Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Phil Collins are the only musicians to have sold over 100 million albums as a solo artist and member of a group. I remember Phil Collins.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Madonna and Whitney Houston each have three.
Over the course of Elvis' life, he achieved some of the highest accolades in music and film. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis records have been sold worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history.
Pink Floyd – 75 million certified units.
George Strait – 69 million certified units.
The Carpenters have sold more than 90 million records worldwide.
INXS sold 55 million albums worldwide and had hits like Need You Tonight and Never Tear Us Apart.
RIAA Unveils Official Diamond Award
The Diamond Award is established to honor sales of 10 million copies or more of an album or song. View all Diamond Awards.
Speaking to OfficialCharts.com, Queen guitarist Brian May says: “We're here to bring you the joyous news that Queen's Greatest Hits album has sold 7 million copies, which nobody has ever done before. No album has done this before in history.
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
The same could be said of Michael Jackson who has sold more albums in death than the last 13 years of his life. The King of Pop has shifted 13.2 million albums since his death in 2009, compared to 13.1 million from 1996-2008. Jimi Hendrix went to the great jam session in the sky in September 1970.
The first CD to sell a million copies world-wide was Dire Straits' Brother in Arms in 1986. It subsequently topped a million sales in Europe alone, including over 250,000 in Britain.
In "The Godfather," Michael Corleone said it's not personal, it's strictly business. Yet, for fans of Bruce Springsteen, the recent selling of his master recordings and music publishing rights to Sony for $500 million, according to Billboard, does strike a personal note.
Only 22 albums in history have sold 1 million copies in a single week — here they all are.
Total Sales: 30 Million
Bruce Springsteen remains one the greatest singer and songwriters in United States history, and this was highlighted by his 1984 album Born In The U.S.A. In addition to the title track, it contained memorable hits such as Dancing In The Dark, I'm On Fire, and Glory Days.
In Michael Jackson's New York Times obituary, the singer is credited with selling a hundred million copies of his most popular album, “Thriller”—and with selling an “estimated” seven hundred and fifty million records worldwide over his career.
AC/DC is arguably the most popular band from Australia and one of the most popular rock bands in the world. Despite never achieving a single Top 20 hit in America, they still managed to sell albums, which consistently went platinum.
Led Zeppelin is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. They sold over 300 million records worldwide, including 111.5 million certified units in the United States alone.
On a much smaller scale, Australia also holds the record for the world's largest simultaneous car tyre burnout. A total of 126 vehicles destroyed their tyres for the record in Canberra, with rainbow smoke pouring out from underneath the cars.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
Hall & Oates, in a career of nearly 50 years, have sold 40 million albums and had 19 songs hit the Top 10 on various charts, nine of which went to No. 1. Billboard magazine rated Hall & Oates at No.