The music industry has witnessed numerous albums achieving monumental sales figures, captivating audiences worldwide.
Among these, the top 20 best-selling albums have collectively sold hundreds of millions of copies, generating substantial revenue.
Notably, several of these albums are by UK artists, underscoring the country’s significant contribution to global music.
Here, Express.co.uk takes a look at those albums, how many each artist sold, and the astronomical sum that they made when combined.
“Thriller” by Michael Jackson
- Sales: Estimated at 70 million copies worldwide.
- Highlights: Released in 1982, “Thriller” features iconic tracks like “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.”
“Back in Black” by AC/DC
- Sales: Approximately 50 million copies.
- Highlights: This 1980 album includes hits such as “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
“The Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd
- Sales: Around 45 million copies.
- Highlights: Released in 1973, it’s renowned for tracks like “Time” and “Money.”
“The Bodyguard” Soundtrack by Whitney Houston
- Sales: Over 44 million copies.
- Highlights: Features the timeless ballad “I Will Always Love You.”
“Bat Out of Hell” by Meat Loaf
- Sales: More than 43 million copies.
- Highlights: This 1977 release includes the epic title track “Bat Out of Hell.”
“Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” by Eagles
- Sales: Approximately 42 million copies.
- Highlights: A compilation featuring classics like “Take It Easy.”
“Saturday Night Fever” Soundtrack by Bee Gees/Various Artists
- Sales: Around 40 million copies.
- Highlights: Showcases disco staples such as “Stayin’ Alive.”
“Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac
- Sales: Over 40 million copies.
- Highlights: Features enduring songs like “Go Your Own Way.”
“Come On Over” by Shania Twainf
- Sales: More than 40 million copies.
- Highlights: Includes hits like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”
“Led Zeppelin IV” by Led Zeppelin
- Sales: Approximately 37 million copies.
- Highlights: Released in 1971, it features the legendary “Stairway to Heaven.”
“Jagged Little Pill” by Alanis Morissette
- Sales: Around 33 million copies.
- Highlights: This 1995 album includes “Ironic” and “You Oughta Know.”
“Hotel California” by Eagles
- Sales: Over 32 million copies.
- Highlights: Features the iconic title track “Hotel California.”
“Supernatural” by Santana
- Sales: More than 30 million copies.
- Highlights: Includes the hit “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas.
“Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen
- Sales: Approximately 30 million copies.
- Highlights: The 1984 album features the anthem “Born in the U.S.A.”
“Brothers in Arms” by Dire Straits
- Sales: Around 30 million copies.
- Highlights: Released in 1985, it includes “Money for Nothing.”
“Abbey Road” by The Beatles
- Sales: Over 30 million copies.
- Highlights: This 1969 classic features “Come Together.”
“1” by The Beatles
- Sales: More than 31 million copies.
- Highlights: A compilation of the band’s number-one hits.
“(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” by Oasis
- Sales: Approximately 22 million copies.
- Highlights: Includes the anthems “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”
“Appetite for Destruction” by Guns N’ Roses
- Sales: Around 30 million copies.
- Highlights: Features “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Welcome to the Jungle.”
“Metallica” (The Black Album) by Metallica
- Sales: Around 30 million copies.
- Highlights: Features “Enter Sandman” and “Unforgiven”.
It is almost impossible to put an accurate figure on how much these albums made in monetary terms combined. Here, we followed a calculation in which we took into consideration the average selling price per album (a conservative estimate being £10 per album). We then added this number to the approximate total sales, which amounts to around 783 million copies worldwide.
Total Revenue Calculation: 783,000,000 × £10 = £7.83 billion–an astonishing number.
If you had not already noticed, many of the albums listed above were recorded by homegrown, British artists. In fact, 7 out of the 20 of history’s best-selling albums were made by us Brits. They include:
- Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
- Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
- The Beatles – Abbey Road
- The Beatles – 1
- Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms
- Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
- Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (Partially British, as the band had British and American members).