Pink Floyd's The Wall, the Beatles' eponymous "White Album" and the Soundtrack for

Saturday Night Fever

Year Artist Album Label Certificatio
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely
1967 The Beatles Capitol 11× platinu
Hearts Club Band
The Beatles ("The
1968 The Beatles Apple 19× platinu
White Album")
1969 The Beatles Abbey Road Apple 12× platinu
1969 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Atlantic 12× platinu
1971 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (ZoSo) Atlantic 23x platinu
Simon and Simon and Garfunkel's
1972 Columbia 14× platinu
Garfunkel Greatest Hits
1972 The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks, 1964–1971≈ London 12× platinu
1962–1966 ("the Red
1973 The Beatles Capitol 15× platinu
Album")
1967–1970 ("the Blue
1973 The Beatles Capitol 16× platinu
Album")
1973 Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy Atlantic 11× platinu
The Dark Side of the
1973 Pink Floyd Capitol 15× platinu
Moon
1974 Elton John Greatest Hits Polydor 16× platinu
1975 Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti≈ Swan Song 16× platinu
Epic
1976 Boston Boston 17× platinu
Records
1976 The Eagles Hotel California Asylum 16× platinu
Their Greatest Hits 29×
1976 The Eagles Elektra
(1971-1975) platinum[12
Warner
1976 James Taylor Greatest Hits 11× platinu
Bros.
Epic
1977 Meat Loaf Bat out of Hell 14× platinu
Records
Warner
1977 Fleetwood Mac Rumours 19× platinu
Bros.
Saturday Night
1977 Various Artists RSO 15× platinu
Fever(soundtrack)
Greatest Hits (1974–
1978 Steve Miller Band Capitol 13× platinu
1978)
1979 Pink Floyd The Wall≈ Columbia 23× platinu
1980 AC/DC Back in Black Atlantic 21× platinu
1980 Aerosmith Greatest Hits Columbia 11× platinu
Kenny Rogers' Greatest
1980 Kenny Rogers Liberty 12× platinu
Hits
Eagles Greatest Hits,
1982 Eagles Asylum 11× platinu
Vol. 2
 Epic
1982 Michael Jackson Thriller 27× platinu
Records
Mercury
1983 Def Leppard Pyromania 10× platinu
Records
1984 Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. Columbia 15× platinu
Prince and the Purple Rain Warner
1984 13× platinu
Revolution (soundtrack) Bros.
1985 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Arista 13× platinu
Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 &
1985 Billy Joel Columbia 21× platinu
2
1985 Phil Collins No Jacket Required Atlantic 12× platinu
Mercury
1986 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 12× platinu
Records
Bruce Springsteen
1986 & the E Street Live/1975-85 Columbia 13× platinu
Band
Mercury
1987 Def Leppard Hysteria 12× platinu
Records
1987 George Michael Faith Columbia 10× platinu
1987 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction Geffen 15× platinu
1988 Journey Greatest Hits Columbia 14× platinu
1990 Garth Brooks No Fences Capitol 17× platinu
1991 Garth Brooks Ropin' the Wind Capitol 14× platinu
Epic
1991 Pearl Jam Ten 12× platinu
Records
Metallica ("the Black
1991 Metallica Elektra 14× platinu
Album")
1991 Nirvana Nevermind DGC 12× platinu
1992 Kenny G Breathless Arista 12× platinu
The Bodyguard
1992 Whitney Houston Arista 17× platinu
(soundtrack)
Forrest Gump Epic
1994 Various Artists 12× platinu
(soundtrack)≈ Records
Hootie and the
1994 Cracked Rear View Atlantic 16× platinu
Blowfish
1994 TLC CrazySexyCool LaFace 11× platinu
1995 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill Maverick 16× platinu
1995 Jewel Pieces of You Atlantic 12× platinu
Mercury
1995 Shania Twain The Woman in Me 12× platinu
Records
Epic
1996 Celine Dion Falling into You 12× platinu
Records
1996 Matchbox Twenty Yourself or Someone Atlantic 12× platinu
 Like You
1997 Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys Jive 14× platinu
1997 Shania Twain Come on Over Mercury 20× platinu
Epic
1997 Various Artists Titanic 11× platinu
Records
1998 Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces Monument 12× platinu
1998 Garth Brooks Double Live≈ Capitol 20× platinu
1998 *NSYNC *NSYNC Jive 11× platinu
1998 Kid Rock Devil Without a Cause Atlantic 11× platinu
1999 Backstreet Boys Millennium Jive 13× platinu
1999 Britney Spears ....Baby One More Time Jive 14× platinu
1999 Santana Supernatural Arista 15× platinu
1999 Creed Human Clay Wind-Up 11× platinu
2000 The Beatles The Beatles 1 Capitol 10× platinu
2000 *NSYNC No Strings Attached Jive 11× platinu
Warner
2000 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory≈ 10× platinu
Bros.
