This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Alanjohns (talk | contribs) at 15:35, 15 September 2007 (no real proof). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 15:35, 15 September 2007 by Alanjohns (talk | contribs) (no real proof)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The world's best-selling music artists cannot be listed officially, as there is no organization that has recorded global music sales in the manner that the RIAA does in the United States. This page lists those artists who have had claims made to be among the top sellers. Within their sales brackets, 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 official sources. This means that these figures should be considered claims, not facts.
Constraints in establishing best-selling status
Although the criteria for the following list are intended to be expansive (including comparisons for total sales for all recording artists) there are certain limitations and constraints that may limit the conclusions that can be derived from this data.
Such constraints include:
- Bias towards acts who have had success in a specific country or region. The RIAA tracks and certifies sales for recordings sold in, or originating from, the United States, the world's largest single music market. While the RIAA's method and scope are exhaustive in this respect, figures for recordings produced and sold in other nations are not included, or at best are incomplete, in RIAA statistics. Since there are few authoritative or comprehensive counterparts to the RIAA which track the international music market, the RIAA's more certain sales figures tend to inflate the relative importance of the American market.
- Bias towards modern artists. Comparatively less successful modern artists will have sold more records, as both global spending power and population have increased (even though most of the world reside in poorer countries that buy little or no music). In 1950, the world's population was 2.5 billion; by 2000 it had risen to 6 billion. Also, older artists suffer from bias as their record sales are less likely to have been accurately tracked, and estimates of their early sales are likely to be more vague.
- Bias towards older artists. Particularly, those artists who began their recording careers since 1990 may have suffered in sales from illegal downloading of tracks.
- Fan sites, press articles, certification authorities and record companies have been known to inflate record sales claims.
- Inflated claims for artists who performed in different acts during their careers. Sometimes all of the sales data is attributed to an individual artist. For the purposes of this list, an effort is made to separate the individual acts (e.g., the sales figures for The Beatles and Paul McCartney & Wings are mutually exclusive).
World's best seller
Main article: Best-selling music artistThe best-selling musical act in history can not be accurately determined. U.S. sales data before 1952 are incomplete. International sales, particularly in the developing world, continue to be poorly tracked, and sales data before the 1980s is rare or dubious. The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley have all been given the title by various sources. Claims are made for a number of less common artists.
- In alphabetical order
Artists claimed to have sold 500 million records or more
Artist Country Period Genre Source The Beatles UK 60s-70s Rock/Pop Elvis Presley U.S. 50s-70s Rock and Roll/R&B/Gospel Frank Sinatra U.S. 30s-90s Pop/Swing Michael Jackson U.S. 60s-00s R&B / Pop / New Jack Swing /Soul / Disco
Artists claimed to have sold 250 million records or more
