Top 100 selling albums in the USA from RIAA!

[STING2]

Level Title Artist Format Label
27.0 EAGLES/THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971 - 1975 EAGLES ALBUM ELEKTRA
26.0 THRILLER JACKSON, MICHAEL ALBUM EPIC
23.0 THE WALL PINK FLOYD ALBUM COLUMBIA
22.0 LED ZEPPELIN IV LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM SWAN SONG
21.0 GREATEST HITS VOLUME I & VOLUME II JOEL, BILLY ALBUM COLUMBIA
19.0 BACK IN BLACK AC/DC ALBUM ELEKTRA
19.0 THE BEATLES BEATLES, THE ALBUM CAPITOL
18.0 COME ON OVER TWAIN, SHANIA ALBUM MERCURY NASHVILLE
18.0 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC ALBUM WARNER BROS.
17.0 THE BODYGUARD (SOUNDTRACK) HOUSTON, WHITNEY ALBUM ARISTA
16.0 BOSTON BOSTON ALBUM EPIC
16.0 CRACKED REAR VIEW HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH ALBUM ATLANTIC
16.0 HOTEL CALIFORNIA EAGLES ALBUM ELEKTRA
16.0 JAGGED LITTLE PILL MORISSETTE, ALANIS ALBUM MAVERICK
16.0 NO FENCES BROOKS, GARTH ALBUM CAPITOL NASHVILLE
16.0 THE BEATLES 1967 - 1970 BEATLES, THE ALBUM CAPITOL
15.0 APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION GUNS 'N ROSES ALBUM GEFFEN
15.0 BORN IN THE U.S.A. SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE ALBUM COLUMBIA
15.0 DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD ALBUM CAPITOL
15.0 GREATEST HITS JOHN, ELTON ALBUM ROCKET
15.0 PHYSICAL GRAFFITI LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM SWAN SONG
15.0 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (SOUNDTRACK) BEE GEES ALBUM POLYDOR/ATLAS
15.0 THE BEATLES 1962 - 1966 BEATLES, THE ALBUM CAPITOL
14.0 BACKSTREET BOYS BACKSTREET BOYS ALBUM JIVE
14.0 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF ALBUM EPIC
14.0 DOUBLE LIVE BROOKS, GARTH ALBUM CAPITOL NASHVILLE
14.0 ROPIN' THE WIND BROOKS, GARTH ALBUM CAPITOL NASHVILLE
14.0 SUPERNATURAL SANTANA ALBUM ARISTA
13.0 ...BABY ONE MORE TIME SPEARS, BRITNEY ALBUM JIVE
13.0 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & E STREET BAND LIVE 1975 - '85 SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE ALBUM COLUMBIA
13.0 MILLENNIUM BACKSTREET BOYS ALBUM JIVE
13.0 PURPLE RAIN (SOUNDTRACK) PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION ALBUM WARNER BROS.
13.0 SIMON & GARFUNKEL'S GREATEST HITS SIMON & GARFUNKEL ALBUM COLUMBIA
13.0 WHITNEY HOUSTON HOUSTON, WHITNEY ALBUM ARISTA
12.0 ABBEY ROAD BEATLES, THE ALBUM CAPITOL
12.0 BREATHLESS KENNY G ALBUM ARISTA
12.0 FORREST GUMP SOUNDTRACK ALBUM EPIC
12.0 HYSTERIA DEF LEPPARD ALBUM MERCURY
12.0 II BOYZ II MEN ALBUM MOTOWN
12.0 KENNY ROGERS' GREATEST HITS ROGERS, KENNY ALBUM CAPITOL NASHVILLE
12.0 LED ZEPPELIN II LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM ATLANTIC
12.0 METALLICA METALLICA ALBUM ELEKTRA
12.0 NO JACKET REQUIRED COLLINS, PHIL ALBUM ATLANTIC
12.0 SLIPPERY WHEN WET BON JOVI ALBUM MERCURY
12.0 THE WOMAN IN ME TWAIN, SHANIA ALBUM MERCURY NASHVILLE
12.0 YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU MATCHBOX TWENTY ALBUM ATLANTIC
11.0 CANDLE IN THE WIND 1997/SOMETHING.YOU LOOK TONIGHT JOHN, ELTON SINGLE ROCKET
11.0 CRAZYSEXYCOOL TLC ALBUM LAFACE
11.0 DIRTY DANCING SOUNDTRACK ALBUM RCA
11.0 HOUSES OF THE HOLY LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM ATLANTIC
11.0 JAMES TAYLOR'S GREATEST HITS TAYLOR, JAMES ALBUM WARNER BROS.
11.0 NO STRINGS ATTACHED 'N SYNC ALBUM JIVE
11.0 PIECES OF YOU JEWEL ALBUM ATLANTIC
11.0 SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES, THE ALBUM CAPITOL
11.0 TEN PEARL JAM ALBUM EPIC
11.0 TITANIC SOUNDTRACK ALBUM SONY CLASSICAL
11.0 WIDE OPEN SPACES DIXIE CHICKS ALBUM MONUMENT
10.0 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) VAN HALEN ALBUM WARNER BROS.
10.0 AEROSMITH'S GREATEST HITS AEROSMITH ALBUM COLUMBIA
10.0 BEST OF THE DOOBIES DOOBIE BROTHERS ALBUM WARNER BROS.
10.0 CAN'T SLOW DOWN RICHIE, LIONEL ALBUM MOTOWN
10.0 DAYDREAM CAREY, MARIAH ALBUM COLUMBIA
10.0 DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE KID ROCK ALBUM LAVA
10.0 DOOKIE GREEN DAY ALBUM REPRISE
10.0 EAGLES GREATEST HITS VOLUME II EAGLES ALBUM ELEKTRA
10.0 ELIMINATOR ZZ TOP ALBUM WARNER BROS.
10.0 FAITH MICHAEL, GEORGE ALBUM COLUMBIA
10.0 FALLING INTO YOU DION, CELINE ALBUM 550 MUSIC
10.0 HUMAN CLAY CREED ALBUM WIND-UP RECORDS
10.0 LED ZEPPELIN LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM ATLANTIC
10.0 LEGEND MARLEY, BOB & THE WAILERS ALBUM ISLAND
10.0 LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE DION, CELINE ALBUM 550 MUSIC/EPIC
10.0 LIFE AFTER DEATH NOTORIOUS B.I.G. ALBUM BAD BOY/ARISTA
10.0 LIKE A VIRGIN MADONNA ALBUM SIRE
10.0 MUSIC BOX CAREY, MARIAH ALBUM COLUMBIA
10.0 'N SYNC 'N SYNC ALBUM RCA
10.0 NEVERMIND NIRVANA ALBUM DGC
10.0 PLEASE HAMMER DON'T HURT 'EM HAMMER ALBUM CAPITOL
10.0 TAPESTRY KING, CAROLE ALBUM ODE
10.0 THE HITS BROOKS, GARTH ALBUM CAPITOL NASHVILLE
10.0 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA ALBUM WARNER BROS.
10.0 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 ALBUM ISLAND
10.0 THE LION KING SOUNDTRACK ALBUM WALT DISNEY
10.0 TRAGIC KINGDOM NO DOUBT ALBUM TRAUMA/INTERSCOPE
10.0 UNPLUGGED CLAPTON, ERIC ALBUM REPRISE
10.0 VAN HALEN VAN HALEN ALBUM WARNER BROS.
9.0 ALL EYEZ ON ME 2 PAC ALBUM DEATH ROW/POLYGRAM
9.0 BIG WILLIE STYLE SMITH, WILL ALBUM COLUMBIA
9.0 BROTHERS IN ARMS DIRE STRAITS ALBUM WARNER BROS.
9.0 COOLEYHIGHHARMONY BOYZ II MEN ALBUM MOTOWN
9.0 ESCAPE JOURNEY ALBUM COLUMBIA
9.0 FLY DIXIE CHICKS ALBUM MONUMENT
9.0 FOOTLOOSE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM COLUMBIA
9.0 GARTH BROOKS BROOKS, GARTH ALBUM CAPITOL NASHVILLE
9.0 GREAT BAND ERA VARIOUS ALBUM READER'S DIGEST MUSIC
9.0 HI INFIDELITY R.E.O. SPEEDWAGON ALBUM EPIC
9.0 JOHN DENVER'S GREATEST HITS DENVER, JOHN ALBUM RCA
9.0 LICENSED TO ILL BEASTIE BOYS ALBUM DEF JAM RECORDS
9.0 MARIAH CAREY CAREY, MARIAH ALBUM COLUMBIA
9.0 MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS SMASHING PUMPKINS ALBUM VIRGIN RECORDS
This chart was generated on 11/14/2001