Mercury
2002 Shania Twain Up≈ 11× platinu
Records
2003 Norah Jones Come Away With Me≈ Blue Note 10× platinu
Spice Girls - "Spice" (Virgin, 1996) - 10 times platinum
Korn - "Follow The Leader" (BMG, 1998) - 10 times platinum
Eminem - "The Marshall Mathers LP" (Aftermath, Interscope, 2000) - 10 times platinum
Britney Spears - Oops!... I Did It Again (Jive, 2000) - 10 times platinum
Green Day - Dookie (Reprise, 1994) - 10 times platinum
Ace of Base - The Sign (Arista, 1993) - 10 times platinum
Faith Hill - Breathe (Warner Bros., 1999) - 10 times platinum
Madonna - Like a Virgin (Sire, 1984) - 10 times Platinum
Mariah Carey - Music Box (Columbia, 1993) - 10 times platinum
Mariah Carey - Daydream (Columbia, 1995) - 10 times platinum
Dixie Chicks - Fly (Monument, 1999) - 10 times platinum
Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love (Epic Records, 1997) - 10 times platinum
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom (Interscope, 1995) - 10 times platinum
Doobie Brothers - Best of the Doobies (Warner Bros., 1976) - 10 times platinum
Billy Joel - The Stranger (Columbia, 1977) - 10 times platinum
Garth Brooks - The Hits (Capitol, 1994) - 10 times platinum
Eric Clapton - Unplugged (Reprise, 1992) - 10 times platinum
Carole King - Tapestry (Ode, 1971) - 10 times platinum
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (Warner Bros., 2000) - 10 times platinum
≈ Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (Atlantic, 1990) - 10 times platinum
Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (Sire, 1990) - 10 times platinum
≈The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (Bad Boy Records, 1997) - 10 times platinum
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Legend (Tuff Gong, 1984) - 10 times platinum
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits (MCA, 1993) - 10 times platinum
Def Leppard - Pyromania (Mercury Records, 1983) - 10 times platinum
Nirvana - Nevermind (Geffen, 1991) - 10 times platinum
Elton John and others - The Lion King (Walt Disney, 1994) - 10 times platinum
Lionel Richie - Can't Slow Down (Motown, 1983) - 10 times platinum
MC Hammer - Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em (Capitol, 1990) - 10 times platinum
Van Halen - Van Halen (Warner Bros., 1978) - 10 times platinum
ZZ Top - Eliminator (Warner Bros., 1983) - 10 times platinum
Van Halen - MCMLXXXIV (Warner Bros., 1984) - 10 times platinum
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (Blue Note, 2002) - 10 times platinum
≈ Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life (Motown, 1976) - 10 times platinum
The Beatles - 1 (Capitol, 2000) - 10 times platinum
U2 - The Joshua Tree (Island, 1987) - 10 times platinum
*NSYNC - *NSYNC (RCA, 1998) - 10 times platinum
Patsy Cline - 12 Greatest Hits - (Decca, 1967) - 10 times platinum
≈ 2Pac - Greatest Hits (Death Row, 1998) - 9 times platinum
Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey (Columbia, 1990) - 9 times platinum
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (Def Jam, 1986) - 9 times platinum
Boyz II Men - Cooleyhighharmony (Motown, 1991) - 9 times platinum
Garth Brooks - Garth Brooks (Capitol, 1989) - 9 times platinum
Garth Brooks - Sevens (Capitol, 1997) - 9 times platinum
Billy Ray Cyrus - Some Gave All (Mercury Records, 1992) - 9 times platinum
John Denver - Greatest Hits (RCA, 1974) - 9 times platinum
Journey - Escape (Columbia, 1981) - 9 times platinum
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (Warner Bros., 1985) - 9 times platinum
The Doors - The Best of the Doors (Elektra, 1985) - 9 times platinum
Whitney Houston - Whitney (Arista) - 9 times platinum
REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (Epic Records, 1980) - 9 times platinum
≈ Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Virgin, 1995) - 9 times
platinum
Elvis Presley - Elvis' Christmas Album (1957) - 9 times platinum
