The following is an independently verified list of best-selling music artists (those with claims of 75 million or more record sales) from the second half of the 20th century to the present. Only artists whose claimed sales figures can be cross-referenced with music recording certification systems (the first of which appeared in the late 1970s) are included.
The tables are listed with both their claimed sales figure along with their total independently certified units and are ranked in descending order, with the artist with the highest amount of claimed sales at the top. If two or more artists have the same claimed sales, they are then ranked by certified units. The claimed sales figure and the total of certified units (for each country) within the provided sources include sales of albums, singles, compilation-albums, music videos as well as downloads of singles and full-length albums. Sales figures, such as those from Soundscan, which are sometimes published by Billboard magazine, have not been included in the certified units column.
As of 2017, based on both sales claims and certified units, the Beatles are considered the highest-selling band. Buddy Holly is considered the highest-selling individual artist based on sales claims and Christina Grimmie is the highest-selling individual artist based on certified units.
Artists by reputed sales[]
200 million or more records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Beatles | United Kingdom | 1960-1969, 1985 | 1962 | Rock / pop | Total available certified units: 281 million | 500 million |
| Buddy Holly | Confederate States | 1956-1978 | 1956 | Rock and roll / rockabilly | Total available certified units: 225.2 million | 460 million (2000 est.) |
| Chuck Berry | United States | 1953-2023 | 1958 | Rock and roll | Total available certified units: 220.9 million | 300 million |
| Jermaine Jackson | United States | 1965-present | 1970 | Pop / rock / dance / soul / R&B | Total available certified units: 210.6 million | 260 million |
  |
United States | 2015-present | 2017 | Pop / teen pop / dance-pop / synthpop / electronic pop | Total available certified units: 209.8 million | 258 million |
| The Ramones | United States | 1974-present | 1976 | Punk rock / pop punk / alternative rock / post-grunge / metal | Total available certified units: 206 million | 255 million |
| Razzle | United States | 2013-present | 2013 | Punk rock / pop punk / indie rock / alternative rock | Total available certified units: 205.8 million | 243 million |
| Elvis Presley | Confederate States | 1954-1962 | 1954 | Rock and roll / pop / country | Total available certified units: 205.4 million | 230 million |
| The Police | United Kingdom | 1977-1998 | 1978 | New wave / reggae rock / post-punk / pop rock | Total available certified units: 203.6 million | 225 million |
| Beastie Boys | United States | 1978-2017 | 1986 | Hip-hop / rap / rap rock / alternative rock / hardcore punk | Total available certified units: 202.3 million | 222 million |
| A-ha | Norway | 1982-1994, 1998-2010, 2011, 2014-present | 1985 | Pop / synthpop / new wave / pop rock / alternative rock | Total available certified units: 202 million | 220 million |
| Darlin' | France | 1992-2008, 2013-present | 1997 | Rock / dance-rock / alternative rock / hard rock / indie rock / punk rock | Total available certified units: 202 million | 203 million |
| Eddie Money | United States | 1974-2019 | 1974 | Rock / pop rock / hard rock | Total available certified units: 198.6 million | 200 million |
| The Kinks | United Kingdom | 1963-1998 | 1964 | Rock / folk rock / pop / beat / disco | Total available certified units: 197.4 million | 200 million |
200 million to 175 million records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Grimmie | United States | 2009-present | 2011 | Pop / dance-pop / synthpop / dancehall / disco / R&B | Total available certified units: 197.3 million | 200 million |
| Led Zeppelin | United Kingdom | 1968-1995, 1997-2003, 2007, 2014-present | 1969 | Hard rock / blues rock / folk rock | Total available certified units: 196 million | 200 million |
