Top-Selling Artists ever according to chartmasters.org

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chartmasters.org is a site managed by a team of music enthusiasts, who have been analyzing and researching data on the popularity and sales of songs, albums and music artists. Their current list is not complete but they continue to obtain information for music artists that have not been studied yet and post the article when finished. They also update previously studied music artists to for a more accurate estimated figures.


For the complete list of their already studied music artists: CSPC: Data Collector - Page 24 of 26 - ChartMasters


The top 20 best-selling artists ever so far:

1. The Beatles405,737,000 (as of Mar 2017)
2. Michael Jackson323,741,000 (as of Sep 2017)
3. Elvis Presley312,266,000 (as of Sep 2018)
4. Madonna241,134,000 (as of Aug 2017)
5. Queen238,637,000 (as of Oct 2017)
6. The Rolling Stones237,135,000 (as of Dec 2016)
7. Pink Floyd229,426,000 (as of Jun 2017)
8. Led Zeppelin200,459,000 (as of Aug 2016)
9. Elton John196,130,000 (as of Feb 2018)
10. U2194,519,000 (as of Aug 2016)
11. Céline Dion193,422,000 (as of Sep 2016)
12. AC/DC191,030,000 (as of Feb 2018)
13. Eagles171,069,000 (as of Dec 2017)
14. Mariah Carey167,149,000 (as of Apr 2017)
15. Bruce Springsteen157,024,000 (as of Jul 2017)
16. Bee Gees156,874,000 (as of Apr 2017)
17. ABBA156,623,000 (as of Nov 2016)
18. Eminem154,954,000 (as of Aug 2016)
19. Barbra Streisand152,498,000 (as of Mar 2018)
20. Whitney Houston151,693,000 (as of May 2017)
21. Phil Collins147,408,000 (as of Apr 2018)
22. Billy Joel146,695,000 (as of Oct 2016)
23. Fleetwood Mac144,842,000 (as of Oct 2016)
24. Bon Jovi144,095,000 (as of Nov 2016)
25. Bob Dylan142,291,000 (as of Oct 2016)
26. Metallica139,406,000 (as of Aug 2016)
27. Bob Marley135,464,000 (as of Nov 2017)
28. Aerosmith130,011,000 (as of Jun 2018)
29. David Bowie125,785,000 (as of Jan 2017)
30. Simon & Garfunkel123,913,000 (as of May 2018)
31. Guns N’ Roses117,930,000 (as of Mar 2018)
32. Dire Straits108,525,000 (as of Mar 2018)
33. George Michael & Wham!104,743,000 (as of May 2017)
34. Britney Spears100,827,000 (as of Feb 2018)
35. Backstreet Boys94,409,000 (as of Feb 2017)
36. Red Hot Chili Peppers90,968,000 (as of Mar 2018)
37. Nirvana89,182,000 (as of Jul 2017)
38. Rihanna86,846,000 (as of Nov 2017)
39. Enya86,457,000 (as of Feb 2018)
40. Coldplay84,997,000 (as of Jun 2017)
41. Adele84,148,000 (as of Mar 2018)
42. Green Day81,156,000 (as of Mar 2017)
43. Shania Twain80,479,000 (as of Dec 2016)
44. Linkin Park78,156,000 (as of Jun 2017)
45. Janet Jackson77,131,000 (as of Apr 2017)
46. Johnny Hallyday75,403,000 (as of Jan 2018)
47. Beyoncé74,052,000 (as of May 2018)
48. Cher72,354,000 (as of Aug 2017)
49. Taylor Swift68,538,000 (as of Oct 2017)
50. P!nk62,872,000 (as of Oct 2017)




For the complete list of their top-selling singles so far: CSPC: Data Collector - Page 7 of 26 - ChartMasters


