocelli  Romanza  1997  Pop / Operatic Pop   20  Billy Ray Cyrus  Some Gave All  1992  Country   20  Bob Marley & The Wailers  Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers  1984  Reggae   20  Blondie  Parallel Lines  1978  Rock   20   Bon Jovi  Cross Road  1994  Rock  20 Neil Daniels (2008). Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Encyclopaedia. Chrome Dreams, UK. . Cher  Believe  1999   Pop   20   Def Leppard  Hysteria  1987  Rock   20  George Michael  Faith  1987  Pop / R&B  20  Janet Jackson  janet.  1993  Pop / R&B   20  Madonna  Ray of Light  1998  Pop / Electronic  20   Mariah Carey  #1's  1998  Pop / R&B  20 Shapiro, Marc. Mariah Carey (2001). pg. 117. UK: ECW Press, Canada. . Michael Jackson  HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I  1995  Pop/Rock/R&B  20  Michael Jackson  Off the Wall  1979  Pop/Disco/R&B  20  Norah Jones  Come Away with Me  2002  Jazz   20  Prince & the Revolution  Purple Rain  1984  Rock   20  


    Spice Girls  Spiceworld  1997  Pop   20  Tina Turner  Private Dancer  1984  Rock   20  Usher  Confessions  2004  R&B   20 

Related pages
RIAA certification

References

Category:Albums
Category:Music-related lists