Albums Ranking – CSPC – Overall sales

This list is about the most successful albums of all time (understand “which have generated the most sales”). The figures are given in EAS (equivalent album sales).

Please keep in mind that some artists are missing, because their analysis has not been done yet. The complete list is available here. All figures reflect the value as collected at the time of the artist’s respective articles.

1. 1982 – Michael Jackson – Thriller – 116,732,000
2. 1976 – Eagles – Hotel California – 70,575,000
3. 1977 – Bee Gees & Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever – 67,150,000
4. 1987 – Michael Jackson – Bad – 62,899,000
5. 1977 – Fleetwood Mac – Rumours – 61,258,000
6. 1980 – AC/DC – Back in Black – 58,224,000
7. 1971 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV – 57,016,000
8. 1973 – Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon – 55,796,000
9. 1992 – Whitney Houston – The Bodyguard – 53,744,000
10. 1991 – Nirvana – Nevermind – 52,930,000
11. 1978 – Various Artists – Grease – 52,216,000
12. 1979 – Pink Floyd – The Wall – 50,309,000
13. 1986 – Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet – 50,117,000
14. 1987 – U2 – The Joshua Tree – 47,665,000
15. 1984 – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. – 47,373,000
16. 1987 – Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction – 46,651,000
17. 1997 – Céline Dion – Let’s Talk About Love – 46,084,000
18. 1985 – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms – 45,751,000
19. 1991 – Metallica – Metallica – 45,418,000
20. 1991 – Michael Jackson – Dangerous – 45,391,000
21. 2011 – Adele – 21 – 45,255,000
22. 1997 – Shania Twain – Come On Over – 45,188,000
23. 1970 – Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water – 45,148,000
24. 1969 – The Beatles – Abbey Road – 43,171,000
25. 1996 – Céline Dion – Falling Into You – 41,895,000
26. 1995 – Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill – 41,484,000
27. 1970 – Santana – Abraxas – 40,682,000
28. 1975 – Queen – A Night at the Opera – 40,551,000
29. 1984 – Madonna – Like A Virgin – 39,677,000
30. 1967 – The Doors – The Doors – 38,936,000
31. 1984 – Prince and the Revolutions – Purple Rain – 37,296,000
32. 1986 – Madonna – True Blue – 36,655,000
33. 1983 – The Police – Synchronicity – 36,597,000
34. 2008 – Lady Gaga – The Fame / The Fame Monster – 35,597,000
35. 1957 – Elvis Presley – Elvis’ Christmas Album – 35,532,000
36. 1997 – James Horner – Titanic – 35,512,000
37. 1977 – Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell – 35,440,000
38. 1984 – Bryan Adams – Reckless – 35,251,000
39. 1976 – ABBA – Arrival – 35,098,000
40. 1987 – Dirty Dancing – Dirty Dancing – 34,994,000
41. 1993 – Mariah Carey – Music Box – 34,135,000
42. 1990 – Garth Brooks – No Fences – 34,014,000
43. 1969 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II – 33,774,000
44. 1965 – The Beatles – Help! – 33,194,000
45. 1981 – Journey – Escape – 33,133,000
46. 1970 – The Beatles – Let It Be – 32,924,000
47. 1970 – Black Sabbath – Paranoid – 32,501,000
48. 1975 – Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – 32,462,000
49. 1980 – Queen – The Game – 32,277,000
50. 2002 – Eminem – The Eminem Show – 31,802,000
51. 1977 – Bob Marley – Exodus – 31,498,000
52. 1967 – The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 31,461,000
53. 1995 – Mariah Carey – Daydream – 31,387,000
54. 1995 – Michael Jackson – HIStory: Past, Present and Future – 31,365,000
55. 1973 – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – 31,353,000
56. 1999 – Britney Spears – …Baby One More Time – 31,192,000
57. 1999 – Santana – Supernatural – 31,172,000
58. 2000 – Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP – 31,001,000
59. 1985 – Phil Collins – No Jacket Required – 30,956,000
60. 1979 – Michael Jackson – Off the Wall – 30,954,000
61. 2000 – Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory – 30,949,000
62. 1977 – Queen – News of the World – 30,472,000
