Top 100 Albums (sales) Of All Time

[Music Head]

just found it interesting
not sure what that number at the beginning represents. Some industry lingo.

from RIAA

29 THRILLER JACKSON, MICHAEL EPIC/LEGACY
29 EAGLES/THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971 - 1975 EAGLES ELEKTRA
23 THE WALL PINK FLOYD COLUMBIA
23 LED ZEPPELIN IV LED ZEPPELIN ATLANTIC
22 BACK IN BLACK AC/DC EPIC
21 DOUBLE LIVE BROOKS, GARTH CAPITOL NASHVILLE
21 GREATEST HITS VOLUME I & VOLUME II JOEL, BILLY COLUMBIA
20 COME ON OVER TWAIN, SHANIA MERCURY NASHVILLE
19 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC WARNER BROS.
19 THE BEATLES BEATLES, THE APPLE
18 APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION GUNS 'N ROSES GEFFEN
17 NO FENCES BROOKS, GARTH CAPITOL
17 BOSTON BOSTON EPIC
17 THE BODYGUARD (SOUNDTRACK) HOUSTON, WHITNEY ARISTA
16 CRACKED REAR VIEW HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH ATLANTIC
16 THE BEATLES 1967 - 1970 BEATLES, THE APPLE
16 PHYSICAL GRAFFITI LED ZEPPELIN SWAN SONG
16 JAGGED LITTLE PILL MORISSETTE, ALANIS MAVERICK
16 HOTEL CALIFORNIA EAGLES ASYLUM
16 GREATEST HITS JOHN, ELTON MCA
15 THE BEATLES 1962 - 1966 BEATLES, THE APPLE
15 SUPERNATURAL SANTANA ARISTA
15 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (SOUNDTRACK) BEE GEES RSO
15 GREATEST HITS JOURNEY COLUMBIA
15 METALLICA METALLICA WARNER BROS.
15 DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD HARVEST
15 BORN IN THE U.S.A. SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE COLUMBIA
14 BACKSTREET BOYS BACKSTREET BOYS JIVE
14 SIMON & GARFUNKEL'S GREATEST HITS SIMON & GARFUNKEL COLUMBIA
14 ROPIN' THE WIND BROOKS, GARTH CAPITOL
14 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL
14 ...BABY ONE MORE TIME SPEARS, BRITNEY JIVE
13 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & E STREET BAND LIVE 1975 - '85 SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE COLUMBIA
13 PURPLE RAIN (SOUNDTRACK) PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION WARNER BROS.
13 GREATEST HITS 1974-1978 MILLER, STEVE BAND CAPITOL
13 MILLENNIUM BACKSTREET BOYS JIVE
13 WHITNEY HOUSTON HOUSTON, WHITNEY ARISTA
13 TEN PEARL JAM EPIC
12 KENNY ROGERS' GREATEST HITS ROGERS, KENNY LIBERTY
12 II BOYZ II MEN MOTOWN
12 HOT ROCKS ROLLING STONES, THE LONDON
12 NO JACKET REQUIRED COLLINS, PHIL ATLANTIC
12 WIDE OPEN SPACES DIXIE CHICKS MONUMENT
12 HYSTERIA DEF LEPPARD MERCURY
12 SLIPPERY WHEN WET BON JOVI MERCURY
12 FORREST GUMP SOUNDTRACK EPIC
12 PIECES OF YOU JEWEL ATLANTIC
12 LED ZEPPELIN II LED ZEPPELIN ATLANTIC
12 ABBEY ROAD BEATLES, THE APPLE
12 YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU MATCHBOX TWENTY ATLANTIC
12 THE WOMAN IN ME TWAIN, SHANIA MERCURY NASHVILLE
12 BREATHLESS KENNY G ARISTA
11 NO STRINGS ATTACHED 'N SYNC JIVE
11 AEROSMITH'S GREATEST HITS AEROSMITH COLUMBIA
11 SPEAKERBOXXX / THE LOVE BELOW OUTKAST SO SO DEF
11 DIRTY DANCING SOUNDTRACK RCA
11 TITANIC SOUNDTRACK SONY CLASSICAL
11 DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE KID ROCK LAVA
11 EAGLES GREATEST HITS VOLUME II EAGLES ASYLUM
11 HOUSES OF THE HOLY LED ZEPPELIN ATLANTIC
11 UP! TWAIN, SHANIA MERCURY NASHVILLE
11 FALLING INTO YOU DION, CELINE 550 MUSIC
11 JAMES TAYLOR'S GREATEST HITS TAYLOR, JAMES WARNER BROS.
11 HUMAN CLAY CREED WIND-UP RECORDS
11 SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES, THE CAPITOL
11 CRAZYSEXYCOOL TLC LAFACE
10 UNPLUGGED CLAPTON, ERIC REPRISE
10 THE LION KING SOUNDTRACK DISNEYLAND
10 PYROMANIA DEF LEPPARD MERCURY
10 LED ZEPPELIN LED ZEPPELIN ATLANTIC
10 LEGEND MARLEY, BOB & THE WAILERS ISLAND
10 CAN'T SLOW DOWN RICHIE, LIONEL MOTOWN
10 FLY DIXIE CHICKS MONUMENT
10 ELIMINATOR ZZ TOP WARNER BROS.
10 BEST OF THE DOOBIES DOOBIE BROTHERS WARNER BROS.
10 THE BEST OF THE DOORS DOORS, THE ELEKTRA
10 LIKE A VIRGIN MADONNA SIRE
10 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA SIRE
10 SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE WONDER, STEVIE MOTOWN
10 GREATEST HITS CLINE, PATSY MCA
10 LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE DION, CELINE 550 MUSIC/EPIC
10 HYBRID THEORY LINKIN PARK WARNER BROS.
10 VAN HALEN VAN HALEN WARNER BROS.
10 'N SYNC 'N SYNC RCA
10 COME AWAY WITH ME JONES, NORAH BLUE NOTE
10 GARTH BROOKS BROOKS, GARTH CAPITOL
10 SEVENS BROOKS, GARTH CAPITOL NASHVILLE
10 THE HITS BROOKS, GARTH LIBERTY
10 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 ISLAND
10 LIFE AFTER DEATH NOTORIOUS B.I.G. BAD BOY/ARISTA
10 FAITH MICHAEL, GEORGE COLUMBIA
10 1 BEATLES, THE CAPITOL
10 TRAGIC KINGDOM NO DOUBT TRAUMA/INTERSCOPE
10 NEVERMIND NIRVANA DGC
10 THE STRANGER JOEL, BILLY COLUMBIA
10 PLEASE HAMMER DON'T HURT 'EM HAMMER CAPITOL
10 OOPS!...I DID IT AGAIN SPEARS, BRITNEY JIVE
10 CONFESSIONS USHER SO SO DEF
10 DAYDREAM CAREY, MARIAH COLUMBIA
10 MUSIC BOX CAREY, MARIAH COLUMBIA