Artist Country Period Genre Source ABBA Sweden 70s-80s Pop/Disco Alla Pugacheva Russia 60s-00s Pop/Rock/Folk Bing Crosby U.S. 20s-70s Pop/Jazz/Swing Cliff Richard UK 50s-00s Pop/Rock Elton John UK 60s-00s Rock/Folk/Pop/Adult Contemporary Julio Iglesias Spain 60s-00s Pop/Latin Led Zeppelin UK 60s-80s Hard Rock / Blues Rock / Folk Rock Madonna U.S. 80s-00s Pop / Dance/ Electronica / Techno Nana Mouskouri Greece 50s-00s Pop/Folk/Jazz Queen UK 70s-00s Hard Rock / Pop Rock / Glam Rock Tino Rossi France 30s-80s Pop/Swing
Artists claimed to have sold 100 million records or more
Artist Country Period Genre Source A. R. Rahman India 90s-00s Film score/Soundtrack/World Music AC/DC Australia 70s-00s Hard Rock Aerosmith U.S. 70s-00s Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Backstreet Boys U.S. 90s-00s Pop Barbra Streisand U.S. 60s-00s Pop / Adult Contemporary / Classical / Easy listening / Showtunes Barry White U.S. 70s-00s Pop / R&B / Disco The Beach Boys U.S. 60s-00s Rock / Pop The Bee Gees Australia/UK 60s-00s Pop / Disco / Soft Rock / Blues / Blue-eyed Soul Billy Joel U.S. 70s-00s Pop / Rock Bob Dylan U.S. 60s-00s Folk / Rock Bon Jovi U.S. 80s-00s Hard Rock Boney M Germany 70s-90s Pop/Disco Brenda Lee U.S. 50s-00s Country / Pop Bruce Springsteen U.S. 70s-00s Rock The Carpenters U.S. 60s-80s Pop / Adult Contemporary Celine Dion Canada 80s-00s Pop / Rock Charles Aznavour France 30s-00s Pop / Chanson Cher U.S. 60s-00s Pop / Dance / Electronica/Rock Chicago U.S. 60s-00s Rock / Pop / Jazz Creedence Clearwater Revival U.S. 60s-70s Rock Dalida France/Italy 50s-80s Pop / Disco David Bowie UK 60s-00s Avante-Garde Rock Deep Purple UK 60s-00s Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Diana Ross U.S. 60s-00s Pop / R&B / Soul / Disco / Jazz Dionne Warwick U.S. 60s-00s Pop / R&B /Soul / Soft Rock / Adult Contemporary Dire Straits UK 70s-90s Rock / Classic Rock Dolly Parton U.S. 50s-00s Country / Pop / Folk / Bluegrass Donna Summer U.S. 70s-00s Disco / Pop / R&B / Rock Duane Eddy U.S. 50s-80s Rock The Eagles U.S. 70s-00s Rock / Country Engelbert Humperdinck UK/U.S. 50s-00s Pop Fats Domino U.S. 40s-00s Rock / R&B Fleetwood Mac UK/U.S. 60s-00s Rock / Blues Frankie Laine U.S. 40s-00s Jazz / Pop / Gospel / Country Garth Brooks U.S. 80s-00s Country Gene Autry U.S. 30s-70s Country Genesis UK 60s-00s Progressive Rock / Pop Rock Gheorghe Zamfir Romania 70s-00s Instrumental The Jackson 5 U.S. 60s-90s Pop /Disco /Funk / R&B Janet Jackson U.S. 80s-00s Pop / R&B / Soul / Dance / Rock Johnny Hallyday France 50s-00s Pop Johnny Mathis U.S. 50s-00s Pop Joni James U.S. 50s-60s Pop Kenny Rogers U.S. 50s-00s Country / Pop Lionel Richie U.S. 60s-00s Pop / R&B / Soul / Soft Rock / Adult Contemporary Luciano Pavarotti Italy 60s-00s Opera Mariah Carey U.S. 90s-00s Pop / R&B Mireille Mathieu France 60s-00s Pop Modern Talking Germany 80s-00s Pop Neil Diamond U.S. 60s-00s Pop / Rock Patti Page U.S. 40s-00s Country / Pop Perry Como U.S. 30s-00s Pop / Swing Phil Collins UK 80s-00s Pop / Rock Pink Floyd UK 60s-90s Progressive Rock Prince U.S. 70s-00s R&B / Rock / Pop Ricky Nelson U.S. 50s-80s Pop Roberto Carlos Brazil 60s-00s Pop / Latin Rod Stewart UK 60s-00s Rock / Pop The Rolling Stones UK 60s-00s Rock / Hard Rock Tina Turner U.S. 60s-00s R&B / Rock / Pop / Soul / Dance Status Quo UK 60s-00s Rock Stevie Wonder U.S. 60s-00s R&B / Pop / Soul / Funk Tommy James U.S. 60s-00s Pop / Rock U2 Ireland 70s-00s Rock Wei Wei China 80s-00s Pop Whitney Houston U.S. 80s-00s Pop / R&B / Adult Contemporary / Soul / Gospel The Who UK 60s-00s Rock / Hard rock / Pop / Art rock
Artists claimed to have sold 75 million records or more
 | This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. |
