List of best-selling music artists: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 21:14, 22 January 2006 view source85.146.180.196 (talk) →World's biggest seller ← Previous edit		Revision as of 21:41, 22 January 2006 view source 84.130.198.176 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit →
Line 1:		Line 1:
	<!--When adding to this page, please ensure that your claims are sourced. This means that you must provide the location of the claim. This can be a book, television show, web page, or anything else verifiable. It cannot be other pages in Misplaced Pages, or forums on web pages. Unsourced additions will be removed-->		<!--When adding to this page, please ensure that your claims are sourced. This means that you must provide the location of the claim. This can be a book, television show, web page, or anything else verifiable. It cannot be other pages in Misplaced Pages, or forums on web pages. Unsourced additions will be removed-->

	The '''World's best-selling music artists''' cannot be listed officially, as there is no body that has recorded global music sales in the manner that the ] does in the United States. This page gives those artists who have made ~~reasonable~~ claims to be amongst the top sellers.		The '''World's best-selling music artists''' cannot be listed officially, as there is no body that has recorded global music sales in the manner that the ] does in the United States. This page gives those artists who have made reasinable claims to be amongst the top sellers.

	Within their sales-bands, artists are listed in alphabetical order, rather than by number of records sold. Equal weight is given to ] and ] sales, as well as paid ]s. Sources are typically fan sites, record labels, newspaper articles or manual addition of figures from various offical sources. This means that these figures should be considred ''claims'', not ''facts''.		Within their sales-bands, artists are listed in alphabetical order, rather than by number of records sold. Equal weight is given to ] and ] sales, as well as paid ]s. Sources are typically fan sites, record labels, newspaper articles or manual addition of figures from various offical sources. This means that these figures should be considred ''claims'', not ''facts''.
Line 8:		Line 8:
	{{Seemain\|Best-selling artist of all time}}		{{Seemain\|Best-selling artist of all time}}

	The actual biggest selling musician in the world will probably never be known. Records of sales in many countries, particularly in the ], are poor and date back less than 20 years. ], ] and ] are all, however, regularly cited as being the top sellers.		The actual biggest selling musician in the world will probably never be known. Records of sales in many countries, particularly in the ], are poor and date back less than 20 years. ], ], ] and ] are all, however, regularly cited as being the top sellers. Less common claims are made for ] and ].

	==Artists claimed to have sold 250 million records or more==		==Artists claimed to have sold 250 million records or more==
	:{\| class="wikitable"		:{\| class="wikitable"
	! Name !! Nationality !! Years Active !! Genre !! Source		! Name !! Nationality !! Years Active !! Genre !! Source
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| ] \|\| 70s-80s (1974-1982) \|\| Pop \|\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|] \|\| ] \|\| 60-70s, 90s \|\| Pop/Rock \|\| Guinness estimate		\|] \|\| ] \|\| 60-70s, 90s \|\| Pop/Rock \|\| Guinness estimate
	\|-		\|-
			\|] \|\| ] \|\| 1926-1977 \|\| Pop \|\|
			\|-
			\|] \|\| ] \|\| 80s-90s-00s- \|\| Rock/Pop \|\|
			\|-
			\|] \|\| ] \|\| 60s- (1959-) \|\| Pop \|\|

			\|-
	\|] \|\| ] \|\|1969- \|\| R&B/Rock/Pop\|\|		\|] \|\| ] \|\|1969- \|\| R&B/Rock/Pop\|\|
	\|-		\|-
Line 22:		Line 31:
	\|] \|\| ] \|\|50s-70s \|\| Rock, Country \|\|		\|] \|\| ] \|\|50s-70s \|\| Rock, Country \|\|

			\|-
			\| \|] \|\| ] \|\| 70s-00s (1976-) \|\| Rock/Pop\|\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|] \|\| ] \|\| 50s- (1958-2005) \|\| Rock/Pop \|\|		\|] \|\| ] \|\| 50s- (1958-2005) \|\| Rock/Pop \|\|
			\|-
			\| ] \|\| ] \|\| 1939-1995 \|\| Vocal \|\|

	\|-		\|-
	\|}		\|}

Revision as of 21:41, 22 January 2006

The World's best-selling music artists cannot be listed officially, as there is no body that has recorded global music sales in the manner that the RIAA does in the United States. This page gives those artists who have made reasinable claims to be amongst the top sellers.

Within their sales-bands, artists are listed in alphabetical order, rather than by number of records sold. Equal weight is given to album and single sales, as well as paid downloads. Sources are typically fan sites, record labels, newspaper articles or manual addition of figures from various offical sources. This means that these figures should be considred claims, not facts.

