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 A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio, as opposed to a live recording made at a performance venue or a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material. A studio album is usually planned and scheduled in advance, and may take anywhere from a few days to more than a, greatest hits A greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band. To increase the appeal of the album – especially to people who already own the previously released material – it is common to include remixes or alternate takes of popular songs or new material, with new songs often being, compilation A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from either a single or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes.) The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter. When the tracks, various artists, soundtrack A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized recorded sound and remix Sly & The Family Stone's 1979 release 10 Years Too Soon featured disco remixes of the 1960s Family Stone hits. Then, in 1982, Soft Cell's Non-stop Ecstatic Dancing, which contained the track "A Man Could Get Lost," notable as one of the precursors to house music, was released. A month after the Soft Cell album, The Human League's.

A number of issues make exact figures difficult to calculate, as historical data before the 1980s and from developing countries Developing country is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of material well being. There is no single internationally-recognized definition of developed country, and the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries, with some developing countries having high average standards of living 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 A reseller is a company or individual that purchases goods or services with the intention of reselling them rather than consuming or using them. This is usually done for profit . One example can be found in the industry of telecommunications, where companies buy excess amounts of transmission capacity or call time from other carriers and resell it of used A second-hand or used good is one that is being purchased by or otherwise transferred to a second or later end user. A used good can also simply mean it is no longer in the same condition as it was when it was first transferd to the current end user. Used goods may be transferred informally between friends and family for free as "hand-me- albums, as well as the emergence of illegal downloading File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multi-media , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of storage, transmission, and distribution models and common methods of file sharing incorporate manual sharing using removable media, of digital music Digital audio uses digital signals for sound reproduction. This includes analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, storage, and transmission. In effect, the system commonly referred to as digital is in fact a discrete-time, discrete-level analog of a previous electrical analog. While modern systems can be quite subtle in their in the 2000s The 2000s was the decade that started on January 1, 2000 and ended on December 31, 2009. It was the decade in which the 21st century and 3rd millennium began.

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular's Thriller Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including pop, soul, easy listening, R&B, rock and post- 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]

Contents

Legend

Colors
Studio Albums
Greatest Hits & Compilations
Soundtracks

Over 50 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular Thriller Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including pop, soul, easy listening, R&B, rock and post- 1982 Pop Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented towards a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple love songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes. Pop music has absorbed influences from most other forms of popular music, but as a genre is / R&B Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming / Rock Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music. The sound of rock often revolves around the electric guitar, a back beat laid down by a rhythm section of electric bass guitar and 110 [1][2]

40–49 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered a pioneer of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as rock and roll / Back in Black Back in Black is a hard rock album by Australian band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band 1980 Rock Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music. The sound of rock often revolves around the electric guitar, a back beat laid down by a rhythm section of electric bass guitar and 49 [3]
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd were an English rock band who earned international recognition for their psychedelic rock music in the late 1960s, and for their progressive rock music from the 1970s onward. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. One of rock music's most critically The Dark Side of the Moon The Dark Side of the Moon is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, and was released in March 1973. The concept album built on ideas explored by the band in their live shows and earlier recordings, but it lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure in 1968 of 1973 Progressive rock Progressive rock bands pushed "rock's technical and compositional boundaries" by going beyond the standard rock or popular verse-chorus-based song structures. The Oxford Companion to Music states that progressive rock bands "...explored extended musical structures which involved intricate instrumental patterns and textures and often 45 [4]
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American R&B/pop singer, actress, and former fashion model. A relative of several prominent soul singers, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing at her New Jersey church as a member of a junior gospel choir at age eleven. After / Various artists The Bodyguard The Bodyguard is the soundtrack from the movie of the same name, released on November 17, 1992, on Arista Records and features six songs by Whitney Houston, as well as songs from various other noted artists of the time. The album was co-executive produced by Whitney Houston and Clive Davis. Upon the sixth week after its release, the soundtrack 1992 Soundtrack 44 [5]
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage names Meat Loaf and Meat Loaf Aday, is an American rock musician and actor. He is noted for the Bat Out of Hell album trilogy consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. Bat Out of Hell has sold more than 40 million copies. After more Bat Out of Hell Bat Out of Hell is the second album by American rock musician Meat Loaf, released in October 1977. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best-selling album worldwide, having sold 43 million copies worldwide . Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 343 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003 1977 Rock 43 [6]
Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 1976 Rock 42 [1]
Various artists Dirty Dancing 1987 Dance This article is about dance music in general. You may also be looking for electronic dance music or dance-pop / Pop 42 [7]
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. In 2006 Richardson left the group to pursue other interests leaving the band as a four-piece, but the remaining members did not rule out a possible return Millennium 1999 Pop 40 [8]
Bee Gees The Bee Gees are a musical group that was originally made up of a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their forty years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the / Various artists Saturday Night Fever Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track is the soundtrack album from the blockbuster film Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. In the United States, the album was certified 15x Platinum for shipments of over 15 million copies. The album revived the phenomonon of disco in the U.S. and was a national obsession 1977 Disco Disco is a genre of dance music whose popularity peaked during the middle to late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Disco was a reaction by New York City's gays as well as black and Latino heterosexuals 40 [9]
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in 1967 in London Rumours Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the United States Billboard 200 and the United Kingdom Albums 1977 Rock 40 [10]

