SOME OF THE BEST SELLING ALBUMS IN HISTORY

MADONNA

THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION

Just beating out Michael Jackson’s album “Bad” for a spot

on this list, Madonna’s “The Immaculate Collection” was

released in 1990. Her first greatest hits album, it remixed

15 of her hit singles from the 1980’s and sold 30 million copies.

One new song, “Justify My Love”, caused waves in the

industry and in society due to its sexually suggestive

music video.

JAMES HORNER

TITANIC: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

“Titanic” is one of the most highly regarded films in history.

The most expensive film up to that point, “Titanic” easily

made back its investment and was the highest grossing

film for over a decade, bringing in $1.84 billion. (It cost a

whopping $200 million to make.) Selling 30 million copies,

“Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture” piggybacked on the

film’s success. The composer, James Horner, was

chosen after Enya declined.

DIRE STRAITS

BROTHERS IN ARMS

“Brothers in Arms” by British rockers Dire Straits came out

in 1985, the year CDs were coming onto the market. One of

the first records aimed towards a more CD-market,

“Brothers in Arms” was the first album where its CD sales

beat out its vinyl sales. Selling over 30 million copies, the

album also won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

BORN IN THE U.S.A.

The best-selling album of 1984, Bruce Springsteen’s

“Born in the U.S.A.” is also the 22nd highest selling album

of all time with at least 30 million copies sold. Springsteen

embraced a livelier sound with electronic and pop elements,

including the album’s most famous song of the same name.

“Born in the U.S.A.” is notable for being the first CD

produced in the United States.

(Previous CDs were made in Japan.)

BEE GEES

SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN

With “Spirits Having Flown”, the Bee Gees tied the Beatles’

record of six songs making it to the top of the U.S. charts.

Released in 1979 while the band was at its peak, the album

sold 30 million copies and reached the number one spot on

the album charts in many countries, including France,

New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and West Germany.

ELTON JOHN

GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Elton John’s most successful album, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

sold 31 million copies and went eight times platinum by

February 2014. The album talked about nostalgia for a

simpler childhood and an American culture of days gone by,

typified in songs such as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and

“Bennie and the Jets”. The song “Candle in the Wind” was

originally written as a tribute to the deceased Marilyn Monroe.

CELINE DION

LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE

Coming after her widely successful album, Celine Dion’s

“Let’s Talk About Love” sold 31 million copies worldwide.

Including the hit song “My Heart Will Go On” (which won

the Grammy’s Record of the Year) from the movie “Titantic”,

Celine Dion’s fifth album featured collaborations with many

other famous artists of the time, such as

Barbra Streisand, Carole King, and Luciano Pavarotti.

THE BEATLES

1

Released 30 years after The Beatles disbanded, “1” is a

compilation album including nearly every number one single

of the group. The best-selling album of the first decade of

the 21st century, “1” sold 31 million copies and became

the best-selling album of 2000 only five weeks after its

release in November.

MICHAEL JACKSON

DANGEROUS

Sporting one of the coolest album artworks on this list,

“Dangerous” was Michael Jackson’s 8th studio album and

sold 32 million copies worldwide. The album notably

featured the new genre of new jack swing (also known as

swingbeat): a fusion of jazz, electronica, funk, R&B, and rap.

Born out of New York city’s black clubs, new jack swing can

best be heard in the single “Remember the Time”. MJ’s sister,

Janet Jackson, was a major originator of new jack swing.