Several Australian music artists have sold over 50 million records, including Kylie Minogue, AC/DC, INXS, and The Seekers. These figures generally refer to worldwide sales, as record sales data for specific countries is less commonly tracked at that high a volume.
This list is primarily based on the ARIA database, so it does not include some of the albums which were best-sellers before ARIA began tracking records. According to ARIA certifications, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf is the best-selling album of all time in Australia, with twenty-six times platinum.
The highest-selling Australian single of all time, based on ARIA certification, is Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra), certified 26x Platinum (1,820,000+ units), though older releases often have higher physical sales figures before modern digital tracking, with Guy Sebastian's "Angels Brought Me Here" being a huge seller from the 2000s.
On 20 August 2005, Melbourne's The Age reported on the disposition of Hutchence's estate and assets, which, although estimated at between $10 million and $20 million, amounted to virtually nothing. The remainder of his estate had reportedly been sold off or swallowed in legal fees.
Artists by reputed sales
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.
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.
The megastar is only the fifth musician to make the Forbes billionaires list, where she reigns with her husband Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Bruce Springsteen. Forbes reported Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour was the highest-grossing of 2025, raking in $400 million in ticket sales, and another $50 million in merch.
Tigerlily has an estimated net worth of $300,000 in 2025.
There's no single "most popular" Australian song, as it depends on the poll, but INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart", The Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind", and Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" consistently rank at the top in various polls like ABC's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs and Crikey. Other iconic contenders include Men At Work's "Down Under", Cold Chisel's "Khe Sanh", and Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know", showing a mix of classic rock, anthems, and global hits as favorites.
The highest-grossing Australian movie at the Australian box office is Crocodile Dundee (1986), holding the record for decades with over A$47 million, followed by films like Australia, Babe, and Elvis. It's also considered the highest-grossing Australian film worldwide.
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.
Kylie Minogue is the highest-selling Australian singer, with over 80 million records sold worldwide, making her one of the most successful artists from Australia.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Pink Floyd each have three.
The highest-selling Australian single of all time, based on ARIA certification, is Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra), certified 26x Platinum (1,820,000+ units), though older releases often have higher physical sales figures before modern digital tracking, with Guy Sebastian's "Angels Brought Me Here" being a huge seller from the 2000s.
Elon Musk on track to become first trillionaire.
Yes, Kim Kardashian is generally considered richer than Taylor Swift, though both are billionaires, with Kardashian often leading due to her successful businesses like SKIMS, while Swift's wealth comes from music, tours (like The Eras Tour), and films. Recent reports (late 2025) place Kardashian's net worth around $1.9 billion, slightly ahead of Swift's $1.6 billion, though these figures fluctuate.
The richest singer of all time is generally considered to be Jay-Z, with estimated net worths reaching billions, primarily from his music, record labels (Roc-A-Fella), fashion (Rocawear), and significant investments in alcohol brands (D'usse, Ace of Spades) and tech companies like Uber. Other music billionaires include Taylor Swift and Rihanna, while Paul McCartney is the wealthiest British musician, but Jay-Z consistently leads lists of the world's richest musicians due to his diverse business empire.
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Oprah Winfrey - $3.1 billion 2. Kim Kardashian - $1.7 billion 3. Taylor Swift - $1.6 billion 4. Rihanna - $1.4 billion 5.
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.
Through his songs, concerts, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music, popularizing street dance moves such as the moonwalk, the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time.
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.