List of best-selling music artists


The following is an independently verified list of best-selling music artists 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 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 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., 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.

Definitions

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, Gloria Estefan, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Tom Jones, The Jackson 5, Dionne Warwick, the Spice Girls, Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne, 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. So artists such as Rihanna, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Drake, Justin Bieber, Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Ed Sheeran 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.
The requirements of certified units are designed to avoid inflated sales figures, which are frequently practiced by record companies for promotional purposes. The claimed figures are referenced from online articles created by highly reliable sources. For clarity, the sources used, say the term "records" 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 and almost all other certifying bodies count streaming towards Gold and Platinum thresholds required for Digital Single Award certification. 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.
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 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".

Artists by reputed sales

250 million or more records

ArtistCountry / MarketPeriod activeRelease year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
The BeatlesUnited Kingdom1960–19701962Rock / Pop
600 million
500 million
Elvis PresleyUnited States1954–19771954Rock and roll / Pop / Country
600 million
500 million
Michael JacksonUnited States1964–20091971Pop / Rock / Dance / Soul / R&B
350 million
300 million
Elton JohnUnited Kingdom1964–present1969Pop / Rock
300 million
250 million
MadonnaUnited States1979–present1982Pop / Dance / Electronica
300 million
275 million
Led ZeppelinUnited Kingdom1968–19801969Hard rock / Blues rock / Folk rock
300 million
200 million
RihannaBarbados
United States		2005–present2005R&B / Pop / Dance / Hip-hop
250 million
Pink FloydUnited Kingdom1965–1996, 2005, 2012–20141967Progressive rock / Psychedelic rock
250 million
200 million

ArtistCountry / MarketPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
EminemUnited States1996–present1999Hip-hop
220 million
Taylor SwiftUnited States2006–present2006Pop / Synth-pop / Country / Country pop /
200 million
Mariah CareyUnited States1988–present1990R&B / Pop / Soul / Hip-hop
200 million
EaglesUnited States1971–1980, 1994–present1972Rock
200 million
QueenUnited Kingdom1971–present1973Rock
200 million
170 million
Whitney HoustonUnited States1977–20121984R&B / Soul / Pop
200 million
170 million
Celine DionCanada1981–present1981Pop
200 million
175 million
AC/DCAustralia1973–present1975Hard rock / Blues rock / Rock and roll
200 million
150 million
The Rolling StonesUnited Kingdom1962–present1963Rock / Blues rock
200 million

120 million to 199 million records

ArtistCountry / MarketPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
DrakeCanada2001–present2009Hip-hop / R&B / Pop
170 million
Garth BrooksUnited States1989–present1989Country
170 million
Justin BieberCanada
United States		2008–present2009Pop / Teen pop, Dance pop
150 million
Ed SheeranUnited Kingdom2004–present2011Pop / Folk pop
150 million
Billy JoelUnited States1964–present1971Pop / Rock
150 million
U2Ireland1976–present1980Rock
150 million
Barbra StreisandUnited States1960–present1963Pop / Adult contemporary
150 million
Phil CollinsUnited Kingdom1980–2011, 2015–present1981Rock / Progressive rock / Adult contemporary
150 million
AerosmithUnited States1970–present1973Hard rock
150 million
ABBASweden1972–19821972Pop / Disco
150 million
100 million
Frank SinatraUnited States1935–19951939Pop / Swing
150 million
Katy PerryUnited States2001–present2008Pop
143 million
Kanye WestUnited States1996–present2004Hip-hop / Electronic / Pop rock
140 million
Chris BrownUnited States2005–present2005Pop / R&B, Hip-hop
140 million
Bruce SpringsteenUnited States1972–present1973Rock
135 million
Bruno MarsUnited States2004–present2010Pop rock / R&B
130 million
Jay-ZUnited States1996–present1996Hip-hop
125 million
MetallicaUnited States1981–present1983Heavy metal / Thrash metal
125 million
Lady GagaUnited States2005–present2008Pop / Dance / Electronic
124 million
Maroon 5United States1994–present2002Pop rock / Funk rock / Dance-pop
120 million
AdeleUnited Kingdom2006–present2008Pop, soul
120 million
Lil WayneUnited States1996–present1999Hip-hop
120 million
Fleetwood MacUnited Kingdom
United States		1967–present1968Rock / Pop
120 million
Rod StewartUnited Kingdom1964–present1969Rock / Pop
120 million
Bee GeesUnited Kingdom
Australia		1963–2003
2009–2012		1963Pop / Disco
120 million

