The Bestselling Albums of All Time

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Music defines certain time periods — but some albums live on longer than others. The bestselling albums of all time might’ve debuted 20, 30 or 40 years ago, but they’re still significant today.

No doubt, there are plenty of songs that immediately take you back in time at the first beat. Whether they elicit a special memory or offer a flashback to a bygone era, these songs remain special because so many people feel a connection to them.

Where Are They Now:

Some albums topped the bestseller lists upon their debut and continue to reign today. Decades of holding court at the top prove they will never be unseated.

Curious if any of your favorite albums are among the all-time bestsellers? Keep reading to find out which iconic records have the highest sales numbers, along with some interesting facts about the album.

Last updated: Sept. 23, 2021

19. (tie) Led Zeppelin: ‘Physical Graffiti’

Release year: 1975
Units sold: 16 million
Label: Swan Song

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19. (tie) Bee Gees: ‘Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack)’

Release year: 1977
Units sold: 16 million
Label: Capitol

19. (tie) Alanis Morissette: ‘Jagged Little Pill’

Release year: 1995
Units sold: 16 million
Label: Maverick

16. (tie) The Beatles: ‘The Beatles 1967-1970’

Release year: 1973
Units sold: 17 million
Label: EMI

16. (tie) Elton John: ‘Greatest Hits’

Release year: 1974
Units sold: 17 million
Label: Island

16. (tie) Boston: ‘Boston’

Release year: 1976
Units sold: 17 million
Label: Epic Records

13. (tie) Whitney Houston: ‘The Bodyguard (Soundtrack)’

Release year: 1992
Units sold: 18 million
Label: RCA Records

13. (tie) Guns N’ Roses: ‘Appetite for Destruction’

Release year: 1987
Units sold: 18 million
Label: Geffen

13. (tie) Garth Brooks: ‘No Fences’

Release year: 1990
Units sold: 18 million
Label: Pearl Records, Inc.

11. (tie) Shania Twain: ‘Come on Over’

Release year: 1997
Units sold: 20 million
Label: Mercury Nashville

11. (tie) Fleetwood Mac: ‘Rumours’

Release year: 1977
Units sold: 20 million
Label: Warner Bros.

9. (tie) Hootie & the Blowfish: ‘Cracked Rear View’

Release year: 1994
Units sold: 21 million
Label: Rhino

9. (tie) Garth Brooks: ‘Double Live’

Release year: 1998
Units sold: 21 million
Label: Capitol Nashville

6. (tie) Pink Floyd: ‘The Wall’

Release year: 1979
Units sold: 23 million
Label: Columbia

6. (tie) Led Zeppelin: ‘Led Zeppelin IV’

Release year: 1971
Units sold: 23 million
Label: Atlantic

6. (tie) Billy Joel: ‘Greatest Hits Volume 1 & Volume II’

Release year: 1985
Units sold: 23 million
Label: Columbia

5. The Beatles: ‘The Beatles (White Album)’

Release year: 1968
Units sold: 24 million
Label: Apple

4. AC/DC: ‘Back in Black’

Release year: 1980
Units sold: 25 million
Label: Columbia

3. Eagles: ‘Hotel California’

Release year: 1976
Units sold: 26 million
Label: Rhino

2. Michael Jackson: ‘Thriller’

Release year: 1982
Units sold: 33 million
Label: Epic Records

1. Eagles: ‘Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975’

Release year: 1976
Units sold: 38 million
Label: Rhino

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Photo Disclaimer: Photos are for representational purposes only.

Methodology: GOBankingRates used RIAA certification data to find the 20 bestselling albums of all time, in terms of units (albums) sold. For each album, GOBankingRates found (1) the name of the artist; (2) album title; (3) year released; (4) label originally released on; and (5) units sold, which was cut off at 13 million. All data was collected on and up to date as of Jan. 6, 2021.