The following is an independently verified list of best-selling music artists (those with claims of 75 million or more record sales) from the second half of the 20th century to the present. Only artists whose claimed sales figures can be cross-referenced with music recording certification systems (the first of which appeared in the late 1950s) are included. The tables are listed with both their claimed sales figure along with their total independently certified units and are ranked in descending order, with the artist with the highest amount of claimed sales at the top. If two or more artists have the same claimed sales, they are then ranked by certified units. The claimed sales figure and the total of certified units (for each country) within the provided sources include sales of albums, singles, compilation-albums, music videos as well as downloads of singles and full-length albums. Sales figures, such as those from Soundscan, which are sometimes published by Billboard magazine, have not been included in the certified units column. As of 2017 , based on both sales claims and certified units, The Beatles are considered the highest-selling band. Elvis Presley is considered the highest-selling individual artist based on sales claims and Drake is the highest-selling individual artist based on certified units.
All artists included on this list, which have begun charting on official albums or singles charts have their available claimed figures supported by at least 20% in certified units. That is why Cliff Richard, Diana Ross, Scorpions, Bing Crosby, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Tom Jones, The Jackson 5, Dionne Warwick, the Spice Girls, Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Andrea Bocelli and others have not been included on this list. The more recent the artist, the higher the required percentage of certified units; this is because more music markets instituted certification systems after the 1980s and 1990s.[a] So artists such as Rihanna, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Drake, Justin Bieber, Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran, and The Weeknd are expected to have their claimed figures supported by over 75% in certified units. The certified units are sourced from available online databases of local music industry associations. All certified units are converted from Gold/Platinum/Diamond certification awards based on criteria provided by certifying bodies. The certified units percentage varies according to the first year that an artist appeared in the charts.[b]
The requirements of certified units are designed to avoid inflated sales figures, which are frequently practiced by record companies for promotional purposes.[1][2] The claimed figures are referenced from online articles created by highly reliable sources. For clarity, the sources used, say the term "records" (singles, albums, videos) and not "albums". However, if all available sources for an artist or band say "albums", such sources are only used if the certified album units of the said artist meet the required percentage amount. This list uses claimed figures that are closest to artists' available certified units: inflated claimed figures that meet the required certified units amount but are unrealistically high, are not used.
The claimed figures are upgraded only when there is a significant progress in artists' certified units. In other words, the available certified units for each artist should get relatively closer to already listed claimed figure in order for higher figures to replace the listed ones.
The certified units of the newer artists may sometimes be higher than their listed claimed figures. This is because Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and almost all other certifying bodies count streaming towards Gold and Platinum thresholds required for Digital Single Award certification.[3][4][5] For this reason, some singles and even albums get over certified by hundreds of thousands of units. The over certified figures, however, are often in millions of units for RIAA certifications, one such example is Rihanna's single "We Found Love", which is certified at nine times Platinum by the RIAA, yet during the time of the certification, it had sold 5.4 million downloads.[6][7]
The certified units for some artists/bands who have multi-disc albums can be higher than their listed claimed figures due to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) counting each unit within set as one unit toward certification.
