The ten best-selling albums of all time worldwide, ranked by claimed sales figures from reliable sources and certified units.
Quick answer: 1. Thriller — Michael Jackson, 2. Back in Black — AC/DC, 3. The Bodyguard (Soundtrack) — Whitney Houston / Various, 4. Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) — Eagles, 5. Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack) — Bee Gees / Various, 6. The Dark Side of the Moon — Pink Floyd, 7. Bat Out of Hell — Meat Loaf, 8. Hotel California — Eagles, 9. Come On Over — Shania Twain, 10. Rumours — Fleetwood Mac.
These are the albums that have sold the most copies worldwide, spanning genres from pop and rock to R&B and soundtrack. Michael Jackson's Thriller sits at the top with an estimated 70 million copies sold — a record that has stood for over four decades. The list includes studio albums, soundtracks, and greatest-hits compilations, ranked by claimed sales figures as published by reliable sources. While the RIAA best-selling list focuses on the US market, this ranking is global.
Michael Jackson's sixth studio album, released in 1982, is the best-selling album of all time with an estimated 70 million copies sold worldwide. It produced seven hit singles including 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It,' and the title track, and won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards. It spent 37 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Released in 1980 as a tribute to late vocalist Bon Scott, Back in Black is the best-selling hard rock album and the second-best-selling album overall. It features iconic tracks 'Hells Bells,' 'Back in Black,' and 'You Shook Me All Night Long,' and has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide.
The soundtrack to the 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, this album is the best-selling soundtrack of all time. It features Houston's iconic cover of 'I Will Always Love You' and has sold an estimated 45 million copies worldwide.
The Eagles' first compilation album, released in 1976, is the best-selling album in US history with 38× Platinum certification from the RIAA. It has sold an estimated 42 million copies worldwide and includes classics like 'Hotel California,' 'Take It Easy,' and 'Desperado.'
The soundtrack to the 1977 film starring John Travolta, this album defined the disco era. It spawned hits including 'Stayin' Alive,' 'How Deep Is Your Love,' and 'Night Fever,' and has sold an estimated 40 million copies worldwide.
Pink Floyd's 1973 masterpiece is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed albums of all time. It spent a record 937 weeks (over 18 years) on the Billboard 200 chart and is estimated to have sold over 45 million copies worldwide. Its themes of conflict, greed, and mental illness are paired with groundbreaking production.
Meat Loaf's 1977 debut album, written by Jim Steinman, is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time. The operatic rock album spent over ten years on the Billboard 200 and has sold an estimated 43 million copies worldwide.
The Eagles' 1976 studio album featuring the legendary title track. It has sold an estimated 42 million copies worldwide, propelled by the hit singles 'Hotel California,' 'New Kid in Town,' and 'Life in the Fast Lane.'
Shania Twain's 1997 album is the best-selling country music album of all time and the best-selling studio album by a female artist. It features 'You're Still the One,' 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman!,' and 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' and has sold an estimated 40 million copies worldwide.
Fleetwood Mac's 1977 masterpiece was recorded amid intense personal turmoil as band members were splitting up, which fueled emotionally raw songwriting. It features 'Go Your Own Way,' 'Dreams,' and 'The Chain,' and has sold an estimated 40 million copies worldwide.
| # | Name | artist | year | genre | riAA_certified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thriller — Michael Jackson | Michael Jackson | 1982 | Pop, post-disco, funk, rock | 34× Platinum (US) |
| 2 | Back in Black — AC/DC | AC/DC | 1980 | Hard rock | 27× Platinum (US) |
| 3 | The Bodyguard (Soundtrack) — Whitney Houston / Various | Whitney Houston / Various | 1992 | R&B, soul, pop | 18× Platinum (US) |
| 4 | Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) — Eagles | Eagles | 1976 | Rock, country rock | 38× Platinum (US) |
| 5 | Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack) — Bee Gees / Various | Bee Gees / Various | 1977 | Disco, funk | 16× Platinum (US) |
| 6 | The Dark Side of the Moon — Pink Floyd | Pink Floyd | 1973 | Progressive rock | 15× Platinum (US) |
| 7 | Bat Out of Hell — Meat Loaf | Meat Loaf | 1977 | Rock, Wagnerian rock | 14× Platinum (US) |
| 8 | Hotel California — Eagles | Eagles | 1976 | Rock, country rock | 26× Platinum (US) |
| 9 | Come On Over — Shania Twain | Shania Twain | 1997 | Country pop | 20× Platinum (US) |
| 10 | Rumours — Fleetwood Mac | Fleetwood Mac | 1977 | Rock, pop rock | 20× Platinum (US) |
Ranking metric: claimed worldwide sales in millions of copies, as reported by reliable sources including the artist's record label, certifying bodies, and Wikipedia's list of best-selling albums. To appear, an album must have reported sales of at least 40 million copies and certifiable units. Albums are ranked by claimed sales. Where two albums share the same claimed sales figure, they are ranked by total certified units from available markets.
Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982) is the best-selling album of all time with an estimated 70 million copies sold worldwide, according to sources including the Guinness World Records and the BBC.
The RIAA list only tracks US sales and certifications. This list shows global claimed sales figures, which include international markets and are often higher than US-only figures.
The Eagles appear twice with Their Greatest Hits and Hotel California, both of which have sold over 42 million copies worldwide. The list ranks individual albums, not artists, so multiple entries from the same act are included.
The shift from physical to streaming has fundamentally changed how music is consumed. Album-equivalent units (streams) are calculated differently, and no streaming-era album has yet reached the 40 million threshold of physical and digital sales that this list requires.