List of best-selling albums in the United States

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates

File:Eagles.jpg
Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles is the best-selling album of all time in the U.S.

The following is a list of the best-selling albums in the United States based on RIAA certification and Nielsen SoundScan sales tracking. The criteria are that the album must have been published (including self-publishing by the artist), and the album must have achieved at least a diamond certification from the RIAA. The albums released prior to March 1991 should be included with their certified units only, as their Nielsen SoundScan sales are not complete.

Since February 2016, album certifications include "on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent" units.<ref name="RIAA streams">Template:Cite news</ref>

Groupings are based on different benchmarks; the highest being for at least 20 million units, and the lowest being for multi-disc albums certified at least 10 times platinum and single-disc albums that have been certified at least 10 times platinum but with sales figures lower than 10,000,000. Albums are listed in order of units certified, or sales figures when available, by greatest to least.

As a result of the RIAA's methodology of counting each disc in a multi-disc set as one unit toward certification, most double albums on the list—such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below—have been certified with a number double the number of copies sold. Such albums have the shipments of copies, not discs, indicated. Conversely, the certification level for double albums that fit onto one compact disc such as the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack reflect the actual number of copies sold.

The albums in this list are ordered first by number of units, then by platinum awards received, and finally by artist name and album title.

Albums with two references for their estimated actual sales include sales through BMG Music Club. Albums with three references for their estimated actual sales include sales through BMG Music Club and Columbia House.

The best-selling album in the United States is Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles.

20 million or more copies

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref name="RIAA certification">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

1976 Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) Asylum 38,000,000 ‡|[1]}}
1982 Template:Sortname Thriller Epic Records 34,000,000 ‡|[2]}}
1980 AC/DC Back in Black Atlantic 27,000,000 ‡|[3]}}
1976 Eagles Hotel California Asylum 26,000,000 ‡|[4]}}
1971 Led Zeppelin Untitled ("Led Zeppelin IV") Atlantic 24,000,000 ‡|[5]}}
1977 Fleetwood Mac Rumours Warner Bros. 21,000,000 ‡|[6]}}

15–19 million copies

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification<ref name=RIAA/>
1984 Template:Sortname Legend Island 18,000,000 ‡|[7]}}
1987 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction Geffen 18,000,000 18× Platinum
1988 Journey Greatest Hits Columbia 18,000,000 ‡|[8]}}
1990 Garth Brooks No Fences Capitol Nashville 18,000,000 ‡|[9]}}
1991 Metallica Metallica Elektra (17,810,000)<ref name=loudwire>Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[10]}}
1997 Template:Sortname Come On Over Mercury Nashville citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

20× Platinum
1974 Template:Sortname Greatest Hits Polydor 17,000,000 ‡|[11]}}
1976 Boston Boston Epic Records 17,000,000 17× Platinum
1984 Template:Sortname Born in the U.S.A. Columbia 17,000,000 ‡|[12]}}
1977 Soundtrack / Bee Gees Saturday Night Fever RSO 16,000,000 ‡|[13]}}
1995 Template:Sortname Jagged Little Pill Maverick (15,550,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[14]}}
1973 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon Harvest/Capitol 15,000,000 15× Platinum
1978 Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits 1974–78 Capitol 15,000,000 ‡|[15]}}
1986 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet Mercury Records 15,000,000 ‡|[16]}}

10–14 million copies

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification<ref name=RIAA/>
1994 Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View Atlantic (14,580,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Elite Club">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="BP/CHrc">

</ref>

‡|[17]}}
1971 Template:Sortname Tapestry Ode 14,000,000 ‡|[18]}}
1972 Simon & Garfunkel Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits Columbia 14,000,000 14× Platinum
1977 Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell Epic Records 14,000,000 14× Platinum
1985 Template:Sortname Whitney Houston Arista 14,000,000 ‡|[19]}}
1987 Soundtrack Dirty Dancing RCA 14,000,000 14× Platinum
1999 Backstreet Boys Millennium Jive (13,890,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 13× Platinum
1992 Soundtrack / Whitney Houston The Bodyguard Arista (13,450,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Adele's '21' Surpasses 11 Million">Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[20]}}
1999 Santana Supernatural Arista (13,110,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Adele's '21' Surpasses 11 Million"/> 15× Platinum
1978 Soundtrack Grease RSO 13,000,000 ‡|[21]}}
1984 Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain Warner 13,000,000 13× Platinum
2000 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP Aftermath (12,940,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era"/> ‡|[22]}}
(as of 2022)
2000 Template:Sortname 1 Apple/EMI/Capitol (12,800,000)<ref name="19th">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 11× Platinum
(as of 2010)
2000 NSYNC No Strings Attached Jive (12,680,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Adele's '21' Surpasses 11 Million"/> ‡|[23]}}
1999 Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time Jive (12,300,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era"/> 14× Platinum