Issued certifications for songs which have been recorded by multiple artists including featured artists are added to each artist's total amount of certified units, as all the artists would have played a significant part in a song. For example, "This Is What You Came For" and "Where Them Girls At" include Rihanna and Flo Rida, Nicki Minaj as featured artists respectively, so the certifications issued for these songs are added to the total amount of certified units for all involved artists. However, the certifications issued for songs that have been recorded by four or more artists are not included as the artists involved would have played minor roles, examples of such songs are Kanye West's "Monster" and/or "All Day".[c]
Artist | Country / Market | Period active | Release year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units (from available markets)[a] |
Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Beatles | United Kingdom | 1960-1970[10] | 1962[10] | Rock / Pop[10] |
Total available certified units: 283.4 million
|
600 million[40][41] 500 million[42] |
Elvis Presley | United States | 1954-1977[43] | 1954[43] | Rock and roll / Pop / Country[43] |
Total available certified units: 227.7 million
|
600 million[52][53] 500 million[54] |
Michael Jackson | United States | 1964-2009[55] | 1971[55] | Pop / Rock / Dance / Soul / R&B[55] |
Total available certified units: 236.8 million
|
350 million[66][67] 300 million[68][69] |
Elton John | United Kingdom | 1964-present[70] | 1969[70] | Pop / Rock[70] |
Total available certified units: 194.9 million
|
300 million[74][75] 250 million[76][77] |
Madonna | United States | 1979-present[78] | 1982[78] | Pop / Dance / Electronica[78] |
Total available certified units: 178.9 million
|
300 million[86][87] 275 million[88] |
Led Zeppelin | United Kingdom | 1968-1980[89] | 1969[89] | Hard rock / Blues rock / Folk rock[89] |
Total available certified units: 141 million
|
300 million[93][94] 200 million[95][96] |
Rihanna | Barbados United States |
2005-present[97] | 2005[97] | R&B / Pop / Dance / Hip-hop[97] |
Total available certified units: 300.1 million
|
250 million[101][102] |
Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | 1965-1996, 2005, 2012-2014[103][104] | 1967[103] | Progressive rock / Psychedelic rock[103] |
Total available certified units: 121.4 million
|
250 million[108][109] 200 million[110] |
Artist | Country / Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units (from available markets)[a] |
Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eminem | United States | 1996-present[111] | 1999[111] | Hip-hop[111] |
Total available certified units: 241.7 million
|
220 million[112] |
Taylor Swift | United States | 2006-present[113] | 2006[113] | Pop / Synth-pop / Country / Country pop / [113] |
Total available certified units: 229.5 million
|
200 million[114][115] |
Mariah Carey | United States | 1988-present[116] | 1990[116] | R&B / Pop / Soul / Hip-hop[116] |
Total available certified units: 182.1 million
|
200 million[120][121] |
Queen | United Kingdom | 1971-present[122] | 1973[122] | Rock[122] |
Total available certified units: 164.8 million
|
200 million[124] |
Eagles | United States | 1971-1980, 1994-present[125] | 1972[125] | Rock[125] |
Total available certified units: 150.6 million
|
200 million[127] |
Whitney Houston | United States | 1977-2012[128] | 1984[128] | R&B / Soul / Pop[128] |
Total available certified units: 141 million
|
200 million[131][132] 170 million[133][134] |
Celine Dion | Canada | 1981-present[135] | 1981[135] | Pop[135] |
Total available certified units: 137.2 million
|
200 million[140][141] 175 million[142][143] |
AC/DC | Australia | 1973-present[144] | 1975[144] | Hard rock / Blues rock / Rock and roll[144] |
Total available certified units: 126.1 million
|
200 million[146][147] 150 million[148][149] |
The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | 1962-present[150] | 1963[150] | Rock / Blues rock [150] |
Total available certified units: 101 million
|
200 million[151][152] |
Artist | Country / Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units (from available markets)[a] |
Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drake | Canada | 2001-present[153] | 2009[153] | Hip-hop / R&B / Pop[153] |
Total available certified units: 358.9 million
|
170 million[154] |
Garth Brooks | United States | 1989-present[155] | 1989[155] | Country[155] | 170 million[157] | |