The current top selling singles ever so far

1. 1997 – Céline Dion – My Heart Will Go On [Titanic / Let’s Talk About Love] – 62,750,000
2. 1976 – Eagles – Hotel California [Hotel California] – 51,840,000
3. 1982 – Michael Jackson – Billie Jean [Thriller] – 41,580,000
4. 1992 – Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You [The Bodyguard] – 33,620,000
5. 1977 – Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive [Saturday Night Fever] – 31,660,000
6. 1975 – Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody [A Night at the Opera] – 29,660,000
7. 1964 – Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence [Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. / Sounds of Silence] – 28,800,000
8. 1982 – Michael Jackson – Beat It [Thriller] – 26,990,000
9. 1961 – Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling in Love [Blue Hawaii] – 26,940,000
10. 1971 – Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven [Led Zeppelin IV] – 26,320,000
11. 1981 – Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight [Face Value] – 25,090,000
12. 1976 – ABBA – Dancing Queen [Arrival] – 24,490,000
13. 1986 – Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer [Slippery When Wet] – 23,460,000
14. 1987 – U2 – With Or Without You [The Joshua Tree] – 23,430,000
15. 1982 – Michael Jackson – Thriller [Thriller] – 23,290,000
16. 1981 – Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure [Hot Space] – 22,880,000
17. 1975 – Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here [Wish You Were Here] – 22,260,000
18. 1980 – AC/DC – Back in Black [Back in Black] – 21,680,000
19. 1978 – Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing [Dire Straits] – 20,880,000
20. 1996 – Spice Girls – Wannabe [Spice] – 20,670,000
21. 1980 – Queen – Another One Bites the Dust [The Game] – 20,500,000
22. 1987 – Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) [Whitney] – 19,630,000
23. 1976 – Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way [Rumours] – 19,540,000
24. 1989 – Phil Collins – Another Day in Paradise […But Seriously] – 19,230,000
25. 1968 – Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson [Bookends] – 18,990,000
26. 1970 – Elton John – Your Song [Elton John] – 18,940,000
27. 1987 – Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine [Appetite for Destruction] – 18,880,000
28. 1991 – Michael Jackson – Black or White [Dangerous] – 18,760,000
29. 1972 – Eagles – Take It Easy [Eagles] – 18,700,000
30. 1957 – Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock [Jailhouse Rock] – 18,690,000
31. 1980 – AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long [Back in Black] – 18,560,000
32. 1989 – Madonna – Like A Prayer [Like A Prayer] – 18,550,000
33. 1999 – Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way [Millennium] – 18,360,000
34. 1979 – AC/DC – Highway to Hell [Highway to Hell] – 17,950,000
35. 1998 – Britney Spears – …Baby One More Time […Baby One More Time] – 17,940,000
36. 1978 – John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You’re the One That I Want [Grease] – 17,680,000
37. 1977 – Queen – We Will Rock You [News of the World] – 17,590,000
38. 1991 – Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit [Nevermind] – 17,330,000
39. 1975 – Aerosmith – Walk This Way [Toys in the Attic] – 17,270,000
40. 1957 – Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas [Elvis’ Christmas Album] – 17,250,000
41. 1983 – U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday [War] – 16,800,000
42. 1979 – Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) [The Wall] – 16,700,000
43. 1986 – Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name [Slippery When Wet] – 16,520,000
44. 1996 – Céline Dion – Because You Loved Me [Falling Into You] – 16,310,000
45. 1991 – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge [Blood Sugar Sex Magik] – 16,160,000
46. 1995 – Alanis Morissette – Ironic [Jagged Little Pill] – 16,060,000
47. 1963 – The Beatles – I Want to Hold Your Hand [Meet The Beatles!] – 15,690,000
48. 1977 – Bee Gees – How Deep Is Your Love [Saturday Night Fever] – 15,600,000
49. 1966 – The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black [Aftermath] – 15,590,000
50. 1978 – Bob Marley – Is This Love [Kaya] – 15,470,000





BEST-SELLING MUSIC ARTISTS based on PURE ALBUM SALES only.
link: Data Collector - Best selling artists (pure album sales) - ChartMasters
(no update yet)



