List of best-selling albums in the United States

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The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) is the best-selling album of all time in the U.S.

This is a list of the best-selling albums in the United States based on RIAA certification and Nielsen SoundScan sales tracking. The criteria are that the album must have been published (including self-publishing by the artist), and the album must have achieved at least a diamond certification from the RIAA. The albums released prior to March 1991 should be included with their certified units only, as their Nielsen SoundScan sales are not complete.

Since February 2016, album certifications include "on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent" units.[1]

Groupings are based on different benchmarks; the highest being for at least 20 million units, and the lowest being for multi-disc albums certified at least 10 times platinum and single-disc albums that have been certified at least 10 times platinum but with sales figures lower than 10,000,000. Albums are listed in order of units certified, or sales figures when available, by greatest to least.

As a result of the RIAA's methodology of counting each disc in a multi-disc set as one unit toward certification, most double albums on the list—such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below—have been certified with a number double the number of copies sold. Such albums have the shipments of copies, not discs, indicated. Conversely, the certification level for double albums that fit onto one compact disc such as the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack reflect the actual number of copies sold.

The albums in this list are ordered first by number of units, then by platinum awards received, and finally by artist name and album title.

Albums with two references for their estimated actual sales include sales through BMG Music Club. Albums with three references for their estimated actual sales include sales through BMG Music Club and Columbia House.

The best-selling album in the United States is Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles.

20 million or more copies[]

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification[2][3]
1976 Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) Asylum 38,000,000 38× Platinum‡
1982 Michael Jackson Thriller Epic 34,000,000 34× Platinum‡
1976 Eagles Hotel California Asylum 26,000,000 26× Platinum‡
1980 AC/DC Back in Black Atlantic 25,000,000 25× Platinum‡
1971 Led Zeppelin Untitled (“Led Zeppelin IV”) Atlantic 24,000,000 24× Platinum
1977 Fleetwood Mac Rumours Warner Bros. 20,000,000 20× Platinum

15–19 million copies[]

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification[2]
1987 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction Geffen 18,000,000 18× Platinum
1990 Garth Brooks No Fences Capitol Nashville 18,000,000 18× Platinum‡
1997 Shania Twain Come On Over Mercury Nashville (17,690,000)[4][5] 20× Platinum
1974 Elton John Greatest Hits Polydor 17,000,000 17× Platinum‡
1976 Boston Boston Epic Records 17,000,000 17× Platinum
1991 Metallica Metallica Elektra (16,330,000)[6] 16× Platinum
1977 Soundtrack / Bee Gees Saturday Night Fever RSO 16,000,000 16× Platinum‡
1995 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill Maverick (15,550,000)[4][7] 16× Platinum
1973 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon Harvest/Capitol 15,000,000 15× Platinum
1984 Bob Marley & The Wailers Legend Island 15,000,000 15× Platinum
1984 Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. Columbia 15,000,000 15× Platinum
1988 Journey Greatest Hits Columbia 15,000,000 15× Platinum

10–14 million copies[]