100 million to 119 million records

ArtistCountry / MarketPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
Nicki MinajUnited States2008–present2010Hip-hop, Pop
100 million
BeyoncéUnited States1997–present2002R&B / Pop
100 million
ColdplayUnited Kingdom1996–present1999Alternative rock, Pop rock, Pop
100 million
Linkin ParkUnited States1996–present2000Alternative rock / Nu metal / Rap rock
100 million
Bon JoviUnited States1983–present1983Hard rock / Glam metal
100 million
B'zJapan1988–present1988Rock / Pop rock / Hard rock
100 million
Britney SpearsUnited States1998–present1998Pop / Dance / Dance-pop
100 million
Guns N' RosesUnited States1985–present1987Hard rock / Heavy metal
100 million
Backstreet BoysUnited States1993–present1995Pop
100 million
George StraitUnited States1981–present1984Country
100 million
Eric ClaptonUnited Kingdom1962–present1970Rock, Blues
100 million
Neil DiamondUnited States1966–present1966Pop / Rock
100 million
SantanaUnited States1966–present1969Rock
100 million
PrinceUnited States1976–20161978Funk / R&B / Pop / Soul / Rock
100 million
Kenny RogersUnited States1958–20201975Country / Pop
100 million
Paul McCartneyUnited Kingdom1960–present1970Rock
100 million
Simon & GarfunkelUnited States1956–20041964Folk rock
100 million
Janet JacksonUnited States1982–present1982R&B / Pop
100 million
Julio IglesiasSpain1968–present1968Latin
100 million
Dire StraitsUnited Kingdom1977–19951978Rock
100 million
ChicagoUnited States1967–present1969Rock / Pop
100 million
Bob DylanUnited States1959–present1963Folk / Rock
100 million
Def LeppardUnited Kingdom1977–present1979Hard rock / Heavy metal
100 million
CherUnited States1964–present1965Pop / Rock / Dance / Folk
100 million
GenesisUnited Kingdom1967–1999
2006–present		1969Progressive rock / Pop rock
100 million
Stevie WonderUnited States1961–present1962Funk / R&B / Soul
100 million
David BowieUnited Kingdom1962–20161967Art rock / Glam rock / Pop
100 million
James TaylorUnited States1968–present1970Rock / Pop
100 million
Olivia Newton-JohnAustralia1966–present1966Pop
100 million
Tina TurnerUnited States1958–20091975Rock / Pop
100 million
Linda RonstadtUnited States1967–present1968Rock / Folk / Country
100 million
The Beach BoysUnited States1961–present1962Rock / Pop / Surf Rock
100 million
Donna SummerUnited States1968–20121974Pop / Disco / R&B
100 million
The WhoUnited Kingdom1964–present1965Rock / Hard rock
100 million
Barry WhiteUnited States1972–20031973R&B / Soul
100 million

80 million to 99 million records

ArtistCountry / MarketPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
Shania TwainCanada1993–present1993Country pop
90 million
PinkUnited States1995–present2000Pop, Pop rock, R&B
90 million
The CarpentersUnited States1969–19831969Pop
90 million
Lionel RichieUnited States1968–present1981Pop / R&B
90 million
Earth, Wind & FireUnited States1969–present1971Funk / R&B / Soul
90 million
Johnny CashUnited States1954–20031956Country / Rock and roll / Gospel
90 million
Justin TimberlakeUnited States1992–present2002Pop, R&B, Neo soul
88 million
R.E.M.United States1980–20111983Alternative rock
85 million
Flo RidaUnited States2007–present2007Hip-hop, Hip house, EDM
80 million
Van HalenUnited States1978–present1978Hard rock / Heavy metal
80 million
Ayumi HamasakiJapan1998–present1998J-pop / Pop / dance / electronic
80 million
Red Hot Chili PeppersUnited States1983–present1987Funk rock / Alternative rock
80 million
George MichaelUnited Kingdom1981–20161984Pop
80 million
ForeignerUnited States
United Kingdom		1976–present1977Rock / Hard Rock
80 million
The DoorsUnited States1965–19731967Psychedelic rock
80 million
Meat LoafUnited States1968–present1977Rock / Hard rock
80 million
Tom PettyUnited States1976–20171977Rock
80 million
Johnny HallydayFrance1957–20171960Rock / Pop
80 million

75 million to 79 million records

ArtistCountry / MarketPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
Tim McGrawUnited States1990–present1994Country
75 million
JourneyUnited States1973–present1975Rock / Soft rock
75 million
UsherUnited States1991–present1994R&B / Pop
75 million
The Black Eyed PeasUnited States1995–present1998Hip-hop / R&B / Dance
75 million
Christina AguileraUnited States1993–present1998R&B / Pop / Rock
75 million
ShakiraColombia1988–present1995Latin pop / Pop/ Pop rock
75 million
R. KellyUnited States1989–20191991R&B / Soul / Hip-hop
75 million
Robbie WilliamsUnited Kingdom1990–present1996Pop rock
75 million
Tupac ShakurUnited States1991–19961991Hip-hop
75 million
NirvanaUnited States1987–19941990Grunge / Alternative rock
75 million
Kenny GUnited States1982–present1984Smooth jazz
75 million
EnyaIreland1982–present1987New-age / Celtic
75 million
Green DayUnited States1987–present1994Punk rock / Pop punk / Alternative rock
75 million
Bryan AdamsCanada1979–present1979Rock
75 million
AlabamaUnited States1972–present1980Country / Pop rock
75 million
Bob SegerUnited States1961–present1969Rock / Pop rock / Rock and Roll
75 million
Bob MarleyJamaica1962–19811975Reggae
75 million
The PoliceUnited Kingdom1977–1986
2007–2008		1978Pop / Rock
75 million
Barry ManilowUnited States1973–present1973Pop / Soft rock
75 million
KissUnited States1972–present1974Hard rock / Heavy metal
75 million
Aretha FranklinUnited States1956–20181961Soul / Jazz / Blues / R&B
75 million