<ref name=adele>Template:Cite news</ref>

2011 Adele 21 Columbia/XL (12,100,000)<ref name=adele/> ‡|[24]}}
1968 The Beatles The Beatles ("The White Album") Apple 12,000,000 ‡|[25]}}
(2-disc album)
1969 Template:Sortname Abbey Road Apple 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1969 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Atlantic 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1976 Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle, Vol. 1 Fantasy 12,000,000 ‡|[26]}}
1977 Template:Sortname The Stranger Columbia 12,000,000 ‡|[27]}}
1980 Aerosmith Greatest Hits Columbia 12,000,000 ‡|[28]}}
1980 Template:Sortname Greatest Hits Liberty 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1985 Template:Sortname No Jacket Required Atlantic 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1987 Def Leppard Hysteria Mercury Records 12,000,000 12× Platinum
1992 Kenny G Breathless Arista 12,000,000 12× Platinum
2000 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory Warner Bros. (11,956,000)<ref name="loudwire"/><ref name="BMG sales"/> ‡|[29]}}
1997 Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys Jive (11,920,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era"/> 14× Platinum
1996 Template:Sortname Falling into You Epic Records citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

12× Platinum
1999 Creed Human Clay Wind-up Records (11,700,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 11× Platinum
1991 Nirvana Nevermind DGC Records (11,640,000)<ref name="loudwire"/><ref name="BMG sales"/> ‡|[30]}}
1979 Pink Floyd The Wall Columbia/Harvest Records 11,500,000 23× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1985 Billy Joel Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II Columbia 11,500,000 23× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1997 Soundtrack Titanic Epic Records (11,146,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 11× Platinum
2002 Template:Sortname Come Away with Me Blue Note (11,100,000)<ref name="Caulfield">Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[31]}}
1967 Template:Sortname Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Capitol 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1973 Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy Atlantic 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1976 Template:Sortname Greatest Hits Warner Bros. 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1982 Eagles Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Asylum 11,000,000 11× Platinum
1987 Template:Sortname Bad Epic Records 11,000,000 ‡|[32]}}
1990 Madonna The Immaculate Collection Sire 11,000,000 ‡|[33]}}
1991 Pearl Jam Ten Epic Records (10,790,000)<ref name="loudwire"/> 13× Platinum
1997 Template:Sortname Let's Talk About Love Epic Records (10,711,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Yahoo Chart Watch 02-21-2013"/> ‡|[34]}}
2002 Eminem The Eminem Show Aftermath (10,700,000)<ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era"/> ‡|[35]}}
1998 Kid Rock Devil Without a Cause Atlantic Records citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

11× Platinum
2000 Template:Sortname Oops!... I Did It Again Jive (10,411,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era"/> 10× Platinum
1998 NSYNC *NSYNC RCA (10,300,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 10× Platinum
2004 Usher Confessions Arista (10,300,000)<ref name="Caulfield"/> ‡|[36]}}
1998 Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces Monument (10,121,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Yahoo Chart Watch 10-30-2013">Template:Cite news</ref> ‡|[37]}}
1994 Green Day Dookie Reprise Records (10,005,000)<ref name="loudwire"/><ref name="BMG sales"/> ‡|[38]}}
1967 Template:Sortname Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits Decca 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1970 Elvis Presley Elvis' Christmas Album (budget reissue of 1957 LP with altered track listing) RCA Camden/Pickwick 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1976 The Doobie Brothers Best of The Doobies Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1978 Van Halen Van Halen Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1979 Template:Sortname Off the Wall Epic Records 10,000,000 ‡|[39]}}
1980 REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity Epic Records 10,000,000 ‡|[40]}}
1981 Journey Escape Columbia 10,000,000 ‡|[41]}}
1983 Def Leppard Pyromania Mercury Records 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1983 Template:Sortname Can't Slow Down Motown 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1983 ZZ Top Eliminator Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1984 Soundtrack Footloose Columbia 10,000,000 ‡|[42]}}
1984 Madonna Like a Virgin Sire 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1984 Van Halen 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) Warner Bros. 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1986 Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill Def Jam 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1987 Whitney Houston Whitney Arista 10,000,000 ‡|[43]}}
1987 Template:Sortname Faith Columbia 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1987 U2 The Joshua Tree Island 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1989 Template:Sortname Garth Brooks Capitol 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1990 MC Hammer Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em Capitol 10,000,000 10× Platinum
1993 Garth Brooks In Pieces Capitol 10,000,000 ‡|[44]}}