Kanye West | United States | 1996-present[158] | 2004[158] | Hip-hop / Electronic / Pop rock[158] | 160 million[161] | |
Justin Bieber | Canada United States |
2008-present[162] | 2009[162] | Pop / Teen pop, Dance pop[162] |
Total available certified units: 214.1 million
|
150 million[163] |
Ed Sheeran | United Kingdom | 2004-present[164] | 2011[164] | Pop / Folk pop [164] |
Total available certified units: 197.8 million
|
150 million[165] |
Billy Joel | United States | 1964-present[166] | 1971[166] | Pop / Rock[166] | 150 million[168] | |
U2 | Ireland | 1976-present[169] | 1980[169] | Rock[169] |
Total available certified units: 111.5 million
|
150 million[172] |
Barbra Streisand | United States | 1960-present[173] | 1963[173] | Pop / Adult contemporary[173] | 150 million[174] | |
Phil Collins | United Kingdom | 1980-2011, 2015-present[175] | 1981[175] | Rock / Progressive rock / Adult contemporary[175] |
Total available certified units: 90.5 million
|
150 million[177] |
Aerosmith | United States | 1970-present[178] | 1973[178] | Hard rock[178] |
Total available certified units: 87.3 million
|
150 million[180] |
ABBA | Sweden | 1972-1982[181] | 1972[181] | Pop / Disco[181] |
Total available certified units: 65 million
|
150 million[190] 100 million[191] |
Frank Sinatra | United States | 1935-1995[192] | 1939[192] | Pop / Swing[192] | 150 million[194] | |
Katy Perry | United States | 2001-present[195] | 2008[195] | Pop[195] |
Total available certified units: 157 million
|
143 million[196] |
Chris Brown | United States | 2005-present[197] | 2005[197] | Pop / R&B, Hip-hop [197] | 140 million[198] | |
Bruce Springsteen | United States | 1972-present[199] | 1973[199] | Rock[199] |
Total available certified units: 105.8 million
|
135 million[201] |
Bruno Mars | United States | 2004-present[202] | 2010[202] | Pop rock / R&B[202] |
Total available certified units: 173.9 million
|
130 million[205] |
Jay-Z | United States | 1996-present[206] | 1996[206] | Hip-hop[206] | 125 million[207] | |
Metallica | United States | 1981-present[208] | 1983[208] | Heavy metal / Thrash metal[208] |
Total available certified units: 103.7 million
|
125 million[210] |
Lady Gaga | United States | 2005-present[211] | 2008[211] | Pop / Dance / Electronic[211] |
Total available certified units: 151.4 million
|
124 million[212] |
Lil Wayne | United States | 1996-present[213] | 1999[213] | Hip-hop[213] | 120 million[214] | |
Maroon 5 | United States | 1994-present[215] | 2002[215] | Pop rock / Funk rock / Dance-pop[215] |
Total available certified units: 130.5 million
|
120 million[216] |
Adele | United Kingdom | 2006-present[217] | 2008[217] | Pop, soul[217] |
Total available certified units: 116.9 million
|
120 million[218] |
Fleetwood Mac | United Kingdom United States |
1967-present[219] | 1968[219] | Rock / Pop[219] |
Total available certified units: 88.3 million |
120 million[222] |
Rod Stewart | United Kingdom | 1964-present[223] | 1969[223] | Rock / Pop[223] |
Total available certified units: 81.3 million
|
120 million[224] |
Bee Gees | United Kingdom Australia[225][226] |
1963-2003 2009-2012[227] |
1963[227] | Pop / Disco[227] |
Total available certified units: 69.9 million
|
120 million[230] |
Artist | Country / Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units (from available markets)[a] |
Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beyoncé | United States | 1997-present[231] | 2002[231][232] | R&B / Pop[231] |
Total available certified units: 100.7 million
|
118 million[236] |
Nicki Minaj | United States | 2008-present[237] | 2010[237] | Hip-hop, Pop[237] |
Total available certified units: 136.9 million
|
100 million[238] |
Coldplay | United Kingdom | 1996-present[239] | 1999[239] | Alternative rock, Pop rock, Pop[239] |
Total available certified units: 98.8 million
|
100 million[240] |
Linkin Park | United States | 1996-present[241] | 2000[241] | Alternative rock / Nu metal / Rap rock[241] |
Total available certified units: 89.4 million
|
100 million[242] |
Bon Jovi | United States | 1983-present[243] | 1983[243] | Hard rock / Glam metal[243] |
Total available certified units: 86.9 million
|
100 million[246] |
B'z | Japan | 1988-present[247] | 1988[247] | Rock / Pop rock / Hard rock[247] | 100 million[248] | |
Britney Spears | United States | 1998-present[249] | 1998[249] | Pop / Dance / Dance-pop[249] |
Total available certified units: 86.4 million
|
100 million[251] |
Shania Twain | Canada | 1993-present[252] | 1993[252] | Country pop[252] |