Artist Country Period Genre Source 2Pac U.S. 90s-00s Rap Adamo Belgium 60s-00s Pop Adriano Celentano Italy 60s-00s Pop Alabama U.S. 70s-00s Country The Andrews Sisters U.S. 30s-50s Pop / Swing B'z Japan 80s-00s Hard rock / Pop rock Barry Manilow U.S. 70s-00s Pop Bobby Vinton U.S. 60s-90s Pop Bonnie Tyler UK 70s-00s Pop/Rock Britney Spears U.S. 90s-00s Pop Bryan Adams Canada 80s-00s Rock / Soft Rock Donny Osmond U.S. 70s-00s Pop Earth, Wind & Fire U.S. 70s-00s R&B / Disco / Pop / Funk Eddy Arnold U.S. 40s-00s Country / Pop Eurythmics UK 80s-00s Pop / Rock / New Wave Gene Austin U.S. 20s-30s Country / Pop George Michael UK 80s-00s Pop Guns N' Roses U.S. 80s-00s Hard Rock Hank Snow Canada 30s-90s Country Iron Maiden UK 70s-00s Heavy Metal Jean Michel Jarre France 70s-00s New Age Journey U.S. 70s-00s Rock / Pop Kenny G U.S. 80s-00s Instrumental / Pop Jazz Kiss U.S. 70s-00s Rock Linda Ronstadt U.S. 60s-00s Country / Pop Metallica U.S. 80s-00s Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal The Osmonds U.S. 70s-00s Pop R.E.M. U.S. 80s-00s Rock / Pop Roxette Sweden 80s-00s Pop / Rock Santana Mexico/U.S. 60s-00s Rock / Blues / Pop Sonny & Cher U.S. 60s-70s Pop Van Halen U.S. 70s-00s Hard Rock The Ventures U.S. 50s-00s Instrumental Rock Victor Silvester UK 30s-80s Dance / Pop Willie Nelson U.S. 50s-00s Country / Pop
Artists claimed to have sold 50 million records or more
| This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. |
Artist Country Period Genre Source a-ha Norway 80s-00s Pop / New Wave Alanis Morissette Canada 90s-00s Alternative / Folk Rock Alice Cooper U.S. 60s-00s Garage Rock / Hard Rock / Heavy Metal / Shock Rock / Glam Rock Andre Kostelanetz U.S. 40s-70s Easy Listening Andrea Bocelli Italy 90s-00s Opera / Classical Anne Murray Canada 60s-00s Pop / Country Annie Lennox UK 90s-00s Pop / Rock / Soul B.J. Thomas U.S. 60s-00s Country / Pop Black Sabbath U.K. 60s-90s Heavy Metal Blondie U.S. 70s-00s Pop / New Wave Bob Marley Jamaica 60s-80s Reggae Bob Seger U.S. 60s-00s Rock / Pop Boyz II Men U.S. 80s-00s R&B / Pop / Soul Camilo Sesto Spain 60s-00s Pop / Latin Cat Stevens UK 60s-00s Pop / Folk Charlie Daniels U.S. 70s-00s Country / Rock Christina Aguilera U.S. 90s-00s R&B / Pop / Soul The Corrs Ireland 90s-00s Pop Def Leppard UK 70s-00s Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Depeche Mode UK 80s-00s New Wave / Synth / Rock / Pop Destiny's Child U.S. 90s-00s R&B, pop, dance, The Diamonds Canada 50s-70s Pop / R&B The Doobie Brothers U.S. 70s-00s Rock Don Cornell U.S. 50s-90s Pop Duran Duran UK 80s-00s New Wave / Rock / Pop Enya Ireland 80s-00s New Age / Celtic Foreigner U.S./UK 70s-00s Rock / Pop Four Tops U.S. 50s-00s R&B George Strait U.S. 70s-00s Country Gloria Estefan U.S. 80s-00s Pop / Latin Green Day U.S. 80s-00s Pop / Punk / Rock Hank Thompson U.S. 40s-00s Country Herb Alpert U.S. 50s-90s Instrumental Pop / Easy Listening James Last Germany 60s-00s Instrumental / Classical / Pop Jethro Tull UK 60s-00s Rock Jennifer Lopez U.S. 90s-00s Pop / R&B / Dance / Latin John Denver U.S. 60s-90s Folk / Pop Johnny Cash U.S. 50s-00s Country Kylie Minogue Australia 80s-00s Dance / Pop Luis Miguel Mexico 80s-00s Pop / Latin Meat Loaf U.S. 70s-00s Rock / Hard Rock Michael Bolton U.S. 80s-00s Pop Mills Brothers U.S. 30s-70s Pop Mina Italy 50s-00s Pop Mötley Crüe U.S. 80s-00s Heard Rock / Heavy Metal / Glam Metal The Monkees U.S. 60s-90s Pop / Rock Mr. Children Japan 80s-00s Pop / Rock Nat King Cole U.S. 30s-60s Jazz / Pop Nelson Gonçalves Brazil 40s-90s Samba New Kids on the Block U.S. 80s-90s Pop Nirvana U.S. 80s-90s Grunge / Alternative Rock Olivia Newton-John Australia 70s-00s Country / Pop Orhan Gencebay Turkey 60s-00s Arabesque / Folk Ozzy Osbourne UK 70s-00s Heavy Metal / Hard Rock Paul Anka Canada 50s-00s Pop Pearl Jam U.S. 90s-00s Grunge / Rock / Hard Rock Petula Clark UK 50s-00s Pop The Dave Clark Five UK 60s-70s Pop The Police UK/US 70s-80s, 00s New Wave / Rock / Pop Ray Conniff U.S. 50s-00s Pop / Easy Listening