Best selling artists, albums and singles of all-time

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It has been over 2 years since I introduced to you the Commensurate Sales to Popularity Concept, nicknamed CSPC, in March 2016. This revolutionary concept enables to define accurately the most successful artists ever. During this timeframe I, with the precious help of Hernan Lopez and Anthony Blanchard, studied nearly 100 artists, 1,000 albums plus countless singles and stand-alone tracks worth a gigantic 8,5 billion equivalent album sales combined!

Many of you praised the effort and the ongoing results which really makes us feel great about the website. One recurrent negative feedback though has been the difficulty to navigate the blog. One unique, cross-artist source of data was needed. While I can advise you to use the search function at the top-right, which works really well, an article grouping together the main data is definitely a positive improvement. So, here it is, please say hi to the Data Collector!

This article lists various rankings, with more added frequently, please see the summary on page 2. Top selling singles / albums / artists, per format, per year, per artist type, etc… everything is possible!

Thanks to this Data Collector it isn’t necessary anymore to repeat the comprehensive rankings at the end of each article. It will solve an issue by removing some pages and letting you reach always the same final pages for all acts – CSPC totals, the artist’s singles ranking and their records & achievements. This article will be kept updated which will also prevent us from having lists updated at different moments here and there.

Anthony will handle the updates of this thread from now on and try to answer your questions the best he can. We won’t be answering to lists requests on comments though as it will be impossible to maintain them. Instead, when you request something, and if it is relevant for many people, we will add a page to the article with the said list.

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Carter
Carter
1 day ago

Can you do a post of artists who are local and not?

Walter
Walter
3 days ago

Why didn’t you look at greatest hits or collection on page 17 like The Eagles, Bob Marley (Legend), Abba (Gold) o The Beatles 1 ?

Walter
Walter
3 days ago
Reply to  Walter

Page 8 not 17.

Prudence
Prudence
3 days ago

I’m curious why Bring me the horizon’s album- That’s The Spirit isn’t included on their discography?

Regis Rodriguez
Regis Rodriguez
3 days ago

it would be amazing if you could add Luis Miguel on your “Artists Ranking – CSPC – Overall sales” chart. For being a non english singer he’s streaming numbers are great and he’s a legend in Latin America.

César
César
3 days ago

I support this request 😼

Felix_Grüber
Felix_Grüber
5 days ago

Hey!
So here in Austria (and i guess for sure in other parts of the world) there are CD‘s to purchase like „Hits of the Summer 2019“ (includes the biggest smash hits by various artists of the summer 2019) or „Best of 2019“ (includes the biggest tracks by various artists of 2019)

  1. Are these sales counted on this website towards a song?
  2. Some big artists never appear with their music on these CD‘s even if they should, why?
Martin
Martin
5 days ago
Reply to  Felix_Grüber

1. As far as I am aware, no.

2. Most of these hits albums are created by certain labels etc and as such only include artists they have on their roster. The main reason though, is that acts like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin etc have far more stringent control over the usage of their music and inevitably refuse to allow their music to be released on Best Of the 60s/70s etc type releases. The same applies to today’s bigger stars, who have greater or full control of their sound recordings and can veto their inclusion on such albums.

Federico
Federico
9 days ago

Laura Pausini? Andrea Bocelli? Mina?

Jen
Jen
11 days ago

Hi, loving this Overall Artist chart which sums up career sales beautifully. I mean it will take a while for new acts to reach higher positions as Michael, Madonna and Mariah have 30+ years career in their belts, but then again, even in the “sales” years, nobody became a 150 million album seller in 2 years so… Great job and thanks!

HARSHIT KUMAR PATNAIK
HARSHIT KUMAR PATNAIK
2 days ago
Reply to  Jen

Dont forget Michael jackson had only 6 adult solo studio albums under his name,,,still he sold massive 180million+ physical sales and continues to be a popular artist now

Freek
Freek
13 days ago

Hello Chartmasters, do you know why streams of Oasis (and maybe other artists too) aren’t updated for a week now, while others see their numbers added every day?