[Tiggi]

I've had a look at the RIAA site, and the numbers may mean the number of multi-platinum awards (if that makes sense...).

I think the list only represents US sales, as the rankings don't tally with my understanding of global sales. I've always read that the big three were Thriller, Saturday Night Fever, & Dark Side of The Moon, although this may well be incorrect.

BTW, that list goes on for another several hundred entries on further web pages.

[Music Head]

You mean there's other countries besides the U.S.?:laugh:

[carbon_psycho]

i m marking this thread,

[JonG]

It looks like the list is a mix of classic rock releases and releases from the 90's. With a few exceptions (like Thriller) they all fit this way. What was it about the 90's that was so good for the music-selling industry?

[pyoung30]

Wikipedia lists the top selling albums world wide, in decreasing order, as:

1) Thriller - 110 Million

2) Back in Black - 49 Million

3) The Dark Side of the Moon - 45 Million

4) Whitney Houston - The Body Guard (WTF?!) 44 Million

5) Bat Out of Hell - 43 Million

6) Eagles Greatest Hits ('71-'75) - 42 Million
& Dirty Dancing Soundtrack (another WTF?!) - 42 Million

IMO, the Whitney Houston and Dirty Dancing are not legit... albums featuring various artists don't count in my book. And the Eagles is a greatest hits, not a true studio album, which changes things too. Amazing how many more copies of Thriller have allegedly been sold world wide than the next highest album, and these figures Pre-date his death!

[fresk]

wow these albums are really big hits,the thriller is one the top with 110 million copies.

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