Reba McEntire U.S. 70s-00s Country Red Hot Chili Peppers U.S. 80s-00s Funk Rock Richard Clayderman France 60s-00s Easy Listening / Instrumental Pop Ricky Martin Puerto Rico 90s-00s Pop / Latin Rocío Dúrcal Spain 60s-00s Pop Sade UK 80s-00s Pop / R&B The Seekers Australia 60s, 90s-00s Pop / Folk / Rock Scorpions Germany 70s-00s Hard Rock Shakira Colombia 90s-00s Latin / Pop Simon & Garfunkel US 60s-70s Folk Rock Simply Red UK 80s-00s Pop Spice Girls UK 90s-00s Pop Supertramp UK 60s-00s Soft Rock Three Dog Night U.S. 60s-70s Pop / Rock Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers U.S. 70s-00s Rock / Pop Tony Bennett U.S. 50s-00s Pop / Jazz The Turtles U.S. 60s Pop / Rock UB40 UK 80s-00s Reggae Vernon Dalhart U.S. 10s-40s Country Vicky Leandros Greece 60s-00s Pop ZZ Top U.S. 70s-00s Hard Rock / Blues-Rock
See also
References
- 1968-1970 Records beatlemoney.com; accessed December 2006; claims 500 million records by 1970
- First there was Beatlemania, now there's Googlemania Maney, Kevin; USA Today; 10 May, 2004; accessed December 2006; claims over 1 billion records
- Frank Sinatra tele.at; accessed December 2006; claims 600 million; in German
- Frank Sinatra tele.at; accessed December 2006; claims 600 million; in German
- Michael To Give Away 200 FREE Tickets To Fans, And Discounted Rates ExclusiveMJ; March 20 2007; accessed March 2007; claims 750 million
- Abba, The Book Potiez, Jean-Marie; 15 August 2005; accessed December 2006; claims 350 million records sold as of 2000
- It's Abba on the phone making a lot more money, money, money Sherwin, Adam; The Times; April 19 2006; accessed December 2006; claims 370 million
- Pugacheva, Alla Borisovna Enyclopedia Britannica Online; accessed December 2006; claims 250 million records in 1997
- Bing Crosby by Dr Frank Hoffmann jeffosretromusic.com; accessed August 2007; claims 400 million at the time of his death
- Life and Times; Cliff Richard.com; accessed December 2006; claims 250 million; (Primary source)
- Sanctuary for Elton Yahoo Music; accessed December 2006; claims 250 million
- The Iglesias dynasty Hello!; accessed December 2006; claims 250 million records
- Led Zeppelin wins Polar Prize The Local; 7 November 2005; accessed December 2006; claims more than 300 million
- How Madonna Got Her Groove Back Rolling Stone; accessed December 2005; claims 250 million records
- Some of Madonna's Achievements AbsoluteMadonna.com; accessed December 2006; claims 250 million; (fan-site)
- 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Nana Mouskouri CD Yahoo Shopping; accessed December 2006; claims 300 million
- UNICEF Biography on Nana Mouskouri UNICEF website; accessed June 2007; claim 300 million
- Queen Proves There's Life After Freddie Ohmy News; January 25 2006; accessed December 2006; claims 300 million
- Tino Rossi Ajaccio Tourist Information; accessed December 2006; claims 300 million
- Indian film composer for Rings
- Aerosmith News
- Biography - Barbra Streisand
- Obituary: Barry White
- BeeGees - Sales
- www.paris.fr Official Paris Website. Over 125 mln records
- Mariah Carey Receives six prestigious BMI awards and see success with tour
- Pink Floyd About.com ; accessed August 2007; claims 200 million
- http://www.barrystickets.com/concert-tickets/rod-stewart-tickets.php
- enote: Contempory Artists - Tina Turner biography(Claims over 180 million records sold by the year 2000)
- Iron Maiden BBC News Official Website; accessed February 24, 2007; claims 80 million records sold
- Destiney's Child Music World/Columbia Records: Music World/Columbia Records Announce the Release of 'Ms. Kelly,': claim 60 million: accessed 26 June 2007
- Enya.com Enya's official Web Site, from the FAQ. Accessed on May 8, 2007. Claims more than 70 million sold.
- www.motley.com
- Upperstreet: Danny