Who holds the record for most records sold?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
Elvis Presley (USA) is the best-selling solo artist, with 1 billion sales worldwide (129.5 million in the USA).
Over the course of Elvis' life, he achieved some of the highest accolades in music and film. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis records have been sold worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history.
But who's on top for combined album sales between Ed Sheeran and Adele? Across studio album releases, Music Week can reveal that Adele is in the lead with 12,493,940 sales across four LPs, compared to 12,053,318 for Ed Sheeran across five.
Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Phil Collins are the only musicians to have sold over 100 million albums as a solo artist and member of a group.
Popularity ranking | Artist | Fans tracking |
---|---|---|
01 | Drake | Fans tracking: 4,813,472 |
02 | Rihanna | Fans tracking: 4,795,141 |
03 | Coldplay | Fans tracking: 4,743,172 |
04 | Eminem | Fans tracking: 4,709,668 |
- Fleetwood Mac — “Rumours” ...
- Hootie & the Blowfish — “Cracked Rear View” ...
- Pink Floyd — “The Wall” ...
- Led Zeppelin — “Zeppelin IV” ...
- The Beatles — “The Beatles” ...
- AC/DC — “Back in Black” ...
- Eagles — “Hotel California” ...
- Michael Jackson— “Thriller”
The man, the myth, the legend, Elvis Presley is officially the number-one best-selling male artist of all time.
Stephen L. Betts. With his ninth studio album, Man Against Machine, earning platinum certification, Garth Brooks once again tops the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) list as the best-selling solo album artist of all-time, moving past the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley.
Bruce Springsteen sold the rights to his music in a $500 million deal.
Who is considered the best band of all time?
- The Beatles. The Beatles are unquestionably the best and most important band in rock history, as well as the most compelling story. ...
- The Rolling Stones. ...
- U2. ...
- The Grateful Dead. ...
- Velvet Underground. ...
- Led Zeppelin. ...
- Ramones. ...
- Pink Floyd.
The first record to sell over a million copies was 'Vesti la giubba' from Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, sung by the Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso (1873–1921).

In terms of numbers, The Beatles have sold 36.5 million more albums in the U.S. than Elvis, yet Elvis sold 25.5 million more singles than The Beatles. Since albums usually contain 10-12 more songs than singles, The Beatles would clearly be the winner in terms of U.S. record sales.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Elvis Presley sold 146.5 million albums, which is 62.5 more than Michael Jackson, who sold 84 million albums. If you ask an Elvis Presley fan, it clearly is Elvis.
As far as America goes, Beyoncé rules. However, Adele gets the edge on a global stage, and it all boils down to home-field advantage. Simply put, Adele is a bigger deal in the U.S. than is Beyoncé in the UK.
With 21 weeks in the Top 3 during 2022, Sheeran's = has added 299,930 sales this year (77.2% from streaming), compared to Adele's 131,357 (60.9% from streaming).
Adele's 21 is the best-selling album of the 21st century to date, with sales of over 31 million copies worldwide.
The top selling album of all time in the United States based on certified unit sales is currently the Eagles' Greatest Hits, with 38 million copies sold.
Most cumulative weeks at No. 1
The Beatles (132) Elvis Presley (67)
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
What singer has the most records?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Elvis Presley is still the best-selling artist in music history with more than 1 billion album and song sales worldwide. He's also still breaking records from beyond the grave. In 2016, Presley broke Madonna's world record for the most No.
Justin Bieber takes the top spot, with millions of followers across socials and billions of plays on streaming services. The most popular female artist currently goes to Taylor Swift, while BTS are unsurprisingly the most popular band.
Year of release | Artist(s) | Title |
---|---|---|
1976 | Eagles | Hotel California |
1980 | AC/DC | Back in Black |
1971 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin IV |
1968 | The Beatles | The Beatles |
The Scottish hitmaker's 2018 single 'Someone You Loved' has been crowned the most-streamed song of all time thanks to the 561 million streams it's racked up across both audio and video streaming. Unsurprisingly, Sheeran's 2017 earworm 'Shape Of You' followed in the No.
Over the years, many artists have topped the list of the country's most popular songs at the time, but none did so more often than The Beatles. With 20 no. 1 singles on the Hot 100 charts, the iconic British rock band are just one hit ahead of Mariah Carey, who has 19 notches in her belt.
Michelangelo was considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime, and ever since then he has been held to be one of the greatest artists of all time. A number of his works in painting, sculpture, and architecture rank among the most famous in existence.