Total available certified units: 80.3 million
|
100 million[253] |
Backstreet Boys | United States | 1993-present[254] | 1995[254] | Pop[254] |
Total available certified units: 78.4 million
|
100 million[258] |
Guns N' Roses | United States | 1985-present[259] | 1987[259] | Hard rock / Heavy metal[259] |
Total available certified units: 78.1 million
|
100 million[261] |
George Strait | United States | 1981-present[262] | 1984[262] | Country[262] | 100 million[263] | |
Eric Clapton | United Kingdom | 1962-present[264] | 1970[264] | Rock, Blues[264] |
Total available certified units: 71.1 million
|
100 million[265] |
Neil Diamond | United States | 1966-present[266] | 1966[266] | Pop / Rock[266] | 100 million[268] | |
Prince | United States | 1976-2016[269] | 1978[269] | Funk / R&B / Pop / Soul / Rock[269] |
Total available certified units: 65.4 million |
100 million[270] |
Santana | United States | 1966-present[271] | 1969[271] | Rock[271] |
Total available certified units: 62.6 million
|
100 million[272] |
Kenny Rogers | United States | 1958-2020[273] | 1975[273] | Country / Pop[273] | 100 million[275] | |
Paul McCartney | United Kingdom | 1960-present[276] | 1970[276] | Rock[276] | 100 million[278] | |
Simon & Garfunkel | United States | 1956-2004[279] | 1964[279] | Folk rock[279] |
Total available certified units: 61.1 million
|
100 million[280] |
Janet Jackson | United States | 1982-present[281] | 1982[281] | R&B / Pop[281] |
Total available certified units: 52.5 million |
100 million[282] |
Julio Iglesias | Spain | 1968-present[283] | 1968[283] | Latin[283] |
Total available certified units: 51.7 million
|
100 million[285] |
Dire Straits | United Kingdom | 1977-1995[286] | 1978[286] | Rock [286] |
Total available certified units: 51.1 million
|
100 million[287] |
Chicago | United States | 1967-present[288] | 1969[288] | Rock / Pop[288] | 100 million[290] | |
Bob Dylan | United States | 1959-present[291] | 1963[291] | Folk / Rock[291] | 100 million[292] | |
Def Leppard | United Kingdom | 1977-present[293] | 1979[293] | Hard rock / Heavy metal[293] | 100 million[295] | |
Cher | United States | 1964-present[296] | 1965[296] | Pop / Rock / Dance / Folk[296] |
Total available certified units: 42.2 million
|
100 million[302] |
Genesis | United Kingdom | 1967-1999 2006-present[303] |
1969[303] | Progressive rock / Pop rock[303] | 100 million[304] | |
Stevie Wonder | United States | 1961-present[305] | 1962[305] | Funk / R&B / Soul[305] | 100 million[306] | |
David Bowie | United Kingdom | 1962-2016[307] | 1967[307] | Art rock / Glam rock / Pop[307] |
Total available certified units: 37.5 million |
100 million[308] |
James Taylor | United States | 1968-present[309] | 1970[309] | Rock / Pop[309] | 100 million[310] | |
Olivia Newton-John | Australia | 1966-present[311] | 1966[311] | Pop[311] | 100 million[313] | |
Tina Turner | United States | 1958-2009[314] | 1960[315] | Rock / Pop[315] |
Total available certified units: 35.3 million
|
100 million[316] |
Linda Ronstadt | United States | 1967-present[317] | 1968[317] | Rock / Folk / Country[317] | 100 million[318] | |
The Beach Boys | United States | 1961-present[319] | 1962[319] | Rock / Pop / Surf Rock[319] | 100 million[320] | |
Donna Summer | United States | 1968-2012[321] | 1974[321] | Pop / Disco / R&B[321] | 100 million[322] | |
The Who | United Kingdom | 1964-present[323] | 1965[323] | Rock / Hard rock[323] | 100 million[324] | |
Barry White | United States | 1972-2003[325] | 1973[325] | R&B / Soul[325] | 100 million[326] |
Artist | Country / Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units (from available markets)[a] |
Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pink | United States | 1995-present[327] | 2000[327] | Pop, Pop rock, R&B[327] |
Total available certified units: 78.9 million
|
90 million[328] |
The Carpenters | United States | 1969-1983[329] | 1969[329] | Pop[329] | 90 million[331] | |
Earth, Wind & Fire | United States | 1969-present[332] | 1971[332] | Funk / R&B / Soul[332] | 90 million[335] | |
Lionel Richie | United States | 1968-present[336] | 1981[336] | Pop / R&B[336] | 90 million[338] | |
Johnny Cash | United States | 1954-2003[339] | 1956[339] | Country / Rock and roll / Gospel[339] | 90 million[340] | |
Justin Timberlake | United States | 1992-present[341] | 2002[341] | Pop, R&B, Neo soul[341] |
Total available certified units: 71.2 million
|
88 million[342] |
R.E.M. | United States | 1980-2011[343] | 1983[343] | Alternative rock[343] |