63. 1971 – Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells A Story – 30,373,000
64. 1963 – The Beatles – Please Please Me – 30,050,000
65. 1979 – Supertramp – Breakfast in America – 30,028,000
66. 1989 – Phil Collins – …But Seriously – 29,736,000
67. 1996 – Spice Girls – Spice – 29,727,000
68. 1999 – Backstreet Boys – Millennium – 29,549,000
69. 1961 – Elvis Presley – Blue Hawaii – 29,422,000
70. 1976 – Boston – Boston – 28,976,000
71. 1967 – The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour – 28,792,000
72. 1985 – Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston – 28,646,000
73. 1997 – Backstreet Boys – Backstreet’s Back – 28,192,000
74. 1968 – The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album) – 28,116,000
75. 1981 – Phil Collins – Face Value – 27,602,000
76. 1988 – Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman – 27,234,000
77. 1984 – Wham! – Make It Big – 27,055,000
78. 2002 – Norah Jones – Come Away With Me – 26,879,000
79. 1975 – Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic – 26,830,000
80. 1987 – George Michael – Faith – 26,767,000
81. 1968 – Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends – 26,674,000
82. 2015 – Adele – 25 – 26,580,000
83. 1987 – Whitney Houston – Whitney – 26,560,000
84. 1995 – Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? – 26,552,000
85. 1984 – Queen – The Works – 26,353,000
86. 1972 – Eagles – Eagles – 26,209,000
87. 1966 – Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds of Silence – 26,037,000
88. 1964 – The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night – 25,886,000
89. 1991 – Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I – 25,768,000
90. 1994 – Green Day – Dookie – 25,759,000
91. 1984 – Van Halen – 1984 – 25,653,000
92. 1989 – Madonna – Like A Prayer – 25,419,000
93. 1971 – John Lennon – Imagine – 25,339,000
94. 1977 – Billy Joel – The Stranger – 25,111,000
95. 1978 – Bob Marley – Kaya – 24,791,000
96. 1983 – U2 – War – 24,747,000
97. 1999 – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication – 24,710,000
98. 1975 – ABBA – ABBA – 24,694,000
99. 1991 – U2 – Achtung Baby – 24,657,000
100. 1993 – Aerosmith – Get a Grip – 24,381,000
101. 1995 – No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom – 24,181,000
102. 1971 – The Doors – L.A. Woman – 23,936,000
103. 1991 – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik – 23,928,000
104. 1991 – Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II – 23,925,000
105. 1969 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin I – 23,886,000
106. 1966 – The Beatles – Revolver – 23,672,000
107. 1989 – Garth Brooks – Garth Brooks – 23,469,000
108. 2000 – Britney Spears – Oops!… I Did It Again – 23,429,000
109. 1978 – Dire Straits – Dire Straits – 23,152,000
110. 1965 – The Beatles – Rubber Soul – 23,087,000
111. 1975 – Eagles – One Of These Nights – 23,051,000
112. 1980 – Barbra Streisand – Guilty – 22,973,000
113. 2003 – Evanescence – Fallen – 22,768,000
114. 2006 – Amy Winehouse – Back To Black – 22,571,000
115. 1993 – Céline Dion – The Colour Of My Love – 22,558,000
116. 1983 – Billy Joel – An Innocent Man – 22,490,000
117. 1973 – Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy – 22,488,000
118. 2017 – Ed Sheeran – ÷ (Divide) – 22,217,000
119. 1979 – AC/DC – Highway to Hell – 22,008,000
120. 1971 – The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers – 21,767,000
121. 1982 – Queen – Hot Space – 21,480,000
122. 1984 – Sade – Diamond Life – 21,446,000
123. 2004 – Green Day – American Idiot – 21,366,000
124. 1978 – Queen – Jazz – 21,323,000
125. 1991 – Bryan Adams – Waking Up the Neighbours – 21,312,000
126. 1994 – The Cranberries – No Need to Argue – 21,305,000
127. 1969 – The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed – 21,301,000
128. 1980 – ABBA – Super Trouper – 21,261,000
129. 1991 – Garth Brooks – Ropin’ The Wind – 21,201,000
130. 1998 – Madonna – Ray Of Light – 21,197,000
131. 1987 – Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night – 21,067,000