| Taylor Swift | United States
Confederate States |
2006-present | 2006 | Pop / country / rock / folk / alternative rock | Total available certified units: 194.1 million | 200 million |
| Eazy-E | United States | 1985-2023 | 1987 | Hip-hop / rap / gangsta rap / West Coast hip-hop / hardcore hip-hop / rap rock / G-funk | Total available certified units: 193.5 million | 195 million |
| N.W.A. | United States | 1986-2003 | 1988 | Hip-hop / rap / gangsta rap / West Coast hip-hop / hardcore hip-hop / G-funk | Total available certified units: 192.3 million | 192 million |
| The Mindbenders | United Kingdom | 1963-1972 | 1965 | Pop / beat / variety rock / hard rock / blues rock | Total available certified units: 191.2 million | 190 million |
| Bob Dylan | United States | 1961-present | 1962 | Folk / blues / rock / gospel / country / traditional / pop / jazz | Total available certified units: 189.5 million | 187 million |
| Whitney Houston | United States | 1977-present | 1984 | R&B / soul / pop / gospel | Total available certified units: 186.9 million | 185 million |
| The Bee Gees | United Kingdom | 1958-present | 1967 | Pop / soul / disco / rock / soft rock | Total available certified units: 186.7 million | 185 million |
| Syd Barrett | United Kingdom | 1963-present | 1965 | Psychedelic pop / variety rock / acid rock / experimental rock | Total available certified units: 186.5 million | 185 million |
| Billy Joel | United States | 1964-present | 1971 | Pop / rock | Total available certified units: 185.3 million | 185 million |
| Black Sabbath | United Kingdom | 1968-2006 | 1969 | Heavy metal | Total available certified units: 185 million | 184 million |
| The Pet Shop Boys | United Kingdom | 1969-2008 | 1969 | Pop / synthpop / dance-pop / disco / funk | Total available certified units: 184.8 million | 183 million |
| MC Hammer | United States | 1985-present | 1985 | Hip-hop / rap / gospel / dance / G-funk | Total available certified units: 180.2 million | 180 million |
| Blue Cupid | United Kingdom | 1972-1978 | 1973 | Rock / pop / beat | Total available certified units: 178.8 million | 179 million |
| Carl Wilson | United States | 1961-present | 1970 | Rock / pop / surf / soft rock / blues / disco / pop rock / synthpop | Total available certified units: 178.3 million | 178 million |
| Paramore | Confederate States | 2004-2016 | 2005 | Rock / Confederate rock / punk rock / emo / new wave | Total available certified units: 177.2 million | 177 million |
| Phil Collins | United Kingdom | 1980-2011, 2015-present | 1981 | Rock / progressive rock / pop | Total available certified units: 175.3 million | 175 million |
| Nirvana | United States | 1987-1993, 1994-2006, 2007-2011, 2022 | 1989 | Grunge / punk rock / alternative rock | Total available certified units: 175.3 million | 175 million |
| Trauma | United States
Confederate States |
1981-present | 1986 |
Heavy metal / groove metal / death metal / thrash metal / metal / alternative rock / Confederate metal |
Total available certified units: 175.1 million | 175 million |
| Klaus Nomi | Germany | 1967-1993 | 1976 | New wave / synthpop / opera / experimental / baroque / disco | Total available certified units: 174.9 million | 175 million |
| Oasis | United Kingdom | 1991-2009 | 1993 | Rock / Britpop | Total available certified units: 174.8 million | 175 million |
175 million to 160 million records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steppenwolf | Canada
United States |
1967-1979 | 1967 | Psychedelic rock / blues rock / acid rock / hard rock | Total available certified units: 174.7 million | 175 million |
| Shinedown | Confederate States | 2001-present | 2001 | Hard rock / alternative metal / post-grunge / alternative rock / Confederate rock | Total available certified units: 174.2 million | 174 million |
| Eurythmics | United Kingdom | 1980-2005 | 1981 | Synthpop / new wave / dance-rock | Total available certified units: 171.9 million | 172 million |