Will Smith - Big Willie Style (Columbia, 1997) - 9 times platinum
Various Artists - Footloose (Columbia, 1984) - 9 times platinum
Various Artists - The Great Band Era - 9 times platinum
Various Artists - Top Gun (Columbia, 1986) - 9 times platinum
Usher - Confessions (LaFace, 2004) - 9 times platinum
Nelly - Country Grammar (Universal, 2000) - 9 times platinum
Eminem - The Eminem Show (Aftermath, 2002) - 9 times platinum
Backstreet Boys - Black & Blue (Jive, 2000) - 8 times platinum
Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic (Columbia, 1975) - 8 times platinum
Christina Aguilera - Christina Aguilera (RCA, 1999) - 8 times platinum
≈ The Beatles - The Beatles Anthology Volume 1 (Capitol, 1995) - 8 times platinum
Michael Bolton - Time, Love and Tenderness (Columbia, 1991) - 8 times platinum
Toni Braxton - Secrets (LaFace, 1996) - 8 times platinum
Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton (LaFace, 1993) - 8 times platinum
Garth Brooks - The Chase (Capitol) - 8 times platinum
Garth Brooks - In Pieces (Capitol) - 8 times platinum
Destiny's Child - The Writing's On The Wall (Columbia, 1999) - 8 times platinum
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over (Geffen, 1994) - 8 times platinum
Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits (Warner Bros., 1988) - 8 times platinum
Kenny G - Miracles: The Holiday Album - 8 times platinum
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse, 1998) - 8 times platinum
Michael Jackson - Bad (Epic Records, 1987) - 8 times platinum
≈ R. Kelly - R. (album) (Jive, 1998) - 8 times platinum
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (Atlantic, 1969)- 8 times platinum
Live - Throwing Copper (Radioactive, 1994) - 8 times platinum
Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing (Arista, 1997) - 8 times platinum
Metallica - ...And Justice for All (Elektra, 1988) - 8 times platinum
New Kids on the Block - Hangin' Tough (Columbia, 1988) - 8 times platinum
The Police - Synchronicity (A&M, 1983) - 8 times platinum
Queen - Greatest Hits (Elektra, 1981) - 8 times platinum
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Greatest Hits (Capitol, 1994)- 8 times platinum
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Columbia, 1970) - 8 times platinum
Stone Temple Pilots - Core (Atlantic, 1992) - 8 times platinum
≈ George Strait - Strait Out of the Box (MCA, 1995) - 8 times platinum
U2 - Achtung Baby (Island, 1991) - 8 times platinum
Various Artists - Grease (soundtrack) (RSO, 1978) - 8 times platinum
Whitesnake - Whitesnake (Geffen, 1987) - 8 times platinum
Madonna - True Blue (Warner Brothers, 1986) - 8 times platinum
[edit] Albums by decade
[edit] 1950s
Elvis Presley - Elvis' Christmas Album (1957) 9 million copies
Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas (1958) 5 million copies
My Fair Lady -(Original Broadway Cast) (1956) 3 million copies
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959) 3 million copies
Motion Picture Soundtrack - Oklahoma! (1955) 2 million copies
[edit] 1960s
The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969) 12 million copies
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969) 12 million copies
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 11 million copies
Patsy Cline - Greatest Hits (1967) 10 million copies
The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album) (1968) 9.5 million copies (19 million
units)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I (1969) 8 million copies
The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965) 6 million copies
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967) 6 million copies
The Monkees - The Monkees (1967) 5 million copies
The Monkees - More of the Monkees (1967) 5 million copies
The Beatles - Meet the Beatles! (1964) 5 million copies
The Beatles - Revolver (1966) 5 million copies
[edit] 1970s
The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (1976) 29 million copies
