The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

Updated

2024-08-21T20:17:34Z

tim mcgraw — Tim McGraw has sold 40 million units across his career.

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The best-selling musicians of all time include Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, and Whitney Houston.
RIAA ranked the best-selling musicians of all time based on total album units sold in the US.
Swift, Drake, and Eminem are among the newest artists to make the cut.

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You might feel like Taylor Swift is the biggest musician of all time thanks to the number of albums she’s recorded, the tickets she’s sold, and the headlines she’s generated. But in actuality, she hasn’t cracked the top 25.

Business Insider turned to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) list to find out who tops the list of best-selling musicians of all time. The list is based on total certified album units sold in the US and includes streaming figures.

Artists from multiple different genres — pop, country, instrumental jazz, rap, metal — have earned their spots on this list.

Keep scrolling to see the 50 best-selling music artists of all time in the US by album sales.

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This post has been updated with the most recent data from RIAA. John Lynch, Travis Clark, and Will Gendron contributed to a previous version of this post.

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50. Def Leppard — 35.5 million units

Def Leppard has released two No. 1 albums: “Hysteria” in 1987 and “Adrenalize” in 1992.

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49. Bob Dylan — 36 million units

Timothée Chalamet is going to play Dylan in the upcoming biopic “A Complete Unknown.”

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48. Tupac Shakur — 36.5 million

Shakur released four albums before his death in 1996.

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47. Backstreet Boys — 37 million units

The Backstreet Boys’ 2019 album “DNA” was their third No. 1 album.

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46. Rod Stewart — 38 million units

Stewart has released 32 albums over the course of 55 years.

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45. Foreigner — 38 million units

Foreigner’s best-known song is “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

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44. Simon & Garfunkel — 38.5 million units

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met in elementary school in the ’50s.

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43. Britney Spears — 38.5 million

Some of Spears’ No. 1 albums include “…Baby One More Time,” “Oops! I Did It Again,” “Britney,” “Circus,” and “Femme Fatale.”

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42. Chicago — 40 million units

Chicago had five consecutive No. 1 albums from 1972 to 1975.

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41. Tim McGraw — 40 million units

Almost all of McGraw’s albums have topped the country charts.

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40. Eric Clapton — 40 million units

Clapton had his first hit single, “I Shot the Sheriff,” 50 years ago.

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39. Reba McEntire — 41 million units

McEntire released her 32nd album, “Not That Fancy,” in 2023.

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38. Bon Jovi — 41 million units

Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

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37. Queen — 43 million units

Rami Malek won an Oscar for portraying Queen front man Freddie Mercury in the film “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

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36. Santana — 43.5 million units

Carlos Santana is the only member of Santana who has remained in the band since its inception in 1966.

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35. Guns N’ Roses — 44.5 million units

Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, 1987’s “Appetite for Destruction,” peaked at No. 1.

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34. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band — 44.5 million units

Seger retired from performing in 2019 after 50 years.

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33. Alan Jackson — 44.5 million units

Jackson’s hit songs include “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” “Chattahoochee,” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” which he performed with Jimmy Buffett.

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32. Kenny Rogers — 47.5 million units

Rogers died in 2020 at the age of 81.

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31. Drake — 47.5 million units

Drake is one of the best-selling artists of the 21st century.

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30. Shania Twain — 48 million units

Twain is the only female artist in history to have three consecutive albums be certified diamond.

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29. Kenny G — 48 million units

Kenny G’s album “Breathless” is the best-selling instrumental album of all time.

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28. Alabama — 49 million units

Alabama formed in 1969.

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27. Neil Diamond — 49.5 million units

Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” is one of the most recognizable songs in music history.

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26. Taylor Swift — 51 million units

Swift’s Eras Tour is the first tour to gross $1 billion.

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25. U2 — 52 million units

U2’s most successful albums include “The Joshua Tree,” “Rattle and Hum,” and “Achtung Baby.”

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24. Journey — 52.5 million units

Guitarist Neal Schon (left) is the only original member of Journey who’s still in the band.

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23. Celine Dion — 53 million units

Dion has released 27 albums, 10 of which have reached the top 10.

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22. Fleetwood Mac — 55.5 million units

“Rumours,” released in 1977, is regularly called one of the best albums of all time.

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21. Van Halen — 56.5 million units

Van Halen was hugely successful but only had one No. 1 song, “Jump,” in 1983.

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20. Whitney Houston — 61 million units

Houston is still the only artist to have seven consecutive No. 1 hits.

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19. Eminem — 61.5 million units

Eminem is the best-selling rapper of all time.

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18. Metallica — 63 million units

Metallica released their 11th album, “72 Seasons,” in 2023.

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17. Madonna — 65.5 million units

Madonna is known as the Queen of Pop.

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16. The Rolling Stones — 66.5 million units

The Rolling Stones celebrated their 62nd anniversary in 2024.

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15. Barbra Streisand — 68.5 million units

Streisand is one of the few artists to win an EGOT.

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14. George Strait — 69.5 million units

Strait has had 60 No. 1 songs across various Billboard charts, the most of any artist in any genre.

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13. Aerosmith — 69.5 million units

Aerosmith retired from touring in 2024, 51 years after their debut album was released.

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12. Bruce Springsteen — 71 million units

Springsteen became a billionaire in July 2024.

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11. Pink Floyd — 75 million units

Pink Floyd’s biggest hits include “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2,” “Money,” and “Keep Talking.”

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10. Mariah Carey — 75 million units

Carey has had 19 No. 1 hits, the most of any female artist.

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9. Elton John — 80 million units

John completed his EGOT in 2024 when he won an Emmy.

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8. AC/DC — 83 million units

It took eight albums for AC/DC to top the charts.

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7. Billy Joel — 86 million units

Joel released “Turn the Lights Back On” in 2024, his first new song in 17 years.

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6. Michael Jackson — 89 million units

Jackson has been crowned the King of Pop.

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5. Led Zeppelin — 112.5 million units

Led Zeppelin hasn’t released a new album since 1982’s “Coda.”

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4. Eagles — 120 million units

The Eagles’ album “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” is the best-selling album of the 20th century in the US.

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3. Elvis Presley — 146.5 million units

Presley is an iconic symbol of American pop culture.

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2. Garth Brooks — 162 million units

Brooks has recorded nine albums that have been certified platinum, the only musician to do so.

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1. The Beatles — 183 million units

It’s unlikely that the Beatles will ever be surpassed in the era of streaming.

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