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification[2]
1994 Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View Atlantic (14,580,000)[4][8][9] 21× Platinum‡
2011 Adele 21 Columbia/XL 14,000,000[10] 14× Platinum‡
1972 Simon & Garfunkel Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits Columbia 14,000,000 14× Platinum
1977 Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell Epic Records 14,000,000 14× Platinum
1978 Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits 1974–78 Capitol 14,000,000 14× Platinum‡
1999 Backstreet Boys Millennium Jive (13,890,000)[4][11] 13× Platinum
1992 Soundtrack / Whitney Houston The Bodyguard Arista (13,450,000)[4][12] 18× Platinum‡
1999 Santana Supernatural Arista (13,110,000)[4][12] 15× Platinum
1971 Carole King Tapestry ODE 13,000,000 13× Platinum
1984 Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain Warner Bros. 13,000,000 13× Platinum
1985 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Arista 13,000,000 13× Platinum
2000 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP Aftermath (12,940,000)[4][11] 10× Platinum
(as of 2011)
2000 The Beatles 1 Apple/EMI/Capitol (12,800,000)[13] 11× Platinum
(as of 2010)
2000 NSYNC No Strings Attached Jive (12,680,000)[4][12] 11× Platinum
(as of 2001)
1999 Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time Jive (12,300,000)[4][11] 14× Platinum
1968 The Beatles The Beatles (“The White Album”) Apple 12,000,000 24× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1969 The Beatles Abbey Road Apple 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1969 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Atlantic 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1980 Aerosmith Greatest Hits Columbia 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1980 Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits Liberty 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1985 Phil Collins No Jacket Required Atlantic 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1986 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet Mercury Records 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1987 Def Leppard Hysteria Mercury Records 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1992 Kenny G Breathless Arista 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1997 Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys Jive (11,920,000)[4][11] 14× Platinum
1996 Celine Dion Falling into You Epic Records (11,799,000)[4][14] 12× Platinum
1999 Creed Human Clay Wind-up Records (11,700,000)[15] 11× Platinum
1979 Pink Floyd The Wall Columbia/Harvest Records 11,500,000 23x Platinum
(2-disc album)
1985 Billy Joel Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II Columbia 11,500,000 23× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1997 Soundtrack Titanic Epic Records (11,146,000)[4][16] 12× Platinum
2000 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory Warner Bros. (11,126,000)[4][15] 12× Platinum‡
2002 Norah Jones Come Away with Me Blue Note (11,100,000)[17] 12× Platinum
1967 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Capitol 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1973 Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy Atlantic 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1976 James Taylor Greatest Hits Warner Bros. 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1982 Eagles Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Asylum 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1987 Michael Jackson Bad Epic 11,000,000 11× Platinum‡
1987 Soundtrack Dirty Dancing RCA 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1997 Celine Dion Let's Talk About Love Epic Records (10,711,000)[4][14] 10× Platinum
1991 Nirvana Nevermind DGC Records (10,700,000)[4][18] 10× Platinum
2002 Eminem The Eminem Show Aftermath (10,700,000)[11] 10× Platinum
1998 Kid Rock Devil Without a Cause Atlantic Records (10,610,000)[4][19] 11× Platinum
2000 Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again Jive (10,411,000)[4][11] 10× Platinum
1998 NSYNC *NSYNC RCA (10,300,000)[4][20] 10× Platinum
2004 Usher Confessions Arista (10,300,000)[17] 10× Platinum
1998 Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces Monument (10,121,000)[4][21] 13× Platinum‡
1991 Pearl Jam Ten Epic Records (10,001,000)[22] 13× Platinum
1967 Patsy Cline Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits Decca 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1970 Elvis Presley Elvis' Christmas Album (budget reissue of 1957 LP with altered track listing) RCA Camden/Pickwick 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1976 Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle, Vol. 1 Fantasy 10,000,000 10× Platinum‡
1976 The Doobie Brothers Best of The Doobies Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1977 Billy Joel The Stranger Columbia 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1978 Van Halen Van Halen Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1981 Journey Escape Columbia 10,000,000 10× Platinum‡
1981 REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity Epic 10,000,000 10× Platinum‡
1983 Def Leppard Pyromania Mercury Records 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1983 Lionel Richie Can't Slow Down Motown 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1983 ZZ Top Eliminator Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1984 Madonna Like a Virgin Sire 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1984 Van Halen 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1986 Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill Def Jam 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1987 Whitney Houston Whitney Arista 10,000,000 10× Platinum‡
1987 George Michael Faith Columbia 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1987 U2 The Joshua Tree Island 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1989 Garth Brooks Garth Brooks Capitol 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1990 Madonna The Immaculate Collection Sire 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1990 MC Hammer Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em Capitol 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1993 Garth Brooks In Pieces Capitol 10,000,000 10× Platinum

Fewer than 10 million copies[]

