Top Selling Music Artists of All Time
This article ranks the top selling music artists of all time according to certified sales data maintained by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The twenty-five top selling music artists have collectively sold nearly 2 billion units. Units comprise key formats such as record albums, cassettes, CDs, and MP3s.
The top twenty-five rankings are variously shared by twenty-seven different music artists--12 bands and 15 solo performers. These top selling artists represent sundry music genres and sub-genres--from heavy metal to adult contemporary. One notable characteristic of many of these artists is that they achieved their greatest success during the 1970s.
Each ranking that follows includes the artist's primary genre or sub-genre, active period, top selling album, and certified unit sales.
After reading "Top Selling Music Artists of All Time," return to these links to read "Best Albums of All Time (Certified Sales), "Best Rock Albums of All Time (Certified Sales)," and "Best Soundtracks of All Time (Certified Sales)."
1. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - The Beatles
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1960-1970
Top selling album: The Beatles (The White Album)
Certified Unit Sales: 177 million
2. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Garth Brooks
Primary Genre: Country
Active Period: 1984-2001; 2009-present
Top selling album: Double Live
Certified Unit Sales: 128 million
3. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Elvis Presley
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1954-1977
Top selling album: Elvis' Christmas Album
Certified Unit Sales: 123.5 million
4. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Led Zeppelin
Primary Genre: Hard rock
Active Period: 1968-1980
Top selling album: Led Zeppelin IV
Certified Unit Sales: 111.5 million
5. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Eagles
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1971-1980; 1994-present
Top selling album: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975
Certified Unit Sales: 100 million
6. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Billy Joel
Primary Genre: Pop rock
Active Period: 1964-present
Top selling album: Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II
Certified Unit Sales: 79.5 million
7. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Pink Floyd
Primary Genre: Progressive rock
Active Period: 1965-1996
Top selling album: The Wall
Certified Unit Sales: 74.5 million
8. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Barbra Streisand
Primary Genre: Adult contemporary
Active Period: 1957-present
Top selling album: Memories
Certified Unit Sales: 71.5 million
9. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - AC/DC
Primary Genre: Hard rock
Active Period: 1973-present
Top selling album: Back in Black
Certified Unit Sales: 71 million
10. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Elton John
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1964-present
Top selling album: Greatest Hits
Certified Unit Sales: 70 million
11. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Michael Jackson
Primary Genre: R&B
Active Period: 1964-2009
Top selling album: Thriller
Certified Unit Sales: 69.5 million
12. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - George Strait
Primary Genre: Country
Active Period: 1975-present
Top selling album: Strait Out of the Box
Certified Unit Sales: 68.5 million
13. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Aerosmith
Primary Genre: Hard rock
Active Period: 1970-present
Top selling album: Toys in the Attic
Certified Unit Sales: 66.5 million
14. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - The Rolling Stones
Primary Genre: Hard rock
Active Period: 1962-present
Top selling album: Hot Rocks
Certified Unit Sales: 66 million
15. (tie) Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Madonna
Primary Genre: Pop
Active Period: 1979-present
Top selling album: Like a Virgin
Certified Unit Sales: 64 million
Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Bruce Springsteen
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1972-present
Top selling album: Born in the U.S.A.
Certified Unit Sales: 64 million
16. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Mariah Carey
Primary Genre: R&B
Active Period: 1988-present
Top selling album: Music Box
Certified Unit Sales: 63 million
17. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Metallica
Primary Genre: Heavy metal
Active Period: 1981-present
Top selling album: Metallica
Certified Unit Sales: 60 million
18. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Van Halen
Primary Genre: Hard rock
Active Period: 1972-present
Top selling album: 1984
Certified Unit Sales: 56.5 million
19. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Whitney Houston
Primary Genre: R&B
Active Period: 1985-present
Top selling album: The Bodyguard (soundtrack)
Certified Unit Sales: 55 million
20. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - U2
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1976-present
Top selling album: The Joshua Tree
Certified Unit Sales: 51.5 million
21. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Kenny Rogers
Primary Genre: Country
Active Period: 1958-present
Top selling album: Greatest Hits
Certified Unit Sales: 51 million
22. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Celine Dion
Primary Genre: Adult contemporary
Active Period: 1980-present
Top selling album: Falling Into You
Certified Unit Sales: 50 million
23. (tie) Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Fleetwood Mac
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1967-present
Top selling album: Rumours
Certified Unit Sales: 48.5 million
Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Neil Diamond
Primary Genre: Pop
Active Period: 1958-present
Top selling album: The Jazz Singer
Certified Unit Sales: 48.5 million
24. (tie) Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Shania Twain
Primary Genre: Country
Active Period: 1993-present
Top selling album: The Woman in Me
Certified Unit Sales: 48 million
Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Kenny G
Primary Genre: Jazz
Active Period: 1982-present
Top selling album: Breathless
Certified Unit Sales: 48 million
25. Top Selling Music Artists of All Time - Journey
Primary Genre: Rock
Active Period: 1973-1987; 1995-present
Top selling album: Greatest Hits
Certified Unit Sales: 47 million
Source(s):
"Top Selling Artists," Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Published by J.C. Grant
A writer interested in education, finance, health, history, law, music, polemics, politics, satire, sports, statistics, travel, and trivia. View profile
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13 Comments
Post a Commentthis list is wrong.
Madonna isn't tied with the Rolling Stones. She's tied with Bruce Springsteen.
If madonna has a tied with the rolling stones then she should get #14 like the boys. Correct!
Garth Brooks is awesome- so is Pink Floyd, the Eagles....hell, most of these tops are great!
So glad Journey got into the mix, but I'll bet the next list will bump them off. I love almost all of this music and my iPod is loaded with them all!!!
Where the Stones came in surprised me the most. #14? Say it isn't so...
Michael Jackson is No. 11--on page 2.
I'm amazed Garth beat Elvis AND Michael Jackson and everybody after #2. This is really interesting, thanks!
Michael Jackson's not on here? Did I miss him?!
I really enjoyed reading through this list, J.C. Of course my favorites were #1. I was surprised at some of the artists who made the top 25. Garth beating out Elvis surprised me too.