Remember that double albums like Pink Floyds the Wall have their sales total inflated because each disc in the package is counted as an album sale. Pink Floyds the WAll has actually only sold 11.5 million units, but because of new rules introduced in the summer of 1997, each disc in the package is counted as an album sale. This doubles The Walls sales to 23 million without selling another copy.

 

[Spinning Ladies]

Remember that double albums like Pink Floyds the Wall have their sales total inflated because each disc in the package is counted as an album sale. Pink Floyds the WAll has actually only sold 11.5 million units, but because of new rules introduced in the summer of 1997, each disc in the package is counted as an album sale. This doubles The Walls sales to 23 million without selling another copy.

Which is a good thing, cause The Wall continues to sell lots of copies each week, and maybe one day it will knock Michael Jackson and the Eagles on their asses.

Thanks for the list!

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Just had to point out that The Wall did acually sell about twenty million units before the rule that multiple disc sets count for the same number of units as the number of discs. The counting of double albums as two units didn't start occuring until sometime in the late nineties. In truth, had this album been counted as two units from day one, it would have about 45 million units sold in the U.S. right now, which would be far higher than anything else out there.

 

[phommel]

I don't care how many albums U2 sell. And they shouldn't make albums for gross selling. What cares is that I like their music.
That was also the problem with 'Pop' It's really a great album. But it got alot of criticism because sellings were beneath expectation. What the fuck? And even members of the band were not satisfied...Please, Gone...wow really great songs!!!
And if i am honest, even U2 becomes more and more commercialised. The way they brought their singles of last album (like Elevation in combination with that bad B-film Tomb Raider) and the expensive ticket prices of last Elevation tour... It was not what I expected of U2. But I'm getting off topic now. I'm sorry.

grtz and take care. P.

 

[STING2]

BigMacPhisto,

This is from the RIAA which certifies the awards. As you can see from this, The Wall hit 23 million(actually 11.5 million) only because of the double counting rules.Artist Title Cert. Date Label Award Description Level Format Category Type
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 01/29/99 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 23.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 09/08/97 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 22.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 05/16/97 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 11.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 05/02/95 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 10.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 05/28/91 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 8.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 08/09/89 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 7.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 10/26/84 COLUMBIA Multi Platinum 4.0 ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 03/13/80 COLUMBIA Platinum ALBUM GROUP Standard
PINK FLOYD THE WALL 03/13/80 COLUMBIA Gold ALBUM GROUP Standard

Although THE WALL was released about 7 years before the JOSHUA TREE both of those albums reached the 10 million mark at the same time in 1995. JOSHUA TREE has not been recertified since 1995, and may be ahead of THE WALL in actual sales in the USA.