Total available certified units: 43.5 million
|
85 million[344] |
Flo Rida | United States | 2007-present[345] | 2007[345] | Hip-hop, Hip house, EDM[345] |
Total available certified units: 81.7 million
|
80 million[346] |
Tim McGraw | United States | 1990-present[347] | 1994[347] | Country[347] | 80 million[348] | |
Van Halen | United States | 1978-2020[349] | 1978[349] | Hard rock / Heavy metal[349] | 80 million[350] | |
Ayumi Hamasaki | Japan | 1998-present[351] | 1998[351] | J-pop / Pop / dance / electronic[351] | 80 million[352][353] | |
Red Hot Chili Peppers | United States | 1983-present[354] | 1987[354] | Funk rock / Alternative rock[354] |
Total available certified units: 62 million
|
80 million[356] |
George Michael | United Kingdom | 1981-2016[357] | 1984[357] | Pop[357] |
Total available certified units: 52.1 million
|
80 million[359] |
Foreigner | United States United Kingdom |
1976-present[360] | 1977[360] | Rock / Hard Rock[360] | 80 million[361] | |
The Doors | United States | 1965-1973[362] | 1967[362] | Psychedelic rock[362] |
Total available certified units: 48.4 million |
80 million[363] |
Meat Loaf | United States | 1968-present[364] | 1977[364] | Rock / Hard rock[364] | 80 million[365] | |
Tom Petty | United States | 1976-2017[366] | 1977[366] | Rock[366] | 80 million[367] | |
Johnny Hallyday | France | 1957-2017[368] | 1960[368] | Rock / Pop[368] | 80 million[370] |
Artist | Country / Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units (from available markets)[a] |
Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Weeknd | Canada | 2010-present[371] | 2013[371] | Pop / R&B [371] |
Total available certified units: 148.9 million
|
75 million[372] |
Luke Bryan | United States | 2001-present[373] | 2007[374] | Country /Country pop[374] | 75 million[375] | |
Usher | United States | 1991-present[374] | 1994[374] | R&B / Pop[374] | 75 million[376] | |
Christina Aguilera | United States | 1993-present[377] | 1998[377] | R&B / Pop / Rock[377] |
Total available certified units: 63.1 million
|
75 million[378] |
Journey | United States | 1973-present[379] | 1975[379] | Rock / Soft rock[379] | 75 million[381] | |
The Black Eyed Peas | United States | 1995-present[382] | 1998[382] | Hip-hop / R&B / Dance[382] |
Total available certified units: 62.8 million
|
75 million[383] |
Shakira | Colombia | 1988-present[384] | 1995[384] | Latin pop / Pop/ Pop rock[384] |
Total available certified units: 60.2 million
|
75 million[385] |
Tupac Shakur | United States | 1991-1996[386] | 1991[386] | Hip-hop[386] | 75 million[388] | |
R. Kelly | United States | 1989-2019[389] | 1991[390] | R&B / Soul / Hip-hop[390] | 75 million[391] | |
Robbie Williams | United Kingdom | 1990-present[392] | 1996[392] | Pop rock[392] |
Total available certified units: 55.9 million
|
75 million[393] |
Nirvana | United States | 1987-1994[394] | 1990[394] | Grunge / Alternative rock[394] |
Total available certified units: 52.8 million
|
75 million[397] |
Kenny G | United States | 1982-present[398] | 1984[398] | Smooth jazz[398] | 75 million[399] | |
Enya | Ireland | 1982-present[400] | 1987[400] | New-age / Celtic[400] |
Total available certified units: 51.5 million
|
75 million[404] |
Green Day | United States | 1987-present[405] | 1994[382] | Punk rock / Pop punk / Alternative rock[405] |
Total available certified units: 50.3 million
|
75 million[406] |
Bryan Adams | Canada | 1979-present[407] | 1979[407] | Rock[407] |
Total available certified units: 48.8 million
|
75 million[409] |
Alabama | United States | 1972-present[410] | 1980[410] | Country / Pop rock[410] | 75 million[411] | |
Bob Seger | United States | 1961-present[412] | 1969[412] | Rock / Pop rock / Rock and Roll[412] | 75 million[413] | |
Bob Marley | Jamaica | 1962-1981[414] | 1975[414] | Reggae[414] |
Total available certified units: 43.9 million
|
75 million[417] |
The Police | United Kingdom | 1977-1986 2007-2008[418] |
1978[418] | Pop / Rock[418] |
Total available certified units: 41.8 million
|
75 million[421] |
Gloria Estefan | United States | 1975-present[422] | 1984[422] | Latin pop / Dance pop[422] | 75 million[424] | |
Barry Manilow | United States | 1973-present[425] | 1973[425] | Pop / Soft rock[425] | 75 million[426] | |
Kiss | United States | 1972-present[427] | 1974[427] | Hard rock / Heavy metal[427] | 75 million[428] | |
Aretha Franklin | United States | 1956-2018[429] | 1961[429] | Soul / Jazz / Blues / R&B[429] | 75 million[430] |