List of best-selling albums by women

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard soundtrack is the best-selling album by a woman, although half of the album features tracks by various artists.

The following albums, recorded by female solo artists and all-female groups, have sold at least 10 million copies. This list can contain any types of album, including studio albums, extended plays, greatest hits, compilations, soundtracks and remixes. Various artists albums are eligible for inclusion if a woman is credited as the main artist by record charts and certifying organizations. The figures given do not take into account the resale of used albums.

The Bodyguard soundtrack by Whitney Houston (with various artists) is the best-selling album credited to a woman;[1] its sales are estimated at between 40 and 45 million copies since its release in November 1992.[2] Come On Over by Shania Twain is recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest-selling studio album by a solo female artist with over 40 million copies.[1] Previous record holders of the best-selling album by a female artist include Carole King's Tapestry attributed during the "rock era" of the 1970s by some sources and Madonna with True Blue according to the Guinness World Records (1992 edition).[3][4] Madonna also has the best-selling compilation album by a female artist (and solo artist) with The Immaculate Collection, which sold around 30 million copies.[5] Others notable appearances include Shakira, as the only Latino artist in the list thanks to her crossover album Laundry Service, and Utada Hikaru with First Love as the only Asian artist. Celine Dion has the only entirely non-English album with D'eux, which remains the best-selling French album of all-time. The Spice Girls have the best-selling album by a girl group with Spice, while Mariah Carey has the best-selling Christmas album by a female artist with Merry Christmas.

Numerous artists have multiple entries, lead by Madonna with ten of her albums and followed by Celine Dion (seven), Mariah Carey (seven) and Whitney Houston (six), while Enya, Shania Twain and Janet Jackson each have three. The first four artists also have multiple albums with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Currently, Adele's 21 is the best-selling album of the 21st century.

Groupings are based on different sales benchmarks, the highest being for claims of at least 40 million copies, and the lowest being for claims of 10 million copies. Albums are listed in order of number of copies sold and thereafter by the release year.

List of albums[]

Madonna has ten albums on the list (1983–2005), more than any other artist.
Celine Dion has seven albums on the list (1993–2002).
Mariah Carey has seven albums on the list (1990–2005).
Whitney Houston has six albums on the list (1985–2000).
Janet Jackson has three albums on the list (1986–1993).
Shania Twain has three albums on the list (1995–2002).

40 million copies or more[]

Artist Country Album Released Year Estimated Sales
Whitney Houston / various artists  United States The Bodyguard 1992 45 millions[6]

40 millions[7]

Shania Twain  Canada Come On Over 1997 40 million[8]

39 million[9]

30 to 39 million copies[]

Artist Country Album Released Year Estimated Sales
Alanis Morissette  Canada Jagged Little Pill 1995 33 million[10]
Céline Dion Falling into You 1996 32 million[11]
Céline Dion Let's Talk About Love 1997 31 million[12]
Adele  United Kingdom 21 2011 31 million[13]
Madonna  United States The Immaculate Collection 1990 30 million[14]

20 to 29 million copies[]

Artist Country Album Released Year Estimated Sales
Mariah Carey  United States Music Box 1993 28 million[15]
Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2002 26 million[16]
Carole King Tapestry 1971 25 million[17]
Madonna True Blue 1986 25 million[18]
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time 1999 25 million[19]
Spice Girls  United Kingdom Spice 1996 23 million[20]
Celine Dion  Canada All the Way... A Decade of Song 1999 22 million[21]
Whitney Houston  United States Whitney Houston 1985 22 million[22][23]
Adele  United Kingdom 25 2015 22 million[24]
Madonna  United States Like a Virgin 1984 21 million[25]
Whitney Houston Whitney 1987 20 million[26]
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 1988 20 million[27]
Celine Dion  Canada The Colour of My Love 1993 20 million[28]
Shania Twain The Woman in Me 1995 20 million[29]
Mariah Carey  United States Daydream 1995 20 million[30]
Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 2000 20 million[31]