Freek
Freek
13 days ago
Reply to  Freek

Wow! That was fast! Thanks!

trackback

[…] to chartmasters.org, Rihanna is listed at #43 on the list of best selling artists of all time. According to the same […]

Man
Man
14 days ago

Hola! Me encanta esta paginá, pero no entendí sobre el Asr? Es una nueva formula? Lo que entendí fue lo siguiente. Es sobre el exito de los artistas a lo largo de su carrera? Que tan exitosos han sido?

Lo que no entiendo es como Michael Jackson puede tener mil puntos? Invencible no fue un fracaso? No creo que deba tener mil puntos. Tambien y veo y conozco las carreras de otros artistas. Por qué recibieron tan bajos puntos? Parece que el que ha creado esta página es fan de Michael Jackson. Que pena. Debería ser imparcial.

César
César
14 days ago
Reply to  Man

Si es fan de Michael, pero yo creo que si hizo bien al ponerle mil; crear 5 monstruos de ventas (sobre todo Thriller) es meritorio según yo. Aparte, no le puso mil porque si, el ASR tiene su formula.

MakeOutHill
MakeOutHill
12 days ago
Reply to  Man

Invincible mas de 10 millones de copias, si claro un fracaso. Michael lo tiene mas que merecido, su música y videos son únicos, gracias a el artistas de ahora son lo que son, vete a dormir, no sabes nada de música.

AndrewMark
AndrewMark
12 days ago
Reply to  MakeOutHill

Invincible sold around 6 million, it’s far away from the inflated 10 million created by the same fans who claim Thriller sold 100 million or 120 million copies worldwide.

Gen
Gen
19 days ago

Hello guys,
I have a question.. among madonna, mariah, whitney, celine who sold more records between 2009 till 2019 ( albums +single/s+streaming/ digital sales included ?

Noor
Noor
1 month ago

Why did Taylor and Mariah have those jumps in stream EAS?

Kris
Kris
27 days ago
Reply to  Noor

I think Mariah’s page sometimes counts AIWFCIY twice, which makes the total vary by about 700 k EAS.
Taylor Swift has new music out and gets big streaming numbers.

Martin
Martin
27 days ago
Reply to  Kris

No, it’s not that. Mariah who seems to average around 1.8m/1.9m streams a day, added around 325m between 12th and 14th Aug, jumping from around 3,601B to 3,925B. Although, saying that, if you run the Spotify tool, it shows her current overall total as 3,582,572,412, which was approximately the total she supposedly had between 2nd and 3rd Aug!

Last edited 27 days ago by Martin
Sana
Sana
24 days ago
Reply to  Martin

Can you fix it though, because her streaming equivalent sales havent been updated since 14/08

Michael
Michael
20 days ago
Reply to  Sana

She was also previously missing two entire albums and a bunch of EPs which were never counted via the tool but MJD corrected it now

GaryHuston
GaryHuston
1 month ago

……Great

Last edited 1 month ago by GaryHuston
Jules
Jules
1 month ago

This list needs Pearl Jam, Def Leppard, Van Halen, George Michael, and Eric Clapton in it and then we can get a more accurate idea of what the list should look like. There are other less well known artists such as Boys II men, Ace of Base, Hootie and the blowfish, Dixie chicks, Jewel, Kenny G, Matchbox 20, as well as Kid Rock, Outcast, Notorious BIG, MC Hammer, Lionel Ritchie, Frank Sinatra, Dave Matthews Band, REO Speedwagon, Rush, ZZ Top, many of these artists have albums that will go into the top 200 CSPC.

obro
obro
1 month ago
Reply to  Jules

George Michael has already been done 🙂. Although I do have to say as a brit I am slightly disappointed with his result as he’s such a MASSIVE legend here, but i guess he’s mainly just known for two album’s in America (Wham!’s Make It Big & Faith)

ojd
ojd
1 month ago

Hi, what is your estimate for marvin gaye’s cspc total? I’m intrigued because he has quite a few iconic songs (let’s get it on, sexual healing, through the grapevine), however he is never mentioned anywhere among top sellers or selling anything major at all. Plus, his arguably most iconic album “what’s going on” is only certified gold in the US

Freek
Freek
1 month ago

Hi Chartmasters!
After again spending way too much time on your nice site, I was wondering if it would be possible to keep the list of pre-2000 albums in streaming updated in the same way as the total CSPC or most streamed artists. I don’t know how much work that would take and I wouldn’t want you to go through too much trouble, but with numbers changing so quickly, the list doesn’t make much sense now I’m afraid.