1. The Beatles – 333,145,000 (as of Mar 2017)
2. Michael Jackson – 235,440,000 (as of Sep 2017)
3. Pink Floyd – 203,010,000 (as of Jun 2017)
4. Madonna – 201,900,000 (as of Aug 2017)
5. The Rolling Stones – 201,100,000 (as of Dec 2016)
6. Led Zeppelin – 182,500,000 (as of Aug 2016)
7. Queen – 179,295,000 (as of Oct 2017)
8. Céline Dion – 171,625,000 (as of Sep 2016)
9. AC/DC – 169,670,000 (as of Feb 2018)
10. U2 – 169,000,000 (as of Aug 2016)
11. Elton John – 167,640,000 (as of Feb 2018)
12. Eagles – 153,885,000 (as of Dec 2017)
13. Mariah Carey – 144,375,000 (as of Apr 2017)
14. Barbra Streisand – 138,610,000 (as of Mar 2018)
15. Bruce Springsteen – 138,400,000 (as of Jul 2017)
16. ABBA – 130,250,000 (as of Nov 2016)
17. Fleetwood Mac – 129,650,000 (as of Oct 2016)
18. Billy Joel – 129,075,000 (as of Oct 2016)
19. Whitney Houston – 128,600,000 (as of May 2017)
20. Bob Dylan – 128,375,000 (as of Oct 2016)
21. Bee Gees – 125,795,000 (as of Apr 2017)
22. Metallica – 124,650,000 (as of Aug 2016)
23. Bob Marley – 120,150,000 (as of Nov 2017)
24. Bon Jovi – 115,650,000 (as of Nov 2016)
25. Eminem – 108,300,000 (as of Aug 2016)
26. David Bowie – 103,910,000 (as of Jan 2017)
27. Guns N’ Roses – 102,770,000 (as of Mar 2018)
28. Dire Straits – 100,350,000 (as of Mar 2018)
29. George Michael & Wham! – 83,200,000 (as of May 2017)
30. Enya – 82,500,000 (as of Feb 2018)
31. Backstreet Boys – 79,850,000 (as of Feb 2017)
32. Nirvana – 79,800,000 (as of Jul 2017)
33. Red Hot Chili Peppers – 76,435,000 (as of Mar 2018)
34. Britney Spears – 76,380,000 (as of Feb 2018)
35. Shania Twain – 71,750,000 (as of Dec 2016)
36. Green Day – 70,295,000 (as of Mar 2017)
37. Coldplay – 62,500,000 (as of Jun 2017)
38. Linkin Park – 62,100,000 (as of Jun 2017)
39. Janet Jackson – 59,650,000 (as of Apr 2017)
40. Adele – 59,110,000 (as of Mar 2018)
41. Johnny Hallyday – 55,740,000 (as of Jan 2018)
42. Cher – 53,350,000 (as of Aug 2017)
43. Michael Bublé – 52,995,000 (as of Dec 2016)
44. Oasis – 48,720,000 (as of Dec 2017)
45. Norah Jones – 45,280,000 (as of Nov 2016)
46. P!nk – 42,100,000 (as of Oct 2017)
47. Taylor Swift – 41,875,000 (as of Oct 2017)
48. Shakira – 41,400,000 (as of Dec 2016)
49. Nickelback – 41,300,000 (as of Jun 2017)
50. Cranberries – 41,050,000 (as of Jan 2018)
 
Last edited:
Lists updated just today! :)
 
Good to see The Beatles are still the kings.

Surprised Candle in the Wind isn't in there.
 
Good to see The Beatles are still the kings.

Surprised Candle in the Wind isn't in there.

The reason why Candle In The Wind 1997 is not on the list is because it is a charity song.
 
Good to see The Beatles are still the kings.

Surprised Candle in the Wind isn't in there.


I agree. The Beatles have such a rich catalogue with various genres intertwined. A lot of musicians tend to get caught up in one style, while the Beatles continued to innovate and experiment.
 
I think it's safe to say that no other song can beat My Heart Will Go On
 
So, no songs after 1998?

Would it be cause of free online music stuff?
 
Good to see that my favorite Led Zeppelin is on the list!
 
No Prince, Tupac, Metallica, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, BTS, or Ariana Grande? Interesting.
 
It's sad that the people we are talking about are the most comercial now days:cwink:
 
No Prince, Tupac, Metallica, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, BTS, or Ariana Grande? Interesting.


You know what, I will post the Top 50 instead of Top 20 only.


But for more information, check that site.


I've also added the top 50 best-selling music artists based on pure album sales only.
 
Last edited:
The Ealges are killing it with new certifications. #1 and #3! Though I hear RIAA only count when they are paid to do it, so who knows on some artists.

The Eagles’ greatest hits album has moonwalked past Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to become history’s best-selling album of all-time in the U.S.

The Recording Industry Association of America told The Associated Press on Monday that the Eagles’ album — “Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975” — is now certified 38x platinum, which means sales and streams of the album have reached 38 million copies.

The album was released in 1976 and pushes Jackson’s “Thriller,” which is 33x platinum, to second place.

RIAA also said that the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” released in 1977, is now 26x platinum and makes it the third best-selling album of all-time.

The last time RIAA tallied sales for the Eagles’ greatest hits album was in 2006, when it said it was 29x platinum. Sales and streams for “Thriller” were last updated last year.

“We are grateful for our families, our management, our crew, the people at radio and, most of all, the loyal fans who have stuck with us through the ups and downs of 46 years. It’s been quite a ride,” Don Henley said in a statement.

RIAA’s platinum status was once equivalent to selling one million albums or songs, but in 2013 the company began incorporating streaming from YouTube, Spotify and other digital music services to determine certification for albums and songs.

Now 1,500 streams of an album is equivalent to an album sale. Also, 10 song downloads = 1 album sale.

http://time.com/money/5373055/michael-jackson-thriller-the-eagles/
 

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