World's biggest seller

Main article: Best-selling artist of all time

The actual biggest selling musician in the world will probably never be known. Records of sales in many countries, particularly in the developing world, are poor and date back less than 20 years. The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley are all, however, regularly cited as being the top sellers. Less common claims are made for ABBA and Alla Pugacheva.

Artists claimed to have sold 250 million records or more

Name	Nationality	Years Active	Genre	Source
ABBA	Sweden	70s-80s (1974-1982)	Pop
The Beatles	UK	60-70s, 90s	Pop/Rock	Guinness estimate
Bing Crosby	US	1926-1977	Pop
Madonna	US	80s-90s-00s-	Rock/Pop
Nana Mouskouri	Greece	60s- (1959-)	Pop
Michael Jackson	US	1969-	R&B/Rock/Pop
Led Zeppelin	UK	60s-80s (1968-1980)	Rock	MSNBC
Elvis Presley	US	50s-70s	Rock, Country
Alla Pugacheva	Russia	70s-00s (1976-)	Rock/Pop
Cliff Richard	UK	50s- (1958-2005)	Rock/Pop
Frank Sinatra	US	1939-1995	Vocal

Artists claimed to have sold 100 million records or more

This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items.

Name	Nationality	Years Active	Genre	Source
AC/DC	Australia/UK	70s-00s (1980-1992)	Rock	MSN Music
Aerosmith	US	70s-00s (1993-1998)	Rock
Gene Autry	US		Country
Charles Aznavour	France	50s-00s	Pop
Black Sabbath	UK	70s-00s	Rock
Bon Jovi	US	80s-00s (1986-2000)	Rock
David Bowie	UK	60s-00s (1969-2004)	Rock
Garth Brooks	US	80s-00s (1989-2001)	Country
Mariah Carey	USA	90's (1990-)	Pop/R&B/
Chicago	US	60s-00s (1967-)	Rock
Phil Collins	UK	80s-00s (1981-1998)	Rock
Perry Como	US	30s-00s	Vocal
Neil Diamond	USA	60s-80s	Rock 'n' Roll
Celine Dion	Canada	80s-00s (1990-)	Rock/Pop
Enigma	Germany	90-00s	Sophisticated pop
Fleetwood Mac	UK/US	60s-00s (1975-1990)	Rock	2
Genesis	UK	70s-00s (1980-1997)	Rock
Johnny Hallyday	France	50s-00s	Pop
Whitney Houston	US	80s-00s (1985-2000)	R&B/Pop
Janet Jackson	US	80s-00s (1986-)	R&B/Pop
Julio Iglesias	Spain	70s-00s (1969-)	Latino Pop
Billy Joel	US	70s-00s (1978-1983,1989-1993)	Rock
Elton John	UK	70s-00s (1972-1976,1989-1991,1997-)	Rock/Pop
Frankie Laine	US	1946-2001	Jazz/Pop/Gospel/Country
Vicky Leandros	Greece	1965 - 2006	Pop/Rock/International
Brenda Lee	US	50s-60s (1958-1963)	Pop/Country
Madonna	US	80s-90s-00s-	Rock/Pop
Mireille Mathieu	France	60s-00s	Pop
Johnny Mathis	US	50s-00s	Pop/Standards
Metallica	US	80s-00s	Rock
Modern Talking	Germany	80s-00s (1985-1987,1998-2003)	Pop
Ricky Nelson	US	50s-80s (1958-1961)	Pop/Country/Rock
Patti Page	US	40s-2000s	Pop/Country/Rock
Dolly Parton	US	60s-00s (1981-1983)	Country
Luciano Pavarotti	Italy	60s-00s (1972-)	Opera
Pink Floyd	UK	60s-00s (1965-1983,1994-1995)	Progressive Rock
Queen	UK	70s-00s (1975-1995)	Rock	R&R HoF, 2001 1995 source
A. R. Rahman	India	90s-00s (1992-)	Indian Film Music
Lionel Richie	US	80s-00s (1981-1985)	R&B
Kenny Rogers	US	60s-00s (1977-1983)	Country
Rod Stewart	UK	60s-00s	Rock/Pop
Rolling Stones	UK	60s-00s (1964-1981)	Rock
Donna Summer	US	70s-90s (1977-1983)	Disco
The Bee Gees	Isle of Man/Australia	60s-00s (1975-1979)	Rock
The Eagles	US	70s-00s (1974-1979)	Rock
The Jacksons	US	60s-80s (1969-1988)	R&B,Pop,Disco
U2	Ireland	80s-00s (1980-)	Rock
Barry White	US	70s-00s	Pop/R&B/Disco
Wei Wei	China	80s-00s (1986-)	Pop

Artists claimed to have sold 50 million records or more