PeppaPig
PeppaPig
1 month ago

When will Dua Lipa be analyzed? She’s on fire right now.

Michelle
Michelle
1 month ago

What do you mean EAS (Equivalent album sales) could you please explain what is about? Thank you in advance.

Jeana
Jeana
1 month ago

How isnt madonna at least top 3 in the asr, she is the second artist with most #1’s worldwide, is the most successful female artist in tours and is one of the most iconic singers of all time

Tony
Tony
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeana

Because there are other artists more successful than her.

Kris
Kris
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeana

The ASR has nothing to do with chart #1s, touring, or how iconic someone is perceived. So you answered your own question.

Michael
Michael
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeana

Shes the most successful female artist in touring, meanong she still isnt the top 3 when it comes to male singers. And the most #1s is debatable. Certain genre’s such as Rock their fans dont go for singles, they go for albums & compilations. Some big artists especially in the late 90s, early 00s doesnt even released a CD single for sale. As far as being Iconic. Whats the purpose of being iconic if ur streams are nowhere near other artists such as Beatles, Queen, MJ, etc. She may hv more iconic moments but her music is kinda forgotten these… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Michael
Jeana
Jeana
1 month ago
Reply to  Michael

But then how Abba and eagles are above her since eagles barely outstreamed and madonna actually outstreamed abba, also streams arent even that important since Eminem outstreamed and outsold Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston but they are higher in the asr

Michael
Michael
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeana

It all depends on how many albums u produced, the market size back then vs now, etc. There is an explaination over the ASR formula article. U can just read it.

Nick
Nick
1 month ago
Reply to  Michael

She’s not forgotten–but she is nowhere near the level of the Beatles, Queen or MJ these days. On youtube, her average daily views are currently higher than Mariah’s or Whitney’s. And on spotity, she has three songs that get 1 millon streams per week (that might become 4 eventually with La Isla Bonita).

Michael
Michael
1 month ago
Reply to  Nick

Well her stream among female artist with over 20 years of career are pretty solid. But compared to other male or band acts she is kind of forgotten. All female singers seems to suffer the same fate after being around a long time in the industry anyway.

Nick
Nick
1 month ago
Reply to  Michael

Michael, I actually agree with you, at least if we are talking about spotify. On youtube, she does pretty well now that her account is fixed. But on spotify, she is only one of two female artists on the top legacy artists. Don’t know why it’s so much tougher for women.

Gio
Gio
1 month ago
Reply to  Nick

Its because of ageism and how men and women are not treated the same way in the industy, the only female artist who didnt age badly in spotify is Mariah and mostly because of her christmas stuff

Nick
Nick
1 month ago
Reply to  Gio

Yeah, during the rest of the year, mariah and Madonna have the same exact streams. And Madonna now does better than Mariah on youtube.

Michael
Michael
1 month ago
Reply to  Gio

Sorry to say, but I hate it when people say men and women are treated differently in Music. Female singers tends to cater towards women and male singers towards men. Unfortunately for female singers, women tends to be more open towards new genres. Think about it, teenage girls seems to be really into bubblegum pop, then as they turned into their 20s urban music, then once they reached mid 30s more into adult contemporary. Wherelse men never changed their music preferences. Its always either rock or rap most of thde time and they also seems to be more loyal towards… Read more »

Jules
Jules
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeana

Madonna streams about 2 million a day on Spotify and about 2.2 million Youtube. Queen do about 7.5 million daily on Spotify and about 6.6 million on YouTube. The Beatles do about 7 million on Spotify and just over 3 million daily on YouTube. MJ does about 4 million daily in spotify and about 6 million on YouTube.

Nicco
Nicco
1 month ago

Can you update “The Temptations”, “Boyz II Men”, “Lil Wayne”, “Nicki Minaj”, “Chicago” , “Bobby Brown”. “Chris Brown”, “New Edition”, “Cardi B”, “Dua Lipa”, “Pussicat Dolls”, “Sam Cooke”, “Ray Charles” “Marvin Gaye” thank you.

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