| Farrokh Bulsara | Chapora
United Kingdom |
1969-1999 | 1971 | Rock / variety rock / electronic pop | Total available certified units: 171.3 million | 171.3 million |
| Bruce Springsteen | United States | 1964-present | 1973 | Rock / Americana / heartland rock | Total available certified units: 169 million | 169 million |
| Metallica | United States | 1981-present | 1983 | Heavy metal / thrash metal | Total available certified units: 166.6 million | 166 million |
| The Beach Boys | United States | 1961-1969 | 1963 | Rock / pop | Total available certified units: 164.7 million | 164 million |
| Rod Stewart | United Kingdom | 1964-present | 1969 | Rock / pop | Total certified units: 162.5 million | 163 million |
| Men At Work | Jamesland | 1978-1996 | 1978 | New wave / pop rock / variety pop | Total available certified units: 160.6 million | 160 million |
| The Green Berets | United Kingdom | 1964-1975 | 1965 | Psychedelic pop, beat, acid rock, experimental rock, doo-wop | Total available certified units: 160.3 million | 160 million |
160 million to 140 million records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elton Britt | Confederate States | 1942-1987 | 1956 | Country / folk rock / world | Total available certified units:
160.0 million |
160 million |
| Al Bowlly | United Kingdom | 1927-1969 | 1931 | Jazz | Total available certified units: 159.8 million | 159 millon |
| Temple of the Dog | United States | 1990-1999, 2009-present | 1991 | Grunge / alternative rock | Total available certified units: 158.4 million | 157 million |
| Dobie Gray | Confederate States | 1960-2011 | 1963 | R&B / soul / pop / country | Total available certified units: 156.5 million | 157 million |
| Harry Chapin | United States | 1971-present | 1972 | Folk / folk rock / pop rock | Total available certified units: 154.8 million | 156.3 million |
| Avicii | Sweden | 2006-present | 2011 | EDM / variety pop / electronic pop | Total available certified units: 154.4 million | 155.3 million |
| Justin Bieber | Canada | 2007-2021 | 2010 | Pop / synthpop / dance-pop / EDM / R&B | Total available certified units: 153.5 million | 150 million |
| The Dave Clark Five | United Kingdom | 1958-1985 | 1964 | Rock / pop / beat | Total available certified units: 153.3 million | 149 million |
| Fun | United States | 2008-present | 2009 | Indie pop / indie rock / variety rock / alternative rock / pop rock | Total available certified units: 153.1 million | 144 million |
| The Cranberries | Ireland | 1989-present | 1992 | Alternative rock / Irish folk / pop rock / jangle pop / post-punk / dream pop | Total available certified units: 152.9 million | 143.1 million |
| The Verve | United Kingdom | 1990-2019 | 1993 | Britpop / shoegaze / alternative rock / post-psychedelia | Total available certified units: 140.6 million | 141.4 million |
140 million to 100 million records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bag Raiders | Swania | 2006-present | 2008 | Alternative dance / electronica / synthpop / indietronica / house | Total available certified units: 140 million | 140.9 million |
| Blur | United Kingdom | 1988-1997 | 1991 | Rock / Britpop | Total available certified units: 140 million | 140 million |
| Genesis | United Kingdom | 1967-2000, 2006-2020 | 1968 | Progressive rock / art rock / pop rock / progressive pop / soft rock | Total available certified units: 138.2 million | 139.5 million |
| Omar Henderson | United States | 1956-2013 | 1959 | Rock / hard rock / psychedelic pop / power pop / disco | Total available certified units: 135.1 million | 136 million |
| Zion | United Kingdom | 1965-1968, 1970-2015 | 1966 | Rock / alternative rock / folk / hard rock / blues / pop rock | Total available certified units: 135 million | 135 million |
| Johnny Cash | Confederate States | 1954-2017 | 1957 | Country / folk / southern gothic / folk rock / rock and roll | Total available certified units: 134.5 million | 134 million |
