Top-Selling Albums of All Time

[Figs]

I'm not sure if this is acurate or how up to date, but I found it interesting, and disturbing.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0151020.html

Top-Selling Record Albums of All Time

28 Million
Eagles Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975, Eagles (Elektra)

26 Million
Thriller, Michael Jackson (Epic)

23 Million
The Wall, Pink Floyd (Columbia)

22 Million
Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (Swan Song)

21 Million
Greatest Hits Volumes I & II, Billy Joel (Columbia)

19 Million
Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (Warner Bros.)
Back in Black, AC/DC (Elektra)
The Beatles, The Beatles (Capitol)
Come On Over, Shania Twain (Mercury Nashville)

17 Million
Boston, Boston (Epic)
The Bodyguard (Soundtrack), Whitney Houston (Arista)

16 Million
Cracked Rear View, Hootie & the Blowfish (Atlantic)
Greatest Hits, Elton John (Rocket)
Hotel California, Eagles (Elektra)
The Beatles 1967–1970, The Beatles (Capitol)
No Fences, Garth Brooks (Capitol Nashville)
Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette (Maverick)

15 Million
Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen (Columbia)
Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin (Swan Song)
Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (Capitol)
Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack), Bee Gees (Polydor/Atlas)
The Beatles 1962–1966, The Beatles (Capitol)
Appetite for Destruction, Guns 'N Roses (Geffen)
Double Live, Garth Brooks (Capitol Nashville)

14 Million
Supernatural, Santana (Arista)
Backstreet Boys, Backstreet Boys (Jive)
Ropin' the Wind, Garth Brooks (Capitol Nashville)
Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf (Epic)

13 Million
Purple Rain (Soundtrack), Prince and the Revolution (Warner Bros.)
Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston (Arista)
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live 1975–1985 (Box set), Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (Columbia)
Greatest Hits 1974–1978, Steve Miller Band (Capitol)
Millennium, Backstreet Boys (Jive)
…Baby One More Time, Britney Spears (Jive)
Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel (Columbia)
Metallica, Metallica (Elektra)

12 Million
Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks (Monument)
Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox Twenty (Atlantic)
No Jacket Required, Phil Collins (Atlantic)
Hysteria, Def Leppard (Mercury)
Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi (Mercury)
II, Boyz II Men (Motown)
Abbey Road, The Beatles (Capitol)
Ten, Pearl Jam (Epic)
Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin (Atlantic)
Breathless, Kenny G (Arista)
Forrest Gump (Soundtrack) (Epic)
Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits, Kenny Rogers (Capitol Nashville)
Hot Rocks, The Rolling Stones (abkco)
The Woman in Me, Shania Twain (Mercury Nashville)

11 Million
James Taylor's Greatest Hits, James Taylor (Warner Bros.)
CrazySexyCool, TLC (LaFace)
Falling into You, Celine Dion (550 Music)
Dirty Dancing (Soundtrack) (RCA)
Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin (Atlantic)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (Capitol)
Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. II, Eagles (Elektra)
Pieces of You, Jewel (Atlantic)
Titanic (Soundtrack) (Sony Classical)
Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight (Single), Elton John (Rocket)
Devil Without a Cause, Kid Rock (Lava)
No Strings Attached, 'N Sync (Jive)

10 Million
Fly, Dixie Chicks (Monument)
Human Clay, Creed (Wind-Up Records)
'N Sync, 'N Sync (RCA)
Let's Talk About Love, Celine Dion (550 Music/Epic)
Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt (Trauma/Interscope)
Life After Death, Notorious B.I.G. (Bad Boy/Arista)
Best of the Doobies, Doobie Brothers (Warner Bros.)
Dookie, Green Day (Reprise)
The Stranger, Billy Joel (Columbia)
Aerosmith's Greatest Hits, Aerosmith (Columbia)
The Hits, Garth Brooks (Capitol Nashville)
Music Box, Mariah Carey (Columbia)
Unplugged, Eric Clapton (Reprise)
Tapestry, Carole King (Ode)
Greatest Hits, Journey (Capitol)
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (Atlantic)
The Immaculate Collection, Madonna (Warner Bros.)
Like a Virgin, Madonna (Sire)
Legend, Bob Marley & the Wailers (Island)
Faith, George Michael (Columbia)
Greatest Hits, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA)
Nevermind, Nirvana (DGC)
The Lion King (Soundtrack) (Walt Disney)
Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie (Motown)
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, Hammer (Capitol)
Daydream, Mariah Carey (Columbia)
Van Halen, Van Halen (Warner Bros.)
Eliminator, ZZ Top (Warner Bros.)
The Joshua Tree, U2 (Island)
1984 (MCMLXXXIV), Van Halen (Warner Bros.)

[Warham]

Yeah, that's current.

What I can't figure out is how the Eagles have sold 28 million of their greatest hits album.

[Figs]

bI was surprised at the amount of "Greatest Hits" collections on this list.

Some examples that disturb me by the fact that over 10 million people purchased these albums. All of these sold more than VH or 1984.

The Bodyguard (Soundtrack), Whitney Houston (Arista)
Cracked Rear View, Hootie & the Blowfish (Atlantic)
Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette (Maverick)
Backstreet Boys, Backstreet Boys (Jive)
Greatest Hits 1974–1978, Steve Miller Band (Capitol)
Millennium, Backstreet Boys (Jive)
…Baby One More Time, Britney Spears (Jive)
Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox Twenty (Atlantic)
II, Boyz II Men (Motown)
Forrest Gump (Soundtrack) (Epic)
Dirty Dancing (Soundtrack) (RCA)
No Strings Attached, 'N Sync (Jive)

[Figs]

I never would have guessed the Eagles was number one. I don't think I would have guessed that their greatest hits package was their own best seller.

[lms2]

Originally posted by Figs

http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0151020.html

Top-Selling Record Albums of All Time

Van Halen with David Lee Roth. "The Way it Should Be" . 2005

[Figs]

Wouldn' t that be nice...

[lms2]

****sigh****

[Wayne L.]

I don't care one way or the other about album sales & neither do the fans except record executives & the media. Cracked Rear View by Hootie & The Blowfish being such a huge album proves how STUPID some music buyers are since their music is so boring & bland along with their image.

[DLRdelight!]

crazy

[Mr Badguy]

Are you sure "The Wall" has sold more than "Dark side of the moon"?

[Diver Down NJ]

Yes. The Wall is a bigger seller even though DSOTM is a more consistent seller. Also, don't forget that The Wall probably gets counted twice because it's a double album/CD.

[Samsonite]

Actually Back in Black just went Double Diamond with 20 million a few weeks/months ago.

[Mr Badguy]

Originally posted by Diver Down NJ
Yes. The Wall is a bigger seller even though DSOTM is a more consistent seller. Also, don't forget that The Wall probably gets counted twice because it's a double album/CD.

I figured it would be something like that.

I know that Floyd themselves always refer to "DSOTM" as their biggest seller.

I think greatest hits albums should be disqualified or have a seperate chart.

[ClubDave]

i looked through this list numerous times, but i just cant seem to find 5150, balance, ou812, or F.U.C.K on here......i thought van hagar sold all these albums, and their album sales crushed classic VH, oh wait.....there is vh I at 10 million.......god damn, that red rocker sure does suck huge penis