The best-selling female artist of all time, recognized by Guinness World Records and various music authorities, is Madonna, with estimated sales exceeding 300 million records (albums & singles) globally, placing her among the top-selling artists overall, behind only The Beatles, Elvis, and Michael Jackson. Known as the "Queen of Pop," her massive sales are attributed to decades of reinvention and global hits.
Madonna probably only beats Mariah in total global record sales. The most successful male singer in the entire pop music scene is Michael Jackson, and for female singers, it's Mariah Carey! Pat Patoutou Say what? Madonna is in the Guiness Book Of Records for having an overall Sales Number of 400 Million...
👑🔝 Our girl runs the world! Taylor Swift has officially been ranked the #1 biggest female artist of the 21st century by Billboard.
Who is the most successful artist of all time?
Houston's "I Will Always Love You" became the best-selling physical single by a female in music history, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide.
Taylor Swift has surpassed Madonna to claim the title of best-selling female artist of all time in ChartMasters' global all-time ranking. The update places Swift fifth overall among all artists, just behind The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Queen.
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.
Artists by reputed sales
The 2023 list was compiled by the magazine's staff and key contributors. American singer Aretha Franklin topped the list both times.
The best female singers in the world - overview
Yes, Taylor Swift is currently estimated to be richer than Beyoncé, with Forbes reporting Swift's net worth at approximately $1.6 billion in late 2024/early 2025, largely from her Eras Tour and music catalog, while Beyoncé's net worth is estimated around $700-$800 million, though she recently crossed the billionaire threshold. Swift became the first musician to reach billionaire status solely from her music and performances, surpassing Beyoncé's wealth.
Madonna boasts 400 million record sales, making her the most sold female artist globally; Mariah Carey holds the record for most number-one singles among female artists worldwide; and Whitney Houston possesses one of the best voices in America.
Taylor Swift has now earned 13 career No. 1 songs on the #Hot100 in her career. 📈 She ties Drake and Michael Jackson for the fourth-most of all time, after the Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (19) and Rihanna (14).
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 Bodyguard soundtrack by Whitney Houston (with various artists) is the best-selling album credited to a woman; its sales are over 45 million copies since its release in November 1992.
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.
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.
The "number one played song in the world" depends on the metric: The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify (over 5.231 billion streams), while Djo's "End of Beginning" was a top global song recently on Spotify; historically, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time, and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is the biggest-selling single since charts began, but in terms of current global popularity, it's a rotating list with many contenders.
To celebrate National Album Day 2024, we reveal the top 20 most played British groups since 2000. PPL can reveal that Coldplay is the most played British group of the 21st century, surpassing rock icons Queen to claim the top spot.
Oprah Winfrey - $3.1 billion 2. Kim Kardashian - $1.7 billion 3. Taylor Swift - $1.6 billion 4. Rihanna - $1.4 billion 5.
ARETHA FRANKLIN. Many would put this woman at the top of any numbered list as the best female vocalist and they'd have good reason. The “Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Her family moved to New York when she was two years old, then permanently to Detroit, Michigan, when she was five.