Michael Jackson’s Thriller has sold 70 million copies — more than the population of France. No other album in history has come close.
How to Play: Guess if the album on the right has sold MORE or FEWER copies than the one on the left.
Name A
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Top 10 Bestselling Albums
The bestselling-albums chart is dominated by releases from 1973–1992, before streaming reshaped the music economy. Modern albums chart fewer pure sales but rack up far more streams.
| # | Name | Copies Sold (millions) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thriller — Michael Jackson | 70 | millions |
| 2 | Back in Black — AC/DC | 50 | millions |
| 3 | The Bodyguard (soundtrack) | 45 | millions |
| 4 | The Dark Side of the Moon — Pink Floyd | 45 | millions |
| 5 | Bat Out of Hell — Meat Loaf | 43 | millions |
| 6 | Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 — Eagles | 42 | millions |
| 7 | Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack) | 40 | millions |
| 8 | Rumours — Fleetwood Mac | 40 | millions |
| 9 | Come On Over — Shania Twain | 39 | millions |
| 10 | Led Zeppelin IV — Led Zeppelin | 37 | millions |
How Album Sales Are Counted
Album sales figures aggregate physical (CD, vinyl, cassette) and digital download units sold worldwide. Streaming-equivalent units are counted separately and not included in ‘pure sales’ figures used here. The IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) is the closest thing to an official global tally.
Thriller’s 70 million figure is widely accepted, though the Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music have at times claimed numbers as high as 100 million. The 70 million figure represents conservatively verified worldwide units. Thriller’s lead is bolstered by continuing sales from the Estate’s catalog releases.
The Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971–1975 holds a unique distinction: it is the bestselling album in the United States alone (38 million copies), narrowly beating Thriller domestically. Worldwide, Thriller’s international sales push it ahead.
Streaming changed everything around 2014. An album that ‘sells’ 100,000 pure copies but generates 1 billion streams in 2024 reaches a vastly larger audience than an album with 5 million pure sales in 1985. This is why Adele’s 21 (2011, 31 million) is the only post-2000 album in the all-time top 10 — the chart is mostly a relic of pre-streaming sales accounting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the bestselling album of all time?
Michael Jackson’s Thriller, with approximately 70 million worldwide sales since 1982. Some sources cite up to 100 million, but the conservative figure is around 70 million.
Why are most bestselling albums old?
Pre-streaming era listeners had to buy physical albums to access music. Modern fans stream instead. So newer artists rack up streams but not ‘sales,’ artificially keeping older albums at the top of the all-time list.
What's the bestselling album of the 21st century?
Adele’s 21 (2011) at about 31 million copies. It is also the only 21st-century album in the all-time top 10.
Are these worldwide or US figures?
Worldwide. US-only charts have a different ranking — the Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971-1975 leads US sales, while Thriller leads worldwide.
Note: Figures are worldwide sales in millions of pure units (physical + digital) per IFPI and major-label disclosures. Some have been disputed; conservative widely cited values used here.
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