- 1 of 31. Barbra Streisand. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for BSB. ...
- 2 of 31. Etta James. Charles Paul Harris/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. ...
- 3 of 31. Aretha Franklin. ...
- 4 of 31. Whitney Houston. ...
- 5 of 31. Mariah Carey. ...
- 6 of 31. Elton John. ...
- 7 of 31. Freddie Mercury. ...
- 8 of 31. Adele.
Drake is top for US listeners, same as he was back in 2021 and 2020. He released his seventh album 'Honestly, Nevermind' on 17 June 2022 which helped him get billions of streams in the US. Update your Spotify app to get yours. Who is on your Top 5?
The RIAA gives diamond certifications to songs that have gone platinum 10 times. Only 97 songs in history have been certified diamond and 19 artists have multiple songs on the list. Bruno Mars has the most with six, followed by Post Malone and Drake with five apiece.
In 1956 Elvis Presley received a Gold Record for 1,000,000 sales of “Don't Be Cruel.” The following year, 1957, Harry Belafonte was presented with a Gold Record for his album “Calypso”, the first L.P to sell over 1,000,000 copies[1].
Who has earned the most money from music?
U2 have become the annual highest-earning musicians five times, more than any other act. Michael Jackson is the first musician to earn over $100 million in a year (1989), and has become the top-earning male soloist a record seven times. Dr.
"Midnights" by Taylor Swift
It's already the biggest debut sales week of her career, surpassing "1989." Swift is the only artist in history to have five different albums with million-selling weeks. Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and Eminem trail with two apiece.
In September 2016, Sony acquired the Jackson estate's stake in Sony/ATV in a deal valued at around $750 million. The Jackson estate retained its ownership of Mijac Music, which holds the rights to Michael Jackson's songs and master recordings. The revenue will be placed in trust for Jackson's children.
- 1 of 20. Anvil. Brian Killian/Getty Images. ...
- 2 of 20. April Wine. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. ...
- 3 of 20. Bad Brains. Stephen Lovekin/WireImage/Getty Images. ...
- 4 of 20. Black 47. Leonard M. ...
- 5 of 20. Blue Cheer. ...
- 6 of 20. Blue Oyster Cult. ...
- 7 of 20. Boogie Down Productions. ...
- 8 of 20. Cinderella.
One thing is for sure, BTS is continuing to dominate the world and become one of the most prominent artists in the music industry. In case you haven't heard of them yet, BTS is a seven-man band from South Korea.
Rank | Band | Certified Sales |
---|---|---|
1 | The Beatles | 290.4 Million |
2 | The Rolling Stones | 102.7 Million |
3 | Pink Floyd | 123.8 Million |
4 | Beach Boys | 32.7 Million |
The very first Gold Award was earned on March 14, 1958 to Perry Como for his hit single, “Catch A Falling Star” and followed four months later by the first Gold Album Award, the cast album to “Oklahoma!,” sung by Gordon Macrae.
Jackson has sold over 1 billion records worldwide and he is one of three recording artists (along with Paul McCartney and Phil Collins) and the first American artist who have sold over 100 million records worldwide both as solo artists and (separately) as principal members of a band.
During his extraordinary career, Michael Jackson sold more than a billion records worldwide, released 13 No. 1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1) Elvis Presley (1935- 1977): Elvis Presley sold more albums than any other individual music artist in history, and the second most overall (the Beatles sold more).
What did Sinatra think of Elvis?
Speaking about the "King of Rock and Roll" after his death in 1977, Sinatra said: "There have been many accolades uttered about Elvis' talent and performances through the years, all of which I agree with wholeheartedly. I shall miss him dearly as a friend. "He was a warm, considerate and generous man."
Drake has officially broken The Beatles' Billboard Hot 100 record, which they held for 55 years.
When comparing numbers, Drake has had ten number-one albums compared to Jackson's six. The “Hotline Bling” singer also has 54 top ten singles compared to Jackson's 40, as well the most entries and consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That being said, you cannot compare Drake to Jackson.
Elvis Presley is, quite simply, the King of Rock & Roll. In 1954, the performer kicked off a musical revolution by modernizing traditional genres such as blues, country and bluegrass for contemporary (and more youthful) audiences.
...
Michael Jackson is now the Greatest Solo Selling Artist of All Time!
