This is a listing of the sector’s satisfactory-promoting albums of recorded track. To seem at the listing, the discern have to have been posted with the aid of a reliable supply and the album must have sold goodfellowrecords.com as a minimum 20 million copies. This listing can include any forms of album, along with studio albums, prolonged performs, best hits, compilations, various artists, soundtracks and remixes. The figures given do not recall the resale of used albums.
All albums blanketed in this listing have their to be had claimed figures supported by using at least 30% in certified copies. The percent quantity of licensed income needed increases the more recent the album is, so albums released before 1975 are only anticipated to have their claimed figures supported by means of as a minimum 30% in licensed copies. However, more recent albums, together with 21 and Come Away with Me, are anticipated to have their claimed figures supported by using at least 70% in certified copies, this is because more song markets instituted certification structures after the 1980s and 1990s.[a] Certified copies are sourced from to be had on-line databases of nearby song industry associations. The certified units percent varies in step with the primary 12 months that an artist appeared in the charts.[b] This is the reason why albums that would otherwise make the list, which include The Sound of Music, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Parallel Lines, Spirits Having Flown, Private Dancer, Janet, Believe, Bolo Ta Ra Ra.., Human Clay, Laundry Service, and Back to Black, have not been covered.
As a end result of the technique that the American and Canadian certification-awarding bodies (the RIAA and Music Canada respectively) use, every disc in a multi-disc set is counted as one unit toward certification, leading to many double albums at the listing—together with Pink Floyd’s The Wall and the Beatles’ The Beatles—being licensed with a variety of double the range of copies sold there. Such albums have the certifications for the wide variety of copies (not discs) shipped indicated. Conversely, the American certification level for double albums that in shape onto one compact disc, including the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack reflect the actual range of copies bought. In 2016, RIAA protected streaming further to track sales and album sales primarily based at the idea of album-equal unit for certification purposes, and certification therefore not displays shipment on my own.[1][2] For example, inside the replace of the certification for Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) through the Eagles in August 2018, the album become licensed 38× Platinum (increasing from the previous 29× Platinum certification in 2006) based on the new criteria, making it then the album with the very best certification in the United States.[three]
Michael Jackson’s Thriller, predicted to have bought 70 million copies international, is the quality-selling album.[four][5][6] Jackson also currently has the highest range of albums at the list with five, Celine Dion has 4, whilethe Beatles, Pink Floyd, Madonna and Whitney Houston every have 3.
Groupings are based totally on distinctive sales benchmarks, the best being for claims of at least 40 million copies, and the lowest being for claims of 20–29 million copies. Albums are indexed in order of variety of copies offered. If or extra artists have the equal claimed sales, they are then ranked via licensed gadgets and thereafter by means of the artist’s first call. Markets’ order inside the table is based totally on the range of compact discs offered in each marketplace, biggest market at the pinnacle and smallest at the bottom.[7]ArtistAlbumReleasedGenreTotal licensed copies
(from to be had markets)*Claimed sales*Ref(s)Michael JacksonThriller1982Pop, put up-disco, funk, rock
50.2
- US: 34 million[eight]
- JPN: 100,000[nine]
- UK: four.five million[10]
- GER: 1.5 million[11]
- FRA: 1 million[12]
- CAN: 2 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 1.12 million[14]
- MEX: 2.6 million[15]
- NLD: 800,000[sixteen]
- ITA: one hundred,000[17]
- SWE: four hundred,000[18]
- ARG: 500,000[19]
- SWI: 300,000[20]
- AUT: four hundred,000[21]
- FIN: 119,061[22]
- NZ: a hundred and eighty,000[23][24]
- HKG: 15,000[25]
- DEN: 480,000[26]
- DEN: 60,000[27]
- HUN: 6,000[28]