13 to 19 million copies[]

Artist Country Album Released Year Estimated Sales
Cyndi Lauper  United States She's So Unusual 1983 16 million[32]
Madonna Ray of Light 1998 16 million[33][34]
Avril Lavigne  Canada Let Go 2001 16 million[35]
Amy Winehouse  United Kingdom Back to Black 2006 16 million[36]
Madonna  United States Like a Prayer 1990 15 million[37]
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey 1990 15 million[38]
Mariah Carey Merry Christmas 1994 15 million[39]
TLC CrazySexyCool 1994 15 million[40][41]
Mariah Carey Number 1's 1998 15 million[42]
Dido  United Kingdom No Angel 1999 15 million[43]
Enya  Ireland A Day Without Rain 2000 15 million[44]
Lady Gaga  United States The Fame 2009 15 million[45]
Janet Jackson Janet 1993 14 million[46][47][48]
Spice Girls  United Kingdom Spiceworld 1997 14 million[49]
Christina Aguilera  United States Christina Aguilera 1999 14 million[50]
Enya  Ireland Shepherd Moons 1991 13 million[51]
Destiny's Child  United States The Writing's on the Wall 1999 13 million[52]
Pink Missundaztood 2001 13 million[53]
Shakira  Colombia Laundry Service 2001 13 million[54]

10 to 12 million copies[]