# | 1 |
---|---|
ARTIST | The Beatles |
TOTAL CSPC | 415,436,000 |
STUDIO ALBUMS SALES | 160,650,000 |
OTHER LPS SALES | 203,392,000 |
It seems like Beyoncé can't get any bigger, but actually she can: she's still not as big as the Beatles, according to a Harris Poll of 2,306 American adults who were asked to name their favorite musical artist. The Beatles are on top, followed by Elvis Presley—then Queen Bey comes in at third.
Beyonce's 30 top 10 hits places her seventh on the all-time list. Drake leads the count, with 56, followed by Lil Wayne (54), Chris Brown (48), JAY-Z (35), Usher (32) and T.I. (31).
According to the IFPI's annual report, both Beyonce's Lemonade and Adele's 25 shifted more copies worldwide. Beyonce topped the chart with 2.4 million sales, while Drake came third, having sold 2.1 million units. The figures only include CDs, vinyl and downloads - which may explain Drake's sudden change in fortunes.
Fast-forward: She'll wrap up her current American tour on June 28 by sharing the Hollywood Bowl stage with her idol, original blues diva Etta James. "She's my favorite singer," says Adele.
Harry Styles replaces Ed Sheeran to become the richest UK celebrity aged 30 and under with net worth of £116 million. Harry Styles tops the list of the richest UK celebrities aged 30 and under for the first time.
Has Ed Sheeran had a number 1 in America?
On 17 January, "Shape of You" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, while "Castle on the Hill" entered at number six; this made Sheeran the first artist ever to have two songs simultaneously debut in the US top 10.
Top-selling artists worldwide as of 2022. Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
- Marvin Gaye, 'What's Going On'
- The Beach Boys, 'Pet Sounds' ...
- Joni Mitchell, 'Blue' ...
- Stevie Wonder, 'Songs in the Key of Life' ...
- The Beatles, 'Abbey Road' ...
- Nirvana, 'Nevermind' ...
- Fleetwood Mac, 'Rumours' ...
- Prince and the Revolution, 'Purple Rain' ...
- Fleetwood Mac — “Rumours” ...
- Hootie & the Blowfish — “Cracked Rear View” ...
- Pink Floyd — “The Wall” ...
- Led Zeppelin — “Zeppelin IV” ...
- The Beatles — “The Beatles” ...
- AC/DC — “Back in Black” ...
- Eagles — “Hotel California” ...
- Michael Jackson— “Thriller”
Since the RIAA introduced its awards on 14 March 1958, Elvis Presley holds the record for the most platinum certificates for both albums and singles with 82.
Artist | Country | Claimed sales |
---|---|---|
The Beatles | United Kingdom | 600 million 500 million |
Elvis Presley | United States | 500 million |
Michael Jackson | United States | 400 million |
Elton John | United Kingdom | 300 million 250 million |
"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks.
Elvis Presley. When he wasn't gallivanting around Vegas in a jumpsuit or chilling at Graceland with a cheeseburger, Elvis was making albums like there's no tomorrow. Until his death in 1977, the King released over 60 albums, including numerous collections and soundtracks.
The Guinness World Records named the holiday single "White Christmas" (1942) by Bing Crosby as the best-selling single worldwide. According to Guinness, "White Christmas" sold over 50 million copies. The single is known as the "best-selling single of all time". It was released before music charts were created.
4 Billion Records owner Thabo Mantshiu said his label welcomed the news. "Spotify will make a difference - our music will be heard, our music will be out there," he said. "With ITunes you need an iPhone, with Spotify you can use any phone, which creates a bigger space.”
Who has sold the most records in the US?
The top selling album of all time in the United States based on certified unit sales is currently the Eagles' Greatest Hits, with 38 million copies sold.
1. Most recorded artist in music history - Asha Bhosle. India is the country that reads the most and it's also the world's most prolific filmmaking nation, ahead of Nigeria in second place.
- The Beatles – over 257 million certified units. ...
- Elvis Presley – over 206 million certified units. ...
- Michael Jackson – over 169 million certified units. ...
- Madonna – over 164 million certified units. ...
- Elton John – over 159 million certified units.
Elvis Presley. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Elvis Presley is still the best-selling artist in music history with more than 1 billion album and song sales worldwide. He's also still breaking records from beyond the grave.
- 'Yesterday' by The Beatles.
- '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones.
- 'Cry Me A River' by Justin Timberlake Julie London.
- 'Imagine' by John Lennon.
- 'Over The Rainbow' by Judy Garland // 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong.
According to Guinness World Records, “Yesterday” has the most cover versions of any song ever written. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 recorded cover versions. Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) asserts that it was performed over seven million times in the 20th century alone.