List of best-selling music artists


The following list of best-selling music artists includes musical artists from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. The tables list artists in descending order by claimed sales; artists with equal claimed sales are ranked by certified units.
The claimed-sales and certified-unit figures include sales of albums, singles, compilation albums, and music videos as well as downloads of singles and full-length albums. Sales figures, such as those from SoundScan, which are sometimes published by Billboard magazine, are not included in the certified-units column.

Definitions

From 2011 to 2021, the number of platinum certifications for songs grew at an average annual rate of 18%. The Recording Industry Association of America and almost all other certifying bodies count streaming towards Gold and Platinum thresholds required for certification. The RIAA counts 10 downloads of individual tracks as well as 1,500 audio/video streams as an equivalent to one unit of album, including those from singles released before the album release. Theoretically, if one song were streamed 1.5 billion times on YouTube, the single would receive Diamond and its album could be certified Platinum; thus generating a combined total of 11 million certified units without any sales. Kanye West's album The Life of Pablo was certified platinum exclusively through streaming. Longer albums with more songs tend to generate more streams, which can lead to gold and platinum certifications. For example, Chris Brown's 45-song album Heartbreak on a Full Moon was certified gold in fewer than 10 days, although its singles did not perform well on sales charts.
Issued certifications for songs which have been recorded by multiple artists, including featured artists, are added to each artist's total amount of certified units, as all the artists would have played a significant part in a song. For example, "This Is What You Came For" include Rihanna and Calvin Harris, while "Where Them Girls At" include Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj, so the certifications issued for these songs are added to the total amount of certified units for all involved artists. However, the certifications issued for songs that have been recorded by four or more artists are not included, as the artists involved would have played minor roles; examples include Kanye West's "Monster" and "All Day".

Artists by reputed sales

250 million or more records

ArtistCountryPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
The BeatlesUnited Kingdom1960–19701962Rock / pop
600 million
500 million
Michael JacksonUnited States1964–20091971R&B / pop
500 million
400 million
Elvis PresleyUnited States1953–19771956Rock / pop / country / gospel
500 million
Elton JohnUnited Kingdom1962–present1970Pop / rock
300 million
250 million
QueenUnited Kingdom1971–present1973Rock / pop
300 million
250 million
MadonnaUnited States1979–present1982Pop
300 million
250 million
Led ZeppelinUnited Kingdom1968–19801969Rock
300 million
200 million
RihannaBarbados2003–present2005R&B / pop
250 million
230 million
Pink FloydUnited Kingdom1965–1996, 2005, 2012–20141967Rock
250 million
200 million

200 million to 249 million records

ArtistCountryPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
EminemUnited States1996–present1999Hip-hop
220 million
Mariah CareyUnited States1988–present1990R&B / pop
220 million
Whitney HoustonUnited States1977–20121984R&B / pop / gospel
220 million
Taylor SwiftUnited States2003–present2006Pop / country / folk
200 million
170 million
BeyoncéUnited States1997–present2002R&B / pop
200 million
160 million
Ed SheeranUnited Kingdom2004–present2011Pop
200 million
AC/DCAustralia1973–presentAC/DC ">1975Rock
200 million
EaglesUnited States1971–1980, 1994–present1972Rock
200 million
Celine DionCanada1981–present1981Pop / world
200 million
The Rolling StonesUnited Kingdom1962–present1963Rock / blues
200 million

120 million to 199 million records

ArtistCountryPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
DrakeCanada2001–present2009Hip-hop / R&B / pop
170 million
Garth BrooksUnited States1989–present1989Country
170 million
Kanye WestUnited States1996–present2003Hip-hop / pop / gospel
160 million
ColdplayUnited Kingdom1997–present1999Rock / pop
160 million
Billy JoelUnited States1964–present1971Pop / rock
160 million
Katy PerryUnited States2001–present2008Pop
151 million
Justin BieberCanada2008–present2009Pop / R&B
150 million
Bruno MarsUnited States2004–present2010Pop / R&B
150 million
Britney SpearsUnited States1998–present1998Pop
150 million
MetallicaUnited States1981–present1983Metal / rock
150 million
Bruce SpringsteenUnited States1972–present1973Rock / folk
150 million
U2Ireland1976–present1980Rock
150 million
AerosmithUnited States1970–present1973Rock
150 million
Phil CollinsUnited Kingdom1980–2011, 2015–present1981Pop / rock
150 million
Barbra StreisandUnited States1960–present1963Pop
150 million
ABBASweden1972–1982, 2016–20221972Pop / world
150 million
Julio IglesiasSpain1968–present1968Latin / pop
150 million
Frank SinatraUnited States1935–1971, 1973–19951940Easy listening / pop / jazz
150 million
Chris BrownUnited States2005–present2005R&B / hip-hop / pop
140 million
Jay-ZUnited States1996–present1996Hip-hop
125 million
Lady GagaUnited States2005–present2008Pop / electronic
124 million
Lil WayneUnited States1996–present1999Hip-hop
120 million
Maroon 5United States1994–present2002Pop / rock
120 million
AdeleUnited Kingdom2006–present2008Pop
120 million
Red Hot Chili PeppersUnited States1983–present1987Rock
120 million
Bon JoviUnited States1983–present1983Metal / rock
120 million
Fleetwood MacUnited Kingdom
United States		1967–present1968Rock / pop
120 million
Rod StewartUnited Kingdom1964–present1969Rock / pop
120 million
Bee GeesUnited Kingdom
Australia		1963–2003
2009–2012		1963Rock / pop
120 million
Roberto CarlosBrazil1961–present1963Latin / pop / rock
120 million