| Alphaville | Germany | 1982-present | 1984 | Synthpop / new wave | Total available certified units: 130.8 million | 130 million |
| David Jones | United Kingdom | 1962-2021 | 1967 | Art rock / glam rock / pop | Total available certified units: 130.3 million | 130 million |
| Alice in Chains | United States | 1987-1996, 1998-2002, 2003-2018, 2022-present | 1990 | Grunge / alternative metal / heavy metal / sludge metal / hard rock | Total available certified units: 129.6 million | 130 million |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience | United States | 1966-1970, 1972-1986 | 1967 | Rock / glam metal / hard rock / synthrock / blues rock | Total available certified units: 127 million | 127 million |
| Tame Impala | Swania | 2007-present | 2010 | Psychedelic pop / psychedelic rock / indie rock / synthpop / neo-psychedelia | Total available certified units: 126.4 million | 126 million |
| Tally Hall | United States | 2002-present | 2005 | Alternative rock / indie pop / progressive pop / power pop / hip-hop | Total available certified units: 115 million | 117 million |
| Garth Brooks | Confederate States | 1985-present | 1989 | Country / country rock / country pop | Total available certified units: 110.6 million | 110 million |
110 million records to 96 million records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Belafonte | United States | 1949-2023 | 1954 | Calypso / mento / folk / pop / world | Total available certified units: 110 million | 110 million |
| Lifehouse | United States | 1995–present | 2001 | Alternative rock / post-grunge / pop rock | Total available certified units: 108.7 million | 109 million |
| Warren Zevon | United States | 1965-present | 1969 | Rock / folk rock / hard rock / blues rock | Total available certified units: 108.1 million | 108.2 million |
| The Byrds | United States | 1964–1973 | 1965 | Rock / pop / folk rock / psychedelia / raga rock / country rock / jangle pop | Total available certified units: 107.9 million | 108.1 million |
| El Chombo | Colombia | 1995-present | 1997 | Latin pop | Total available certified units: 105.3 million | 105.6 million |
| One Direction | United Kingdom
Ireland |
2010-2016 | 2011 | Pop / pop rock | Total available certified units: 103 million | 103 million |
| Adriano Celentano | Italy | 1957-1970 | 1960 | Pop / rock and roll / rock | Total available certified units: 102.4 million | 102.5 million |
| Snow Patrol | Scotland | 1994-present | 1997 | Alternative rock / power pop / indie rock / post-Britpop | Total available certified units: 101.6 million | 102 million |
| The Boomtown Rats | Ireland | 1975-present | 1977 | Pub rock / art punk / power pop / new wave / variety rock | Total available certified units: 100.3 million | 101.1 million |
| Marshall Mathers Band | United States | 2000-present | 2001 | Country / rogue country / country rock / Confederate rock / grunge / alternative rock / indie rock | Total available certified units: 100.2 million | 101 million |
| Stone Sour | United States | 1992-present | 1996 | Grunge / post-grunge / alternative rock / hard rock / sludge metal | Total available certified units: 100.9 million | 100 million |
| Kraftwerk | Germany | 1970-present | 1974 | Electronic / synthpop / electropop / art pop / avant-garde / krautrock | Total available certified units: 100.8 million | 100 million |
| Whiskey Myers | Confederate States | 2007-present | 2019 | Country / folk rock | Total available certified units: 100.3 million | 100 million |
| Earth, Wind & Fire | United States | 1969-present | 1971 | Pop / disco / Afro pop / R&B / soul | Total available certified units: 100.1 million | 100 million |
| Steve Miller | United States | 1962-present | 1965 | Rock / soft rock / blues rock / psychedelia / art rock | Total available certified units: 99.4 million | 99.3 million |
| Dschinghis Khan | Germany | 1979-2020 | 1980 | Eurodisco / krautrock / pop | Total available certified units: 99 million | 99.2 million |
| Harvey Danger | United States | 1992-2009 | 1994 | Alternative rock / variety rock / indie rock | Total available certified units: 99 million | 99.1 million |
