Best-selling albums of all time

According to the BSA Ranking, the best-selling album of all time is THRILLER by MICHAEL JACKSON, with over 56.6 million copies sold. Before Thriller claimed the title of the world's best-selling album, the record was held by the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack by Bee Gees, with around 25 million copies sold worldwide by May 1979.^[1] Before that, the title belonged to The Sound of Music soundtrack (1965), whose worldwide sales had reached approximately 14 million copies by January 1969.^[2] By mid-1984, Thriller had sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, earning it a place in the 1985 edition of Guinness World Records as the biggest selling album of all time.^[3]

The sales figures in this ranking include physical album sales as well as digital track downloads and audio and video streaming, converted into album-equivalent units using industry-standard formulas. For more information, see the certification criteria used in different countries.

★ Highlights:
THRILLER by MICHAEL JACKSON is the best-selling male solo album of all time, with over 56.6 million copies sold.
THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975 by EAGLES leads both the compilation and group categories worldwide, with over 41.1 million copies sold.
COME ON OVER by SHANIA TWAIN is the best-selling female solo album of all time, with over 31.2 million copies sold.
THE BODYGUARD by WHITNEY HOUSTON is the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, with over 31.2 million copies sold.
The best-selling debut album of all time is APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION by GUNS N' ROSES, with over 24.4 million copies sold.
The best-selling live album of all time is UNPLUGGED by ERIC CLAPTON, with over 17.6 million copies sold.

№	Album	Total Sales	BSA Ranking
1	THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982	56,620,065	Rank in 1982 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 1 1
2	THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975 EAGLES 1976	41,197,000	Rank in 1976 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 1 2
3	BACK IN BLACK AC/DC 1980	32,511,048	Rank in 1980 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 2 3
4	DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD 1973	32,452,885	Rank in 1973 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 2 4
5	HOTEL CALIFORNIA EAGLES 1976	32,390,933	Rank in 1976 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 2 3 5
6	RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 1977	31,749,220	Rank in 1977 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 4 6
7	COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997	31,298,000	Rank in 1997 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 1 7
8	THE BODYGUARD (SOUNDTRACK) WHITNEY HOUSTON 1992	31,239,486	Rank in 1992 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 2 8
9	LED ZEPPELIN IV LED ZEPPELIN 1971	30,754,901	Rank in 1971 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 5 9
10	JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995	28,684,526	Rank in 1995 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 3 10
11	21 ADELE 2011	28,155,617	Rank in 2011 Rank in 2010s Overall rank 1 1 11
12	LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 1984	26,535,703	Rank in 1984 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 3 12
13	METALLICA METALLICA 1991	26,102,911	Rank in 1991 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 4 13
14	LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE CELINE DION 1997	25,498,573	Rank in 1997 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 5 14
15	GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992	25,372,509	Rank in 1992 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 6 15
16	1 THE BEATLES 2000	25,203,834	Rank in 2000 Rank in 2000s Overall rank 1 1 16
17	GREASE SOUNDTRACK 1978	24,602,070	Rank in 1978 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 6 17
18	DIRTY DANCING SOUNDTRACK 1987	24,457,051	Rank in 1987 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 4 18
19	APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION GUNS N' ROSES 1987	24,437,500	Rank in 1987 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 2 5 19
20	DOOKIE GREEN DAY 1994	24,300,205	Rank in 1994 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 7 20
21	FALLING INTO YOU CELINE DION 1996	23,435,000	Rank in 1996 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 8 21
22	SUPERNATURAL SANTANA 1999	23,350,675	Rank in 1999 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 9 22
23	CRACKED REAR VIEW HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH 1994	23,265,000	Rank in 1994 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 10 23
24	SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (SOUNDTRACK) BEE GEES 1977	22,898,680	Rank in 1977 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 2 7 24
25	BORN IN THE U.S.A. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 1984	22,731,697	Rank in 1984 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 2 6 25
26	BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF 1977	22,490,000	Rank in 1977 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 3 8 26
27	GREATEST HITS I QUEEN 1981	22,459,936	Rank in 1981 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 7 27
28	NEVERMIND NIRVANA 1991	22,033,537	Rank in 1991 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 11 28
29	BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987	21,859,356	Rank in 1987 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 3 8 29
30	COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002	21,855,837	Rank in 2002 Rank in 2000s Overall rank 1 2 30
31	BABY ONE MORE TIME BRITNEY SPEARS 1999	21,150,711	Rank in 1999 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 12 31
32	THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990	20,667,500	Rank in 1990 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 13 32
33	TITANIC SOUNDTRACK 1997	20,394,187	Rank in 1997 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 3 14 33
34	THE EMINEM SHOW EMINEM 2002	20,231,750	Rank in 2002 Rank in 2000s Overall rank 2 3 34
35	25 ADELE 2015	19,970,049	Rank in 2015 Rank in 2010s Overall rank 1 2 35
36	MILLENNIUM BACKSTREET BOYS 1999	19,716,540	Rank in 1999 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 3 15 36
37	BROTHERS IN ARMS DIRE STRAITS 1985	19,627,351	Rank in 1985 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 9 37
38	SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND THE BEATLES 1967	19,132,227	Rank in 1967 Rank in 1960s Overall rank 1 1 38
39	DANGEROUS MICHAEL JACKSON 1991	19,097,532	Rank in 1991 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 3 16 39
40	MUSIC BOX MARIAH CAREY 1993	18,971,652	Rank in 1993 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 1 17 40
41	THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000	18,912,631	Rank in 2000 Rank in 2000s Overall rank 2 4 41
42	THE WALL PINK FLOYD 1979	18,799,000	Rank in 1979 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 9 42
43	NO FENCES GARTH BROOKS 1990	18,770,000	Rank in 1990 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 18 43
44	GREATEST HITS ELTON JOHN 1974	18,609,696	Rank in 1974 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 10 44
45	GREATEST HITS JOURNEY 1988	18,607,000	Rank in 1988 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 10 45
46	SLIPPERY WHEN WET BON JOVI 1986	18,600,277	Rank in 1986 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 1 11 46
47	SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996	18,551,400	Rank in 1996 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 2 19 47
48	WHITNEY HOUSTON WHITNEY HOUSTON 1985	18,380,891	Rank in 1985 Rank in 1980s Overall rank 2 12 48
49	CROSS ROAD BON JOVI 1994	18,291,705	Rank in 1994 Rank in 1990s Overall rank 3 20 49
50	Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits SIMON & GARFUNKEL 1972	18,230,092	Rank in 1972 Rank in 1970s Overall rank 1 11 50