100 million to 119 million records

ArtistCountryPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
Nicki MinajTrinidad and Tobago2007–present2010Hip-hop / pop
100 million
Linkin ParkUnited States1996–present2000Metal / rock
100 million
George StraitUnited States1981–present1984Country
100 million
JourneyUnited States1973–present1975Rock
100 million
PinkUnited States1995–present2000Pop / rock / R&B
100 million
United States1993–present1998Pop / R&B
100 million
Shania TwainCanada1993–present1993Country / pop
100 million
B'zJapan1988–present1988Rock / pop / world
100 million
Guns N' RosesUnited States1985–present1987Rock
100 million
Backstreet BoysUnited States1993–present1995Pop
100 million
Eric ClaptonUnited Kingdom1962–present1970Rock / blues
100 million
Neil DiamondUnited States1966–present1966Pop / rock
100 million
PrinceUnited States1976–20161978R&B / rock / pop
100 million
Paul McCartneyUnited Kingdom1960–present1970Rock / pop / electronic
100 million
Janet JacksonUnited States1982–present1982R&B / pop
100 million
Kenny RogersUnited States1958–20201975Country / pop
100 million
SantanaUnited States1966–present1969Rock / Latin
100 million
Simon & GarfunkelUnited States1956–20041964Pop / folk / rock
100 million
The DoorsUnited States1965–19731967Rock
100 million
George MichaelUnited Kingdom1981–20161984Pop / R&B
100 million
Dire StraitsUnited Kingdom1977–19951978Rock
100 million
ForeignerUnited States
United Kingdom		1976–present1977Rock
100 million
ChicagoUnited States1967–present1969Rock
100 million
Bob DylanUnited States1959–present1963Rock / folk / blues / gospel / pop
100 million
Meat LoafUnited States1968–20221977Rock
100 million
The CarpentersUnited States1969–19831969Rock / pop / easy listening
100 million
CherUnited States1964–present1965Pop / rock / folk
100 million
Earth, Wind & FireUnited States1969–present1971R&B / pop
100 million
David BowieUnited Kingdom1962–20161967Rock / pop / electronic
100 million
Def LeppardUnited Kingdom1977–present1979Metal / rock
100 million
Stevie WonderUnited States1961–present1962R&B / pop / gospel
100 million
GenesisUnited Kingdom1967–1999
2006–2007
2020–2022		1969Rock
100 million
Gloria EstefanUnited States1975–present1984Latin / pop
100 million
Tina TurnerUnited States1958–20091960R&B / rock / pop
100 million
James TaylorUnited States1968–present1970Rock / pop / folk
100 million
Olivia Newton-JohnUnited Kingdom
Australia		1966–20221966Pop / country
100 million
Linda RonstadtUnited States1967–20111968Rock / folk / pop / country
100 million
The Beach BoysUnited States1961–present1962Rock / pop
100 million
Donna SummerUnited States1968–20121974R&B / pop
100 million
Diana RossUnited States1959–present1970R&B / pop
100 million
The SupremesUnited States1959–19771962R&B / pop
100 million

80 million to 99 million records

ArtistCountryPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
ShakiraColombia1988–present1995Latin / pop
95 million
Ariana GrandeUnited States2008–present2013Pop / R&B
90 million
Alicia KeysUnited States1996–present2001R&B / pop
90 million
Tim McGrawUnited States1990–present1994Country
90 million
Lionel RichieUnited States1968–present1981R&B / pop
90 million
Andrea BocelliItaly1982–present1994Operatic pop
90 million
Johnny CashUnited States1954–20031956Country / folk / rock / gospel / blues
90 million
Justin TimberlakeUnited States1992–present2002Pop / R&B
88 million
R.E.M.United States1980–20111983Rock
85 million
Kelly ClarksonUnited States2002–present2002Pop / rock
82 million
Post MaloneUnited States2013–present2015Pop / hip-hop
80 million
Flo RidaUnited States2007–present2007Hip-hop / pop
80 million
UsherUnited States1991–present1994R&B / pop
80 million
The Black Eyed PeasUnited States1995–present1998Hip-hop / pop / R&B
80 million
Van HalenUnited States1978–20201978Rock
80 million
Ayumi HamasakiJapan1998–present1998Pop / electronic / world
80 million
Tom PettyUnited States1976–20171977Rock
80 million
Johnny HallydayFrance1957–20171960Rock / pop / world
80 million

75 million to 79 million records

ArtistCountryPeriod activeRelease-year of first charted recordGenreTotal certified units
Claimed sales
The WeekndCanada2010–present2013R&B / pop
75 million
Imagine DragonsUnited States2008–present2012Rock / pop
75 million
Luke BryanUnited States2001–present2007Country
75 million
Tupac ShakurUnited States1991–19961991Hip-hop
75 million
NirvanaUnited States1987–19941990Rock
75 million
Green DayUnited States1987–present1994Rock
75 million
AlabamaUnited States1972–present1980Country / rock
75 million
OasisUnited Kingdom1991–2009
2024–present		1994Rock
75 million
R. KellyUnited States1989–20191991R&B / hip-hop / pop
75 million
Robbie WilliamsUnited Kingdom1990–present1996Pop
75 million
Bob SegerUnited States1961–present1967Rock
75 million
Kenny GUnited States1982–present1984Jazz / easy listening
75 million
EnyaIreland1982–present1987New-age / world
75 million
Bryan AdamsCanada1979–present1979Rock
75 million
Bob MarleyJamaica1962–19811975Reggae
75 million
The PoliceUnited Kingdom1977–1986
2007–2008		1978Rock
75 million
Barry ManilowUnited States1973–present1973Pop
75 million
KissUnited States1972–20231974Rock
75 million
Aretha FranklinUnited States1956–20181961R&B / gospel / jazz / pop
75 million