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971) 23 million copies
Pink Floyd- The Wall (1979) 23 million copies
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977) 19 million copies
Boston - Boston (1976) 17 million copies
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975) 16 million copies
The Eagles - Hotel California (1976) 16 million copies
Elton John - Greatest Hits (1974) 16 million copies
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 15 million copies
= The Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack) (1977) 15 million copies [15
million units as well]
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977) 14 million copies
= Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits (1972) 14 million copies
[edit] 1980s
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982) 27 million copies
AC/DC - Back in Black (1980) 21 million copies
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (1984) 15 million copies
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987) 15 million copies
Journey - Greatest Hits (1988) 14 million copies
Prince - Purple Rain (1984) 13 million copies
Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston (1985) 13 million copies
Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987) 12 million copies
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986) 12 million copies
Kenny Rogers - Greatest Hits (1980) 12 million copies
Phil Collins - No Jacket Required (1985) 12 million copies
Aerosmith - Greatest Hits (1980) 11 million copies
Notes:
Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1985) has sold 10.5 million copies (21 million
units)
Def Leppard's Pyromania (1983) is certified 10 times platinum
Madonna's Like A Virgin (1984) is certified 10 times platinum
Van Halen - 1984 (1984) is certified 10 times platinum
U2's The Joshua Tree (1987) is certified 10 times platinum
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's Live/1975-85 (1986) has sold 6.5 million
copies (13 million units)
[edit] 1990s
Shania Twain - Come On Over (1997) 20 million U.S.
Whitney Houston - The Bodyguard (1992) 17 million U.S.
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995) 16 million U.S.
Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View (1995) 16 million
Santana - Supernatural (1999) 15 million
Metallica - Metallica (1991) 15 million
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time (1999) 14 million
Garth Brooks - Ropin' The Wind (1993) 14 million
Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys (1997) 14 million
Backstreet Boys - Millennium (1999) 13 million
2pac - All Eyez On Me (1996) 12 million
Boyz II Men - II (1992) 12 million
TLC - CrazySexyCool (1994) 12 million
Pearl Jam - Ten (1991) 12 million
Shania Twain - The Woman In Me (1994) 12 million
Kid Rock - Devil Without A Cause (1998)12 Million
Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990) 11 million
Nielsen SoundScan Data (Actual retail sales, excludes catalog. Note: Does not include
SoundScan data prior to March 1st, 1991.)
Shania Twain - Come On Over - 15,449,000
Metallica - Metallica - 15,077,000
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - 14,557,000
Backstreet Boys - Millennium - 12,099,000
Whitney Houston/Soundtrack - The Bodyguard - 11,798,000
Celine Dion - Falling Into You - 10,768,000
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time - 10,501,125
Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View - 9,817,666
Soundtrack - Titanic - 9,806,175
Garth Brooks - Ropin' The Wind - 9,370,863
Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys - 9,258,265
does not include sales beyond 30 December 1999. Refer Best-selling albums in the
United States since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began
NOTE: These are in order from highest to lowest. Do not change it unless the numbers
change.
