We compiled the The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) data for the best-selling albums in U.S. history:
50. Phil Collins — “No Jacket Required”
Certified units: 12 million
49. Matchbox Twenty — “Yourself or Someone Like You”
Certified units: 12 million
48. Led Zeppelin — “Led Zeppelin II”
Certified units: 12 million
47. Kenny Rogers — “Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits”
Certified units: 12 million
46. Kenny G — “Breathless”
Certified units: 12 million
45. Jewel — “Pieces of You”
Certified units: 12 million
44. Dixie Chicks — “Wide Open Spaces”
Certified units: 12 million
43. Def Leppard — “Hysteria”
Certified units: 12 million
42. Boyz II Men — “II”
Certified units: 12 million
41. Bon Jovi — “Slippery When Wet”
Certified units: 12 million
40. Whitney Houston — “Whitney Houston”
Certified units: 13 million
39. Prince & The Revolution — “Purple Rain”
Certified units: 13 million
38. Pearl Jam — “Ten”
Certified units: 13 million
37. Bruce Springsteen — “Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band Live 1975-’85”
Certified units: 13 million
36. Backstreet Boys — “Millennium”
Certified units: 13 million
35. Steve Miller Band — “Greatest Hits 1974-1978”
Certified units: 14 million
34. Simon & Garfunkel — “Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits”
Certified units: 14 million
33. Meat Loaf — “Bat Out of Hell”
Certified units: 14 million
32. Garth Brooks — “Ropin’ The Wind”
Certified units: 14 million
31. Britney Spears — “…Baby One More Time”
Certified units: 14 million
30. Backstreet Boys — “Backstreet Boys”
Certified units: 14 million
29. Adele — “21”
Certified units: 14 million
28. The Beatles — “The Beatles 1962-1966”
Certified units: 15 million
27. Santana — “Supernatural”
Certified units: 15 million
26. Pink Floyd — “Dark Side of the Moon”
Certified units: 15 million
25. Journey — “Greatest Hits”
Certified units: 15 million
24. Bruce Springsteen — “Born In The U.S.A.”
Certified units: 15 million
23. Bob Marley & The Wailers — “Legend”
Certified units: 15 million
22. Metallica — “Metallica”
Certified units: 16 million
21. Led Zeppelin — “Physical Graffiti”
Certified units: 16 million
20. Hootie & The Blowfish — “Cracked Rear View”
Certified units: 16 million
19. Eagles — “Hotel California”
Certified units: 16 million
18. Bee Gees — “Saturday Night Fever” (Soundtrack)
Certified units: 15 million
17. Alanis Morisette — “Jagged Little Pill”
Certified units: 16 million
16. The Beatles — “The Beatles 1967-1970”
Certified units: 17 million
15. Garth Brooks — “No Fences”
Certified units: 17 million
14. Elton John — “Greatest Hits”
Certified units: 17 million
13. Boston — “Boston”
Certified units: 17 million
12. Whitney Houston – “The Bodyguard” (Soundtrack)
Certified units: 18 million
11. Guns N’ Roses — “Appetite for Destruction”
Certified units: 18 million
10. The Beatles — “The Beatles” (“The White Album”)
Certified units: 19 million
9. Shania Twain — “Come On Over”
Certified units: 20 million
8. Fleetwood Mac — “Rumours”
Certified units: 20 million
7. Garth Brooks — “Double Live”
Certified units: 21 million
6. AC/DC — “Back In Black”
Certified units: 22 million
5. Pink Floyd — “The Wall”
Certified units: 23 million
4. Led Zeppelin — “Led Zeppelin IV”
Certified units: 23 million
3. Billy Joel — “Greatest Hits Volume 1 & Volume 2”
Certified units: 23 million
2. Eagles — “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)”
Certified units: 29 million
1. Michael Jackson — “Thriller”
Certified units: 32 million
However, these figures are only for the United States. Worldwide figures vary. For instance, these albums are among those that ranked up over 40 million copies sold worldwide:
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
AC/DC: Back in Black
And of course, Michael Jackson: Thriller
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