132. 2000 – U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind – 20,871,000
133. 2014 – Ed Sheeran – x (Multiply) – 20,870,000
134. 2009 – Justin Bieber – My World / My World 2.0 – 20,841,000
135. 1979 – ABBA – Voulez-Vous – 20,659,000
136. 1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys – 20,513,000
137. 1970 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III – 20,201,000
138. 2002 – Maroon 5 – Songs About Jane – 20,080,000
139. 1970 – Elton John – Elton John – 20,023,000
140. 1988 – Enya – Watermark – 19,936,000
141. 1975 – Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run – 19,903,000
142. 2004 – Usher – Confessions – 19,822,000
143. 1990 – Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey – 19,794,000
144. 2010 – Katy Perry – Teenage Dream – 19,723,000
145. 1970 – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory – 19,720,000
146. 1966 – The Rolling Stones – Aftermath – 19,654,000
147. 1978 – Van Halen – Van Halen – 19,647,000
148. 1988 – Bon Jovi – New Jersey – 19,564,000
149. 2010 – Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans – 19,455,000
150. 2002 – Avril Lavigne – Let Go – 19,338,000
151. 1994 – TLC – CrazySexyCool – 19,279,000
152. 1993 – Janet Jackson – Janet. – 19,251,000
153. 1998 – Cher – Believe – 19,238,000
154. 2002 – Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head – 19,228,000
155. 1988 – Metallica – …And Justice For All – 19,079,000
156. 2014 – Taylor Swift – 1989 – 18,958,000
157. 1993 – Nirvana – In Utero – 18,955,000
158. 1991 – Enya – Shepherd Moons – 18,833,000
159. 1983 – Various Artists – Flashdance – 18,802,000
160. 1986 – Paul Simon – Graceland – 18,744,000
161. 2007 – Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad – 18,602,000
162. 1983 – Madonna – Madonna – 18,537,000
163. 1977 – ABBA – The Album – 18,426,000
164. 1973 – Billy Joel – Piano Man – 18,359,000
165. 1978 – The Rolling Stones – Some Girls – 18,345,000
166. 1995 – Shania Twain – The Woman in Me – 18,307,000
167. 1979 – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown – 18,241,000
168. 1975 – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing – 18,046,000
169. 1999 – Destiny’s Child – The Writing’s on the Wall – 18,019,000
170. 2003 – Linkin Park – Meteora – 18,005,000
171. 1987 – Sting – …Nothing Like the Sun – 17,964,000
172. 2000 – NSYNC – No Strings Attached – 17,909,000
173. 1994 – Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas – 17,896,000
174. 1973 – Paul McCartney & Wings – Band on the Run – 17,846,000
175. 2008 – Beyoncé – I Am… Sasha Fierce – 17,830,000
176. 2013 – Various Artists – Frozen – 17,731,000
177. 1979 – Eagles – The Long Run – 17,715,000
178. 1990 – AC/DC – The Razors Edge – 17,665,000
179. 1975 – Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti – 17,625,000
180. 2009 – Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D. – 17,605,000
181. 1976 – Queen – A Day at the Races – 17,592,000
182. 1980 – Bruce Springsteen – The River – 17,545,000
183. 1980 – John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy – 17,541,000
184. 1989 – Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 1814 – 17,523,000
185. 2015 – Justin Bieber – Purpose – 17,514,000
186. 2005 – Nickelback – All the Right Reasons – 17,495,000
187. 2004 – James Blunt – Back to Bedlam – 17,383,000
188. 1986 – Metallica – Master Of Puppets – 17,357,000
189. 2002 – Eminem – 8 Mile – 17,242,000
190. 1975 – Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac – 17,241,000
191. 1996 – Backstreet Boys – Backstreet Boys – 17,042,000
192. 1964 – The Beatles – Beatles for Sale – 16,934,000
193. 2010 – Eminem – Recovery – 16,891,000
194. 1999 – Christina Aguilera – Christina Aguilera – 16,881,000
195. 1969 – Santana – Santana – 16,833,000
196. 1988 – U2 – Rattle And Hum – 16,822,000
197. 2001 – Shakira – Laundry Service – 16,736,000
198. 1973 – Eagles – Desperado – 16,699,000
199. 1978 – Billy Joel – 52nd Street – 16,670,000
200. 1982 – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going! – 16,598,000