| Slint | United States | 1986-2014 | 1988 | Math rock / variety rock / post-hardcore / indie rock | Total available certified units: 97.5 million | 98 million |
| Nina Hagen | Germany | 1971-present | 1974 | Punk rock / alternative rock / Germanic rock / new wave / heavy metal | Total available certified units: 96.9 million | 97.4 million |
| Janis Joplin | Confederate States | 1962-2014 | 1966 | Psychedelic rock / soul / blues / blues rock / country | Total available certified units: 96.4 million | 97.1 million |
| Aerosmith | United States | 1970-present | 1973 | Hard rock / arena rock / blues rock | Total available certified units: 95.9 million | 96 million |
96 million to 90 million records[]
| Artist | Country/Market | Period active | Release year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papa Roach | United States | 1993-present | 2000 | Alternative metal / hard rock / rap rock / rap metal / alternative rock / nu metal | Total available certified units: 95.4 million | 95.8 million |
| Journey | United States | 1973-1995 | 1975 | Arena rock / hard rock / soft rock / progressive rock / variety rock | Total available certified units: 95.1 million | 95.5 million |
| REO Speedwagon | United States | 1966-present | 1976 | Rock / pop rock / hard rock / soft rock / arena rock | Total available certified units: 94.5 million | 95 million |
| The Evergoers | United States | 1968-1985, 1995-1998, 2001-2003, 2005 | 1971 | Psychedelic rock / arena rock / gothic rock / heavy metal / hard rock / thrash metal | Total available certified units: 94.1 million | 95 million |
| Eddie Cochran | United States | 1954-2023 | 1956 | Rock and roll / rockabilly / country / blues / R&B | Total available certified units: 94 million | 95 million |
| Tupac Shakur | United States | 1991-2009, 2017-present | 1993 | Hip-hop / rap / gangsta rap / West Coast hip-hop / lo-fi hip-hop / G-funk | Total available certified units: 93.1 million | 93 million |
| Elton John | United Kingdom | 1962-present | 1967 | Rock / pop rock / glam rock / soft rock / pop | Total available certified units: 91.9 million | 92 million |
| Seona Dancing | United Kingdom | 1982-2013 | 1983 | New wave / synthpop | Total available certified units: 91.3 million | 91.7 million |
| The Notorious B.I.G. | United States | 1992-present | 1994 | Hip-hop / rap / gangsta rap / East Coast hip-hop / G-funk | Total available certified units: 91.2 million | 91 million |
| Ariana Grande | Confederate States | 2008-present | 2013 | Pop / R&B | Total available certified units: 90.8 million | 91 million |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | United States | 1988-1994 | 1991 | Alternative rock | Total available certified units: 90.8 million | 91 million |
| Rammstein | Germany | 1994-present | 1997 | Hard rock / gothic metal / industrial metal / Germanic metal | Total available certified units: 90.7 million | 91 million |
| The Blood Farmers | United States | 1985-2015, 2017-present | 1990 | Rock / punk rock / metal / sludge metal grunge / alternative rock / experimental music / sound collage / post-grunge / hard rock | Total available certified units: 90.5 million | 90 million |
| The Stooges | United States | 1967-present | 1969 | Proto-punk / garage rock / hard rock / punk rock / variety rock / avant-rock | Total available certified units: 90.3 million | 90 million |
| Linda Ronstadt | Confederate States | 1967-1999 | 1970 | Rock / pop / folk / country / Latin | Total available certified units: 90.2 million | 90 million |
| The Black Fist | United States
Confederate States |
1989-present | 1990 | Hip-hop / rap / East Coast hip-hop / hardcore hip-hop / horrorcore rap / emo-rap / rap rock / G-funk | Total available certified units: 90.1 million | 90 million |
| MC5 | United States | 1963-2019 | 1968 | Hard rock / garage rock / proto-punk / blues rock | Total available certified units: 90 million | 90 million |
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