Fewer than 10 million copies

Year Artist Album Label Shipments (Sales) Certification<ref name=RIAA/>
1994 Boyz II Men II Motown (9,890,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 12× Platinum
1991 Template:Sortname Ropin' the Wind Capitol Nashville (9,600,000)<ref name="Artists with two 9+ million-sellers in the Nielsen era"/> 14× Platinum
2015 Adele 25 Columbia/XL (9,600,000)<ref name=adele/> ‡|[45]}}
1995 No Doubt Tragic Kingdom Trauma/Interscope Records (9,520,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 10× Platinum
1996 Matchbox Twenty Yourself or Someone Like You Atlantic citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

12× Platinum
1994 Bob Seger Greatest Hits Capitol citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[46]}}
1994 TLC CrazySexyCool LaFace citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[47]}}
1995 Template:Sortname The Woman in Me Mercury Nashville citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

12× Platinum
1995 Jewel Pieces of You Atlantic (8,800,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 12× Platinum
2000 Nelly Country Grammar Universal citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[48]}}
1995 Template:Sortname Daydream Columbia citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

11× Platinum
1973 The Beatles The Beatles 1967 - 1970 Apple 8,500,000 17× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1999 Dixie Chicks Fly Monument Records (8,396,000)<ref name="Yahoo Chart Watch 10-30-2013"/> ‡|[49]}}
1993 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits MCA (8,200,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 12× Platinum
1998 Template:Sortname The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Columbia citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[50]}}
1993 Template:Sortname Music Box Columbia (8,012,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref name="Emancipation of Mimi Tops 6 Million"/> 10× Platinum
2003 Evanescence Fallen Wind-up (8,000,000)<ref name=fallen-sales>Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[51]}}
1975 Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti Swan Song 8,000,000 16× Platinum
(2-disc album)
2005 Nickelback All the Right Reasons Roadrunner (7,960,000)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ‡|[52]}}
1994 Soundtrack The Lion King Walt Disney Records citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

10× Platinum
1994 Template:Sortname The Hits Liberty Records citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

10× Platinum
1992 Template:Sortname Unplugged Reprise Records citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

10× Platinum
1973 The Beatles The Beatles 1962 - 1966 Apple 7,500,000 15× Platinum
(2-disc album)
2008 Taylor Swift Fearless Big Machine Records (7,286,000)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ‡|[53]}}
1997 The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death Bad Boy Records/Arista (6,480,000)<ref name="BMG sales"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ‡|[54]}}
(2-disc album, as of 2018)
2014 Template:Sortname 1989 Big Machine Records (6,472,000)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ‡|[55]}}
1998 Template:Sortname Double Live Capitol Nashville citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[56]}}
(2-disc album)
1971 The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1964-1971 London 6,000,000 12× Platinum
(2-disc album)
2003 Outkast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below LaFace, Arista citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[57]}}
(2-disc album)
1997 Template:Sortname Sevens Capitol Records (5,700,000)<ref name="Garth Brooks Soundscan">Template:Cite news</ref> ‡|[58]}}
2002 Template:Sortname Up! Mercury Nashville (5,409,000)<ref name="Last 10 Years"/> 11× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1992 Garth Brooks The Chase Liberty Records (5,100,000)<ref name="Garth Brooks Soundscan"/> ‡|[59]}}
1998 2Pac Greatest Hits Interscope (5,100,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1976 Template:Sortname Songs in the Key of Life Motown 5,000,000 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1985 Template:Sortname The Best of The Doors Elektra 5,000,000 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1996 2Pac All Eyez On Me Death Row Records 5,000,000 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
2007 Template:Sortname The Ultimate Hits Pearl Records 5,000,000 ‡|[60]}}
(2-disc album)
1995 The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness Virgin (4,900,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 10× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1994 Soundtrack Forrest Gump Epic Records (4,400,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 12× Platinum
(2-disc album)
1986 Template:Sortname Live/1975–85 Columbia 4,333,333 13× Platinum
(3-disc album)
2005 Eminem Curtain Call: The Hits Aftermath (3,782,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[61]}}
2010 Katy Perry Teenage Dream Capitol citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

‡|[62]}}
1990 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin Boxed Set Atlantic Records 2,500,000 10× Platinum
(4-disc album)
2011 Drake Take Care Young Money/Cash Money/Republic (2,338,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[63]}}
2015 Cast Recording Hamilton Atlantic Records (1,970,000)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> ‡|[64]}}
(2-disc album)

Notes

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See also

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References

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Template:Lists of best-selling albums

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