Artist Country Album Released Year Estimated Sales
Barbra Streisand  United States Guilty 1980 12 million[55]
Janet Jackson Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 1989 12 million[56][57]
Celine Dion  Canada These Are Special Times 1998 12 million[58][59]
Alicia Keys  United States Songs in A Minor 2001 12 million[60]
Celine Dion  Canada A New Day Has Come 2002 12 million[61]
Dido  United Kingdom Life for Rent 2003 12 million[62]
Kelly Clarkson  United States Breakaway 2004 12 million[63]
Taylor Swift Fearless 2008 12 million[64]
Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl 1988 12 million[65][66]
Enya  Ireland Watermark 1988 11 million[67]
Madonna / various artists  United States Evita 1996 11 million[68]
Madonna Music 2000 11 million[69]
Shania Twain  Canada Up! 2002 11 million[70]
Beyoncé  United States Dangerously in Love 2003 11 million[71]
Olivia Newton-John  Australia Physical 1981 10 million[72]
Madonna  United States Madonna 1983 10 million[73]
Tina Turner Private Dancer 1984 10 million[74][75][76]
Janet Jackson Control 1986 10 million[77][78][79]
Whitney Houston I'm Your Baby Tonight 1990 10 million[80]
Madonna Something to Remember 1995 10 million[81]
Celine Dion  Canada D'eux 1995 10 million[82]
Mariah Carey  United States Butterfly 1997 10 million[83]
Cher Believe 1998 10 million[84]
Whitney Houston My Love Is Your Love 1998 10 million[85][86]
Utada Hikaru  Japan First Love 1999 10 million[87]
TLC  United States FanMail 1999 10 million[88]
Whitney Houston Whitney: The Greatest Hits 2000 10 million[89][90]
Christina Aguilera Stripped 2002 10 million[91][92][93]
Destiny's Child Survivor 2002 10 million[94]
Avril Lavigne  Canada Under My Skin 2004 10 million[95]
Madonna  United States Confessions on a Dance Floor 2005 10 million[96]
Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi 2005 10 million[97]
Susan Boyle  Scotland I Dreamed a Dream 2009 10 million[98]
Taylor Swift  United States 1989 2014 10 million[99]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Biggest-selling studio album by a female solo artist". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Adele's 21 Closing in on Billboard Charts Record". BET. May 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Taylor, Paula and John Keely (1976). Carole King. Creative Education. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-87191-465-1. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2013 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ McFarland, Donald; McWhirter, Norris (1992). Guinness World Records 1992. Guinness World Records. p. 197. ISBN 978-0851123783. Retrieved July 15, 2021. The best-selling album by a woman is True Blue by Madonna, which had sold almost 17 million copies by October 1990.
  5. ^ "30 years in the spotlight: Madonna's highs and lows". The National. Abu Dhabi. June 1, 2021. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Brooklyne, Gipson (January 26, 2012). "Adele's 21 Closing in on Billboard Charts Record". BET. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Agence France-Presse (AFP) (May 23, 2014). "Angela Bassett to bring Whitney Houston's life story to TV". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Vain, Madison (September 28, 2017). "The Catch-Up: Your guide to 24 years of Shania Twain". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Corner, Lewis (November 4, 2011). "Lady GaGa works with AC/DC producer". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Montgomery, James (January 2, 2010). "'YOU OUGHTA KNOW': THE STORY BEHIND BEYONCE'S GRAMMY COVER". MTV. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "Celine Dion celebrates 25 years of multi-million selling Falling Into You album". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  12. ^ Anderson, Jason (January 19, 2008). "Learning to love Céline Dion". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  13. ^ "Adele says she battled depression, before and after son's birth". Reuters. October 31, 2016. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  14. ^ Kawaguchi, Judit (November 13, 2007). "Goh Hotoda". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  15. ^ Macias, Ernest (December 6, 2017). "The Catch-Up: Your guide to Mariah Carey's glittering career". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  16. ^ Brown, Helen (April 27, 2012). ""Norah Jones, Little Broken Hearts, CD review"". TheTelegraph. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  17. ^ Rosen, James (April 19, 2012). ""'A Natural Woman' by Carole King"". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  18. ^ Kaufman, Gil (March 29, 2012). "MADONNA AND LIONEL RICHIE TO REUNITE ON BILLBOARD CHARTS?". MTV. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "The Curious Case Of Britney Spears: 5 Reasons Why The Princess of Pop Rules". VIBE. February 14, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  20. ^ Anderson, Sarah (12 November 2010). "The 50 best-selling albums ever". NME. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  21. ^ "EWAN MACCOLL - Music Publishing". Concord Music Group. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Inside Whitney's world". NBC News. September 28, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  23. ^ Booker, Bobbi (February 14, 2012). "Philly reflects on Houston's legacy". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  24. ^ Trendell, Andrew (February 7, 2018). ""Turns out Adele made rather a lot of money from her last world tour"". NME. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  25. ^ ""Contrasting fortunes as Madonna, Jacko turn 50"". ABC Online. August 14, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  26. ^ Hicks, Jonathan P. (June 27, 2013). "This Day in Black History: June 27, 1987". BET. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  27. ^ "Tracy Chapman's new greatest hits album celebrates a quietly powerful legacy". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  28. ^ Hamard, Jonathan (September 12, 2010). ""Série de l'été : la carrière de Céline Dion"". Charts in France. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  29. ^ Goldberg, Danny (2005). How the Left Lost Teen Spirit. ISBN 9780971920682. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  30. ^ Wright, Matthew (October 1, 2015). "How well do you know the lyrics to Mariah Carey's 'Daydream'?". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  31. ^ "OOPS! WEEK: 10 FUN FACTS". BritneySpears.com. May 10, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-09-01. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  32. ^ "Cyndi Lauper is back, and the girl still wants to have fun – Times Online". Entertainment.TimesOnline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  33. ^ Taraborrelli 2002, pp. 303
  34. ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (July 5, 2009). "Orbit switches from Madonna to Tennyson with live Radio 3 epic". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  35. ^ "Avril Lavigne Ends North American Run of Shows with Two Dates In Washington Beginning May 9". transworldnews.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  36. ^ Bliss, Karen (20 September 2018). "Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black' Documentary Offers Revealing Commentary From Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  37. ^ "100 WOMEN OF THE YEAR, 1989: Madonna". Time. March 5, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  38. ^ Runtagh, Jordan (September 15, 2017). "Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  39. ^ Thompson, Tom (April 19, 2008). "Let the Yuel Duel Begin". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  40. ^ "Just who is Dallas Austin?". gulfnews.com.
  41. ^ Bugbee, Teo (June 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Follows Prince: The Artist Who Tamed the Corporate Giant" – via www.thedailybeast.com.
  42. ^ "Biographie : Mariah Carey". Plurielles. TF1 Group. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  43. ^ "The Billboard Britlist". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 46– 23 March 2002. ISSN 0006-2510.
  44. ^ "A multi-million selling superstar". Belfast Telegraph. November 19, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2021. Enya continued to enjoy steady success during the Nineties up to her 2000 album A Day Without Rain which sold 15 million copies
  45. ^ "Lady Gaga adds second show in Singapore". AsiaOne. February 27, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  46. ^ Loughlin, Sean (November 6, 2017). "Boardwalk hall looks to get 'nasty' with janet jackson". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  47. ^ Morris, Chris (May 17, 2018). "Looking Back at Janet Jackson's Innovative 'janet.' 25 Years Later". Variety. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  48. ^ Terrell, Ashley G. (May 18, 2018). "Jimmy Jam On Janet Jackson's 2018 Billboard Icon Award: It's "Overdue"". Vibe. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  49. ^ Smith 2019, p. 167
  50. ^ Dresdale, Andrea (August 14, 2019). "Christina Aguilera releasing 20th anniversary edition of debut album". ABC News. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  51. ^ Cizmar, Martin (10 November 2009). "Enya's Greatest Hits Coming Soon... Wait, Enya Had Hits?". Phoenix New Times Village Voice Media. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  52. ^ "Dream Girl: Why Beyoncé Knowles is a 21st-century role model". The Independent. September 21, 2011.
  53. ^ "Pink Renews Global Deal with EMI Music Publishing". EMI. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16.
  54. ^ Tamara, Edwin (2011-11-08). "Shakira enshrined with Hollywood sidewalk star". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
  55. ^ Loman, Anthony (September 28, 2005). "Sounds like guilty". The Westmorland Gazette. Newsquest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  56. ^ Kreps, Daniel (September 20, 2019). "Janet Jackson Releases Massive 'Rhythm Nation 1814' Remix Collection". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  57. ^ Norment, Lynn (April 2008). "Don't Call It A Come Back". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company: 74. ISSN 0012-9011.
  58. ^ Gilles Rio (17 October 2003). "Céline Dion: The Recordbreaking Diva". Radio France Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  59. ^ Chuck Taylor (2007). These Are Special Times Collector's Edition liner notes. p. 4.: "In all, the album has so far sold (...) 12 million worldwide".
  60. ^ Wang, Daisy (November 9, 2016). "Alicia Keys discovers herself in latest album". The Daily Texan. Retrieved 2017-02-25. After leaving Columbia University to pursue a singing career, Keys broke into the music scene in 2001 with her album, Songs in A Minor, which sold 12 million copies worldwide and won Keys five Grammys.
