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Best-Selling Albums of All Time

Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best-selling album ever at a claimed 70 million copies, with about 51.4 million certified. Claimed vs certified sales.

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What the data shows

  • Michael Jackson: Thriller ranks #1 with 70M, ahead of AC/DC: Back in Black (50M) and Whitney Houston: The Bodyguard (45M).

About this chart

Thriller (1982) is far ahead of everything else. Michael Jackson's album is claimed at 70 million copies worldwide, with AC/DC's Back in Black (1980) next at 50 million. The Bodyguard soundtrack (1992) and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) are each claimed at 45 million, and the Eagles hold two of the top six slots with Their Greatest Hits (1971 to 1975) at 44 million and Hotel California at 42 million.

These are claimed sales reported by labels and press, rounded and unaudited. Certified units from RIAA and other bodies are much lower for most albums: Thriller is about 51.4 million certified, Back in Black about 31.2 million and Shania Twain's Come On Over about 30.7 million against a claimed 40 million. The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits has the highest certified count after Thriller, at about 41.2 million.

The data

Source: Wikipedia, List of best-selling albums (claimed sales as reported by labels/press, with RIAA and other national certifications shown separately). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Values are CLAIMED (reported) worldwide sales in millions, rounded by the sources, not audited. Certified units from RIAA and other bodies are far lower for most albums (for example Thriller is about 51.4 million certified). Certification counts multi-disc sets per disc in some markets.

Best-Selling Albums of All Time, Claimed worldwide sales in millions of copies, Claimed sales (millions)
DateMichael Jackson: ThrillerAC/DC: Back in BlackWhitney Houston: The BodyguardPink Floyd: The Dark Side of the MoonEagles: Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)Eagles: Hotel CaliforniaShania Twain: Come On OverFleetwood Mac: RumoursMeat Loaf: Bat Out of HellBee Gees: Saturday Night FeverLed Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IVAlanis Morissette: Jagged Little PillVarious artists: Dirty DancingCeline Dion: Falling into YouMichael Jackson: Dangerous
Claimed sales (millions)70M50M45M45M44M42M40M40M40M40M37M33M32M32M32M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best-selling album of all time?

Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982) is the best-selling album of all time, with a claimed 70 million copies worldwide. Certified sales are about 51.4 million, including 34 million RIAA-certified in the US.

Which album has the highest certified sales after Thriller?

The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971 to 1975) has the highest certified count after Thriller, at about 41.2 million units. Its claimed figure is 44 million, so it is much closer to its claim than most.

What is the second best-selling album ever?

AC/DC's Back in Black (1980) is second at a claimed 50 million copies. Its certified total is about 31.2 million. Claims and certifications are counted differently, so rankings can shift by method.

Where does this data come from?

Wikipedia, List of best-selling albums (claimed sales as reported by labels/press, with RIAA and other national certifications shown separately). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Values are CLAIMED (reported) worldwide sales in millions, rounded by the sources, not audited. Certified units from RIAA and other bodies are far lower for most albums (for example Thriller is about 51.4 million certified). Certification counts multi-disc sets per disc in some markets. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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