30–39 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the early 1990s with her self-titled debut album Shania Twain (1993), and achieved worldwide success with her 1997 album Come On Over, which became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician, and the best selling country album of all time. The Album Come On Over Come on Over is the third studio album recorded by country singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997. The best-selling country music album of all time, it is certified 22× Platinum in the US , 2× Diamond in Canada, 15× Platinum in Australia, and 10× Platinum in the United Kingdom (where it was the last number one album of the 20 1997 Country Country music is a blend of traditional and popular musical forms traditionally found in the Southern United States and the Canadian Maritimes that evolved rapidly in the 1920s / Pop 39 [11]
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968, consisting of Jimmy Page , Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin), and John Bonham (drums). With their heavy, guitar-driven blues-rock sound, Led Zeppelin are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal and hard rock. However, the band' Led Zeppelin IV The untitled fourth album by English rock band Led Zeppelin was released on 8 November 1971. No official title is printed on the album, but it is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, following the naming standard used by the band's first three studio albums. The album has alternatively been referred to as Four Symbols, , The Fourth Album, 1971 Rock 37 [12]
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards. Morissette began her career in Canada, and as a teenager recorded two dance-pop albums, Alanis and Now Is the Time, under MCA Records Canada. Her worldwide debut album was the rock-influenced Jagged Jagged Little Pill Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album marked a shift in style and genre for Morissette from her previous dance pop sound. As detailed in the article about the seventh track, "You Learn", the title is a metaphor for lessons of life that are hard to accept. The album was 1995 Rock 33 [13]
The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. From 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in June 1967. Recorded over a 129-day period beginning in December 1966, Sgt. Pepper sees the band exploring further the experimentation of their previous album, Revolver . Making use of orchestras, hired musicians and innovative 1967 Rock 32 [14]
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion CC, OQ (French pronunciation: [selin djɔ̃] ; born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to Falling into You Falling into You is Céline Dion's fourth English album and twenty-first in total, released on March 11, 1996. The album was well received by critics and fans, winning two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year in 1997, and becoming one of only three albums to remain in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for one full year, 1996 Pop 32 [15]
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular Dangerous 1991 Pop / R&B / New jack swing New jack swing or swingbeat is a hybrid music style popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. It fuses the rhythms, samples and production techniques of hip-hop with the urban contemporary sound of R&B. The new jack swing style developed as many previous R&B styles did, by combining elements of older styles with newer trends. It uses 32 [16]
The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. From 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle 1 2000 Rock 31 [17]
Celine Dion Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop 31 [18]
Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown 1979 Disco / Pop 30 [19]
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Rock 30 [20]
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 Rock 30 [21]
James Horner Titanic 1997 Soundtrack 30 [22]
Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop / Dance 30 [23]
Michael Jackson Bad 1987 Pop / R&B 30 [16]
Pink Floyd The Wall 1979 Progressive rock 30 [24]

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What's the best selling album of all time?
Q. I found this list of the 10 best selling album of all time, but the web that publishes it doesn't name its sources and the list surprises me, somehow: So???
Asked by bull.jason - Fri Jun 27 12:55:23 2008 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments

A. the best selling album of all time, is michael jackson's thriller.
Answered by clare0leary - Fri Jun 27 13:06:43 2008

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