  61. ^ "Queen of Hearts" (PDF). Billboard. 16 February 2008. p. 30. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  62. ^ Barker, Emily (September 23, 2014). "That's Not What We Call Music: 19 Unfathomably Popular Albums Of The 00s". NME. Retrieved 2017-02-25. Let us be frank: Dido's debut, 'No Angel', wasn't much cop either. But it was superior to follow-up 'Life For Rent', which sold over 12 million copies worldwide and was the seventh best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK.
  63. ^ "Kelly Clarkson and Bruno Mars to perform on 'The X Factor' results show". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media Services. November 21, 2007. Archived from the original on November 22, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  64. ^ "Nine years on, Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' is certified Diamond for U.S. sales of 10 million". The Music Network. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  65. ^ News, Gary Graff, Knight-Ridder Tribune. "ABDUL`S DUES". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  66. ^ "Forever Your Girl album | Paula-Abdul.com". www.paula-abdul.com. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  67. ^ Taylor, Colleen (November 12, 2015). "Enya's epilogue to smash hit". The Irish Echo. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  68. ^ Clerk 2008, p. 142
  69. ^ Gerard, Chris (July 15, 2009). "Madonna's 'Hard Candy' Strikes Sour Note". WRC-TV. Washington. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  70. ^ "Shania Twain's life and career in photos". Hello!. August 28, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  71. ^ Chandler, D. L. (April 5, 2011). "Jay-Z And Beyoncé Celebrate Three Years Of Wedded Bliss". MTV Rapfix. Viacom. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012.
  72. ^ "Houston Chronicle – At 37, Olivia Newton-John no longer does 'cutesy' material". Chron.com. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  73. ^ Levin, Will (September 24, 2019). "Madonna's first four albums to be reissued on stunning crystal clear vinyl". New Musical Express. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  74. ^ Pareles, Jon (1987-08-12). "The Pop Life (Published 1987)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  75. ^ Sexton, Paul (10 August 1996). "Billboard: Virgin's Turner bring her dreams to U.S." Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 25–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  76. ^ Eliezer, Christie (September 6, 2008). "APRA Lauds Aussie Manager Davies". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  77. ^ Norment, Lynn (April 2008). "Don't Call It A Come Back". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company: 74–. ISSN 0012-9011.
  78. ^ Tannenbaum, Rob (October 6, 2015). "Janet Jackson Shows Off Her Resilience on 'Unbreakable': Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  79. ^ "Controlling the Game". Black Entertainment Television. November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  80. ^ Runtagh, Jordan (September 15, 2017). "Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  81. ^ "El reinado de Madonna a través de sus discos". Univision (in Spanish). Univision Communications. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  82. ^ D'eux worldwide sales:
  83. ^ Macias, Ernest (December 6, 2017). "The Catch-Up: Your guide to Mariah Carey's glittering career". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  84. ^ "Cher Says 'Farewell' With 50-City Tour". Billboard. May 1, 2002. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  85. ^ Jeff Silberman (May 13, 2000). Executive VP/GM Charles Goldstuck: Accelerating the momentum. Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  86. ^ Anderson, Sarah (February 12, 2012). "Whitney Houston – tributes pour in". NME. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  87. ^ "Utada is Japan's stealth pop star debuting here". Baltimore Sun. September 30, 2004. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  88. ^ "VH1 To Do Made For TV Film About TLC". 105.9 Kiss-FM. December 2, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  89. ^ O'Connell, Mikey (February 11, 2012). "Whitney Houston Dominates iTunes Charts".
  90. ^ Kenneally, Tim (February 14, 2012). "Whitney Houston's Death Could Earn Dolly Parton a Bundle" – via www.reuters.com.
  91. ^ Holley, Heather (January 15, 2011). "Soaring With Christina Aguilera". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  92. ^ "Biografías de artistas: Christina Aguilera". VH1 Latin America. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  93. ^ Marolle, Emmanuel (October 4, 2013). "Christina Aguilera, c'est bien ce soir". Le Parisien. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  94. ^ "Destined for a repeat success". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 1, 2004.
  95. ^ Fulton, Rick. "Avril Lavigne: Madonna is my idol". Daily Record.
  96. ^ Corner, Lewis. "Madonna's new album: What we know so far". DigitalSpy.
  97. ^ "The Business of Justin Bieber". Hollywood Reporter. October 2, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  98. ^ Kisiel, Ryan (January 18, 2010). "Tragedies, feuds and public tantrums: Is the dream finally over for Susan Boyle?". News.com.au. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Releases first album I Dreamed A Dream through Simon Cowell's label. Sells 10 million copies worldwide.
  99. ^ "Taylor Swift returns to Spotify on the day Katy Perry's album comes out". BBC News. June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017.

Bibliography[]

Retrieved from ""