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification[2]
1994 Boyz II Men II Motown (9,890,000)[4][23] 12× Platinum
1991 Garth Brooks Ropin' the Wind Capitol Nashville (9,600,000)[11] 14× Platinum
1995 No Doubt Tragic Kingdom Trauma/Interscope Records (9,520,000)[4][24] 10× Platinum
2015 Adele 25 Columbia/XL (9,450,000)[25] 11× Platinum‡
1996 Matchbox Twenty Yourself or Someone Like You Atlantic (9,358,000)[4][26] 12× Platinum
1994 Green Day Dookie Reprise Records (9,342,000)[4][27] 10× Platinum
1994 Bob Seger Greatest Hits Capitol (9,062,000)[28] 10× Platinum‡
1994 TLC CrazySexyCool LaFace (8,970,000)[4][29] 12× Platinum‡
1995 Shania Twain The Woman in Me Mercury Nashville (8,894,000)[4][30] 12× Platinum
1995 Jewel Pieces of You Atlantic (8,800,000)[4][31] 12× Platinum
2000 Nelly Country Grammar Universal (8,581,000)[32] 10× Platinum‡
1995 Mariah Carey Daydream Columbia (8,505,000)[4][33] 10× Platinum
1973 The Beatles The Beatles 1967 - 1970 Apple 8,500,000 17x Platinum
(2-disc album)
1999 Dixie Chicks Fly Monument Records (8,396,000)[21] 11× Platinum‡
1993 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits MCA (8,200,000)[34] 12× Platinum
1998 Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Columbia (8,078,477)[4][35] 10× Platinum‡
1993 Mariah Carey Music Box Columbia (8,012,000)[4][33] 10× Platinum
1975 Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti Swan Song 8,000,000 16x Platinum
(2-disc album)
2005 Nickelback All the Right Reasons Roadrunner (7,960,000)[36] 10× Platinum‡
1994 Soundtrack The Lion King Walt Disney Records (7,879,000)[37] 10× Platinum
1994 Garth Brooks The Hits Liberty Records (7,821,000)[38] 10× Platinum
1992 Eric Clapton Unplugged Reprise Records (7,617,000)[39] 10× Platinum
1973 The Beatles The Beatles 1962 - 1966 Apple 7,500,000 15x Platinum
(2-disc album)
2008 Taylor Swift Fearless Big Machine Records (7,130,000)[40] 10× Platinum‡
1997 The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death Bad Boy Records/Arista (6,320,000)[4][41] 11× Platinum‡
(2-disc album)
1998 Garth Brooks Double Live Capitol Nashville (6,017,000)[42] 21× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1971 The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1964-1971 London 6,000,000 12× Platinum
(2-disc album)
2003 Outkast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below LaFace, Arista (5,702,000)[43] 11× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1997 Garth Brooks Sevens Capitol Records (5,700,000)[44] 10× Platinum
2002 Shania Twain Up! Mercury Nashville (5,409,000)[43] 11× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1992 Garth Brooks The Chase Liberty Records (5,100,000)[44] 10× Platinum
1998 2Pac Greatest Hits Interscope (5,100,000)[45] 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1976 Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life Motown 5,000,000 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1985 The Doors The Best of The Doors Elektra 5,000,000 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1996 2Pac All Eyez On Me Death Row Records 5,000,000 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
2007 Garth Brooks The Ultimate Hits Pearl Records 5,000,000 10× Platinum‡
(2-disc album)
1995 The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness Virgin (4,900,000)[46] 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1994 Soundtrack Forrest Gump Epic Records (4,400,000)[47] 12× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1986 Bruce Springsteen Live/1975–85 Columbia 4,333,333 13× Platinum
(3-disc album)
1990 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin Boxed Set Atlantic Records 2,500,000 10× Platinum
(4-disc album)

Notes[]

  • †Only includes sales tracked by Nielsen SoundScan since March 1, 1991 and BMG Music Club sales, where available.[48]
    When tracking began, Nielsen SoundScan only had about 40% coverage of album sales.[49] SoundScan initially did not track albums sold in supermarkets, and never tracked those sold through mail-order music clubs such as Columbia House or BMG Music Club.[50][51]
  • ‡Album certifications from February 1, 2016 onward include "on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent."[1]

See also[]

References[]

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