The Beatles sold the most albums in the 1960s by a significant margin, dominating charts with multiple best-selling records like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, and The Beatles (White Album), making them the commercially most successful act of the decade. While Herb Alpert had a huge year in 1966, The Beatles' consistent output and cultural impact throughout the decade secured their top spot in overall album sales for the 60s.
It is no surprise that the Beatles were the commercially most successful act in the 1960s.
Fun Fact: Garth Brooks is the only artist in history to have nine albums certified Diamond… More than The Beatles, Elvis, Drake, and Taylor Swift… COMBINED.
In 1966, Herb Alpert sold over 13 million records. That was more than The Beatles sold that year. He is also a recording industry executive, the "A" of A&M Records, a record company he and business partner, Jerry Moss, founded in the early 60's.
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.
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.
Top 15 Best-Selling Rock Artists of All Time in U.S. Sales
George Strait holds the world record for the most certified platinum albums by ANY artist — in any genre?! That's right… the King of Country has an unbelievable 33 certified platinum albums under his belt!
Jagger watched it all unfold from his spot with the Stones. "The Beatles were so big that it's hard for people not alive at the time to realize just how big they were. There isn't a real comparison with anyone now," he said.
Michael Jackson's Thriller album is widely considered to be the best-selling vinyl record of all time, with estimated global sales figures exceeding 66 million units since its release in 1982. Overall popularity, however, can be pretty subjective as trends can change drastically through the years.
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.
Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles is the best-selling album of all time in the U.S. Since February 2016, album certifications include "on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent" units.
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.
According to sales data compiled by the Official Charts Company, the biggest selling single of the 1960s was She Loves You by The Beatles. I Want to Hold Your Hand, recorded by the Fab Four in 1963, came second.
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.
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Released in 1982, thriller is the biggest selling album of all time, claiming sales of over 65 million, a feat no other artist has been able to beat. The King of Pop produced numerous number one songs from this album, such as; 'Beat it', 'Billie Jean', and of course 'Thriller'.
The Beatles (they're the best-selling music artist of all time, with over 600 million records sold)
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.
As to be expected, due to his far greater number of total chart entries, Elvis has the advantage over The Beatles in most performance categories. Presley placed 102 titles in Billboard's top 40, while The Beatles had 50 entries that made it that far up the chart. In the top 20, Elvis had 61 songs and The Beatles 37.
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.
Oasis have the edge on the albums sold in the UK, but most of those were Morning Glory - Take That have sold more consistently, though with two more albums than Oasis released.
As of December 2025, six music artists have reached the billionaire status on Forbes reports: Jay-Z leading the list with $2.5 billion, Taylor Swift—the richest female musician—and then Rihanna, the first female artist to become a billionaire.
Queen – Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, July 1985
Held in July, this concert has been voted the greatest live performance of all time. Freddie Mercury commanded the stage, and the band delivered a flawless set that captivated both the audience and history books.