Algerian Raï legend Cheb Khaled has been named Africa’s best-selling music artist, with an astonishing 81 million units sold, topping a recent list by African Fact Zone that celebrates the continent’s most commercially successful musicians.
The rankings, circulating widely on social media, showcase a vibrant mix of talent, including Egyptian pop icons Amr Diab and Tamer Hosny, Nigerian Afrobeats giants Wizkid and Burna Boy, and South Africa’s rising star Tyla.
While some figures for newer artists like Rema and CKay have sparked debate over accuracy, the list underscores their global reach and diversity of African music, blending veteran legends with breakout sensations.
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Here are the top 10 Africa’s best-selling music artists.
Cheb Khaled
Algerian Raï legend Cheb Khaled tops the list, credited with selling 81 million units. Known as the “King of Raï,” Khaled’s hits like “Didi” and “Aicha” have resonated across the Arab world and beyond. Verified reports from music industry publications confirm that he has sold over 80 million albums worldwide, making this figure highly credible and establishing him as Africa’s best-selling artist on this list.
Egyptian artists hold strong
Egyptian artists also feature prominently, with Amr Diab at 50 million units and Tamer Hosny and Sherine tied at 40 million+ units each. Amr Diab, a veteran pop star, has dominated the Middle Eastern music market for decades. Diab has over 815.6 million streams on Spotify on all credits, with top songs like ‘Tamally Maak,’ and his sales align with his enduring popularity.
Similarly, Tamer Hosny and Sherine, both household names in the Arab music market, have consistently released chart-topping albums over the years.
Afrobeats giants: Wizkid and Burna Boy
The list shifts to Nigerian Afrobeats superstars Wizkid (65 million units) and Burna Boy (45 million units). Wizkid’s album ‘Made In Lagos ’ is one of the best-selling African albums in the USA, with over 680,000 sales. In the US, “Made In Lagos” also has over 1.02 billion on-demand streams, bolstered by significant streaming figures like ‘Essence’ has over 200 million Spotify streams, equating to about 1.9 million unit sales using the standard 150 streams per 1 unit.
Burna Boy’s album “Love, Damini” has achieved RIAA Gold certification, meaning it has sold over 500,000 units in the United States. African Giant is selling around 100,000 units in the US. His single ‘Alone’ from the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack has also been certified Gold by the RIAA.
Veterans 2Baba, D’banj, P-Square
P-Square boasts 40 million units, while 2Baba and D’banj are listed at 20 million units, bringing decades of influence to the table. 2Baba has a career spanning over 20 years, with hits like ‘African Queen’. D’banj, known for his decades-long career, has also enjoyed a long and successful run.
Nigerian duo P-Square, who have been active since the early 2000s, boast of catalog of hits like ‘Personally’ and ‘No One Like You’, making them one of Africa’s most influential pop acts.
Rising stars: Rema, CKay, and Tems
The list includes younger Nigerian artists whose figures raise eyebrows. Rema (30 million units) has made waves with “Calm Down,” which boasts over a billion streams (about 666,000 album units), CKay (25 million units) rode the viral success of “Love Nwantiti,” also exceeding a billion streams, yet his total sales are estimated at 2-3 million units.
Tems (20 million units), known for her feature on “Essence” and hits like “Free Mind,” is another rising star, but her sales are more realistically around 1-2 million units. These inflated numbers may stem from conflating streaming stats with traditional sales.
Read also: Nigerian music exports grow 49% on Afrobeats boom
Tyla: South Africa’s Breakout Star
South African artist Tyla, credited with 13 million units, rounds out the list. Tyla’s debut album ‘Tyla’ has sold over 500,000 units in the US, earning it an RIAA Gold certification. Tyla reaching these numbers makes her the fastest African artist to reach this sales figure in the US.
Her single ‘Truth or Dare’ from the album has also been certified Gold by the RIAA. Her Grammy-winning single ‘Water’ has propelled her to international fame, and her sales figure seems reasonable given her recent global success and growing discography.
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