[edit] 2000s
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) 11.5 million. 10 million copies Soundscan,
1.54 million BMG [30]
Creed - Human Clay (1999) 11.5 million copies (1999 album with most sales occurring
after December 1999)
N'Sync - No Strings Attached (2000) 11.1 million copies Soundscan, 1.52 million BMG
[31]
≈ Shania Twain - Up! (2002) 11 million units (5.5 million copies)
The Beatles - 1 (2001) 10.9 million
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (2000) 10 million copies
Britney Spears - Oops!...I Did It Again (2000) 10 million copies
Norah Jones - Come Away with Me (2002) 10 million copies
Usher - Confessions (2004) 9 million copies
Nelly - Country Grammar (2000) 9 million copies
Eminem - The Eminem Show (2002) 9 million copies
Backstreet Boys - Black and Blue (2000) 8 million
Staind - Break the Cycle (2001) 8 million
Nickelback - All The Right Reasons (2005) 7 million
Evanescence - Fallen (2003) 6.5 million
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts (2005) 6.2 million
Mariah Carey -The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) 6.0 million
Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway (2004) 5.9 million
[edit] Records
Highest selling album by a solo artist - Michael Jackson - Thriller - 27 times platinum
Highest selling album by a Pop artist - Michael Jackson - Thriller - 27 times platinum
Highest selling album by a male Pop artist - Michael Jackson - Thriller - 27 times
platinum
Highest selling album by a group - Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) - 29 times
platinum
Highest selling live album - Garth Brooks - Double Live - 20 times platinum
Highest selling album by a duo - Simon and Garfunkel - Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest
Hits (Columbia, 1972) - 14 times platinum
Highest selling album by a female artist - Shania Twain - Come on Over - 20 times
platinum
Highest selling album by a Pop group - Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys - 14 times
platinum
Highest selling album by a female Pop artist - Shania Twain - Come on Over - 20 times
platinum
Highest selling Album by a Teenager - Britney Spears - Baby One More Time - 14 times
platinum
Highest selling debut album by a female artist - Britney Spears - Baby One More Time -
14 times platinum
Highest selling debut album by a Rock group - Boston - Boston - 17 times platinum
Highest selling album by a Rock group - Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) - 29
times platinum
Highest selling album by a male Rock artist - Billy Joel - Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2 - 21
times platinum
Highest selling album by a female Rock artist - Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - 16
times platinum
Highest selling album by a punk rock group - Green Day - Dookie - 10 times platinum
Highest selling album by a hard rock group - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - 23 times
platinum
Highest selling album by a heavy metal group - Metallica - Metallica - 14 times platinum
Highest selling album by an R&B act - Boyz II Men - II
Highest selling album by an Hip Hop act - TLC - CrazySexyCool / Kid Rock - Devil
Without a Cause / OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - all three went 11 times
platinum. Although, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is a double album.
Highest selling soundtrack - Whitney Houston - The Bodyguard (soundtrack) (1992) - 17
times platinum
Highest debut Country album in history - Garth Brooks - Garth Brooks" - 9.5 times
platinum
Highest selling Country album - Garth Brooks - Double Live - 20 times platinum
Highest selling Female Country debut - Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts - 7 times
platinum
Highest selling independent label album - The Offspring - Smash - 6 times platinum
Highest selling Female Compilation - Madonna - The Immaculate Collection - 10 times
platinum
Highest selling Female Remix Album - Madonna - You Can Dance - 2 times platinum
Highest selling Female R&B debut - Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston - 13 times
platinum
Highest selling album by a Alternative Metal Group-Korn - Follow the Leader
Highest selling album by a grunge group - Pearl Jam - Ten
Highest selling album by a alternative rock group - Nirvana - Nevermind
Highest selling album by a post-grunge group - Matchbox Twenty - Yourself Or Someone
Like You
Highest selling album by a Funk metal group - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication