Michael Jackson holds the record for the most number-one hits from a single album on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with five consecutive #1s from his album Bad, a feat he achieved in 1987-1988. This was an unprecedented record, later matched by Katy Perry with her album Teenage Dream (2010).
Katy Perry, 'Teenage Dream' – 2010-12
Talk about a dream come true. For 23 years, no artist had matched Michael Jackson's record of five No. 1s from a single album (Bad). Until Katy Perry.
Michael's Bad Album reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart on this date in 1987. It became the first album in history to produce five consecutive #1 hits with “I Just Can't Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man In The Mirror” and “Dirty Diana”.
Garth Brooks is the only artist with nine Diamond-certified albums, a unique achievement for album sales, though other artists like Drake and Post Malone have more total Diamond certifications (singles + albums). Brooks' Diamond albums include No Fences, Ropin' the Wind, The Hits, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses, Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and Man Against Machine.
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.
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.
Who is the most successful artist of all time?
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.
There's no single "number 1 artist of all time" as it's subjective, but Leonardo da Vinci often tops lists for visual art due to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, while The Beatles are frequently cited as the best-selling music group ever, and Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley are often named as top solo music artists by sales and influence. Modern metrics like Spotify streams point to artists like Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift for recent dominance.
Taylor Swift officially ties Michael Jackson and Drake as the artist with the fourth most #1 hits in Hot 100 history (13 each). Taylor Swift officially ties Michael Jackson and Drake as the artist with the fourth most #1 hits in Hot 100 history (13 each).
. @Drake extends his record for most @RIAA Diamond certified records in history, across singles or albums. He has 16 total; 15 songs and 1 album.
The Beatles have the most number-one hits on the chart, with 20 songs having reached the top position.
As of December 2025, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is the most-streamed artist, and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny is the most-streamed male artist in Spotify's history.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever.
Garth Brooks is the only artist with nine Diamond-certified albums, a unique achievement for album sales, though other artists like Drake and Post Malone have more total Diamond certifications (singles + albums). Brooks' Diamond albums include No Fences, Ropin' the Wind, The Hits, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses, Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and Man Against Machine.
There's no single "number one song of all time" as it depends on the criteria (sales, streams, cultural impact, critics' choice), but top contenders include The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" (most streamed on Spotify), Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" (Rolling Stone's pick for greatest), and songs like The Beatles' "Yesterday", Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You", or Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" often cited for massive sales, charts, or influence.
There's no single "best album of all time" as it's subjective, but critically acclaimed and popular choices consistently include The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, with recent lists from Apple Music placing Miseducation at #1, while Rolling Stone often highlights Sgt. Pepper's.
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.