- POR: 40,000[29]
70[four][five]AC/DCBack in Black1980Hard rock
30.1
- US: 25 million[eight]
- UK: 1 million[10]
- GER: 1 million[eleven]
- FRA: 600,000[12]
- CAN: 1 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 840,000[14]
- ITA: 150,000[17]
- SPA: 150,000[30][31][32]
- DEN: forty,000[33]
- ARG: one hundred sixty,000[34]
- SWI: a hundred,000[20]
- AUT: 50,000[21]
- POL: 10,000[35]
- NZ: 15,000[23]
50[36]Whitney Houston / diverse artistsThe Bodyguard1992R&B, soul, pop, soundtrack
28.7
- US: 18 million[eight]
- JPN: 2 million[37][38]
- UK: 2.1 million[10]
- GER: 1.5 million[eleven]
- FRA: 1 million[12]
- CAN: 1 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 350,000[14]
- BRA: 750,000[39]
- NLD: one hundred,000[16]
- ITA: 25,000[17]
- SWE: one hundred,000[18]
- SPA: 600,000[32][40]
- ARG: 240,000[34]
- BEL: 2 hundred,000[41]
- POL: 50,000[35]
- SWI: 250,000[20]
- AUT: two hundred,000[21]
- NOR: 200,000[42]
- FIN: fifty six,486[22]
- NZ: 15,000[23]
45[43]Pink FloydThe Dark Side of the Moon1973Progressive rock45[forty five]EaglesTheir Greatest Hits (1971–1975)1976Country rock, smooth rock, folk rock44[46]EaglesHotel California1976Soft rock
31.eight
- US: 26 million[eight]
- UK: 1.8 million[10]
- GER: 500,000[eleven]
- FRA: 1 million[12]
- CAN: 1 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 630,000[14]
- NLD: one hundred,000[sixteen]
- ITA: 25,000[17]
- SPA: 400,000[32]
- DEN: 10,000[forty seven]
- SWI: 200,000[20]
- AUT: 25,000[21]
- FIN: 30,933[22]
- NZ: 135,000[23]
- HKG: 15,000[25]
forty two[48]Shania TwainCome On Over1997Country, pop
29.9
- US: 20 million[eight]
- JPN: 100,000 [nine]
- UK: three.three million[10]
- GER: 750,000[eleven]
- FRA: 300,000[forty nine]
- CAN: 2 million[13]
- AUS: 1.260 million[14]
- BRA: a hundred,000[39]
- MEX: a hundred,000[15]
- NLD: 500,000[sixteen]
- SWE: 240,000[18]
- SPA: a hundred,000[32]
- DEN: 140,000[50]
- BEL: 150,000[41]
- ARG: a hundred and twenty,000[34]
- SWI: a hundred and fifty,000[20]
- AUT: 25,000[21]
- NOR: three hundred,000[forty two]
- FIN: 38,958[22]
- NZ: 315,000[24]
forty[51]Fleetwood MacRumours1977Soft rock40[fifty five][fifty six]Bee Gees / Various artistsSaturday Night Fever1977Disco40[58][fifty nine]ArtistAlbumReleasedGenreTotal certified copies
(from to be had markets)*Claimed sales*Ref(s)Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin IV1971Hard rock, heavy metallic, folk rock
30.four
- US: 24 million[8]
- UK: 1.8 million[10]
- GER: 750,000[11]
- FRA: six hundred,000[49]
- CAN: 2 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 630,000[14]
- BRA: 250,000[39]
- NLD: 100,000[sixteen]
- ITA: 50,000[17]
- SPA: a hundred,000[60]
- NOR: 40,000[sixty one]
- ARG: 60,000[34]
- SWI: 50,000[20]
37[sixty two]Michael JacksonBad1987Pop, rhythm and blues, funk and rock
21.1
- US: eleven million[eight]
- JPN: a hundred,000[sixty three]
- UK: 4.2 million[10]
- GER: 2 million[11]
- FRA: 1 million[12]
- CAN: seven hundred,000[thirteen]
- AUS: 420,000[14]
- NLD: one hundred,000[sixty four]
- SPA: 300,000[32]
- SWE: 200,000[18]
- DEN: eighty,000[65]
- NOR: one hundred,000[66]
- MEX: 350,000[15]
- SWI: a hundred,000[66]
- AUT: 2 hundred,000[21]
- FIN: fifty one,287[22]
- NZ: 135,000[sixty seven]
- HKG: 15,000[25]
- POR: 40,000[68]
35[69][70][seventy one]Meat LoafBat Out of Hell1977Hard rock, glam rock, modern rock34[73]Alanis MorissetteJagged Little Pill1995Alternative rock
25.four
- US: 16 million[8]
- UK: 3 million[10]
- GER: 1 million[11]
- FRA: three hundred,000[forty nine]
- CAN: 2 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 980,000[14]
- BRA: 500,000[39]
- NLD: 400,000[sixteen]
- SPA: 300,000[32]
- SWE: two hundred,000[18]
- DEN: one hundred eighty,000[74]
- BEL: one hundred,000[41]
- ARG: 60,000[34]
- POL: 50,000[35]
- SWI: 50,000[20]
- NOR: 50,000[42]
- AUT: one hundred,000[21]
- FIN: 65,860[22]
- NZ: 15,000[seventy five]
- POR: 80,000[76]
33[seventy seven][78]Various artistsDirty Dancing1987Pop, rock, R&B
24.1
- US: 14 million[eight]
- UK: three million[10]
- GER: three.250 million[11]
- FRA: 1 million[12]
- CAN: 1 million[thirteen]
- AUS: 770,000[14]
- BRA: one hundred,000[39]
- NLD: a hundred,000[sixteen]
- ITA: 25,000[17]
- SPA: 400,000[seventy nine]
- SWE: a hundred,000[18]
- DEN: 60,000[80]
- POL: 50,000[35]
- SWI: 250,000[20]
- NZ: 15,000[24]
- HKG: 7,500[25]
32[eighty one]Celine DionFalling into You1996Pop, gentle rock