Many iconic albums have sold over 15 million copies, including Michael Jackson's Thriller, AC/DC's Back in Black, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, The Eagles' Hotel California and Their Greatest Hits, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Shania Twain's Come On Over, and Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, alongside compilations and soundtracks like The Bodyguard and Saturday Night Fever, with Thriller often cited as the best-selling ever.
The best-selling album of all time worldwide is Michael Jackson's Thriller, with estimated sales exceeding 66-70 million copies, making it a global phenomenon since its 1982 release. The second best-selling album, often cited for the US market, is the Eagles' *Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)*, while AC/DC's Back in Black and various soundtracks also rank highly.
Garth Brooks is the artist with nine diamond-certified albums, a record for album sales (10 million+ units each), though Drake now leads in total Diamond certifications (albums and singles combined) with over 10, followed by Post Malone for singles. Brooks' nine diamond albums include classics like Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and In Pieces, making him the sole artist with this many album awards from the RIAA.
The Beatles: With over 1 billion records sold worldwide, The Beatles are often hailed as the most successful and influential band in the history of popular music. Their innovative approach to songwriting and recording has set the standard for countless artists who followed.
Garth Brooks has received seven Diamond awards for seven individual albums from the RIAA for selling over ten million units each, a feat only he can claim, and is the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history certified by the RIAA with over 138 million album sales.
George Strait holds the record for the most platinum albums, with 33 certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for selling over one million copies each in the USA, a feat that cements his status as the "King of Country" and leads all artists across genres. He is followed by Elvis Presley and The Beatles in overall platinum awards, but Strait leads the pack specifically for platinum albums.
Who is the most successful artist of all time?
Taylor Swift's album, 1989, has been certified 14x Platinum by the RIAA, officially tying it with Adele's 21 and Usher's Confessions as the highest-certified albums of this century. This milestone also makes 1989 her second RIAA Diamond album, joining Fearless. 1989 — 14x Platinum Fearless — 11x Platinum.
There's no single "number one" album due to different metrics (sales, critical acclaim, cultural impact), but Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982) is consistently cited as the best-selling album worldwide and a landmark pop record, while The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) often tops US sales charts. Other contenders for "best" often include Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and recent critical favorites like Adele's 21.
Taylor Swift is the best-selling album artist of the 21st century, with 245 million albums sold. Compared to Beyoncé's album sales, she has sold 134 million more album units.
According to Guinness World Records, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" (1942) is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
As a musician, Paul McCartney has the most number-one albums, with 27.
There's no single definitive list, but critics and fans consistently rank albums like *The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, *Michael Jackson's Thriller, *Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, *Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life, *Nirvana's Nevermind, *Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, *Radiohead's OK Computer, *Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, *David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, and *Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill among the greatest, often appearing on lists from sources like Rolling Stone, Apple Music, and fan forums. These selections span genres and eras, highlighting albums recognized for cultural impact, innovation, and enduring quality.
As of 2022, the two most honored albums at the Grammy Awards were “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” by U2 and “Supernatural” by Santana. The albums, released in 2004 and 1999, respectively, had each received nine awards as of 2022.
Taylor Swift is the highest-grossing live music artist of all time, collecting $3 billion according to Pollstar. U2, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John also passed two-billion mark in concert revenue.
Globally, Elvis has sold over one billion records, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards for 150 different albums and singles.
Jackson became a worldwide symbol through music videos and pop innovation, while Swift dominates fandom culture and fan engagement in the digital age. Ultimately, the show lands on a nuanced conclusion: both artists define their generations — just in completely different ways.
Garth Brooks is the artist with nine diamond-certified albums, a record for album sales (10 million+ units each), though Drake now leads in total Diamond certifications (albums and singles combined) with over 10, followed by Post Malone for singles. Brooks' nine diamond albums include classics like Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and In Pieces, making him the sole artist with this many album awards from the RIAA.
Today In Music History February 13, 1981 Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of Moon became the longest-running rock record on the Billboard album chart, concluding its 402nd week.
For example, the Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (running time of 121:39) and OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (running time of 134:56), both double albums, were counted twice, meaning each album was certified diamond after 5 million copies were shipped.
Nevertheless, as Twain's third diamond album, it made her the only artist to have three consecutive diamond RIAA certified albums.
What is the main difference between platinum and diamond? Platinum is a metal, while diamond is a gemstone. Platinum is known for its strength and durability, while diamonds are renowned for their brilliance and hardness.