MORE TOP SELLING MUSIC ARTISTS

U2 – 105 MILLION

U2 started as a small, rebellious music act from Ireland and

literally conquered the world, mainly thanks to their charismatic

front man Bono. During the course of their epic career they

have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in

2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their

first year of eligibility. Additionally, their U2 360° Tour set the incredible

record for the highest-grossing concert tour with $736 million

in ticket sales, and for the highest-attended tour with over

7.2 million tickets sold.

QUEEN – 105+ MILLION

With eighteen number one albums and eighteen number one singles

in the US, UK, and European charts combined and classic hits

such as “We Will Rock You,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” and

“We Are the Champions,” Queen’s place in music history is secure.

Furthermore, their Greatest Hits (1981) album is the biggest-selling

album in UK history with 6 million and their estimated total sales vary

from 150 to 300 million, so we will stick with the accurate number of

over 105 million certified copies sold.

AC/DC – 110 MILLION

It is estimated that AC/DC has sold more than 200 million albums

worldwide, including 71.5 million in the United States alone, while their

epic album Back in Black has sold an estimated 40 million units

worldwide with 22 million of them in the US. Their certified sales stand

at 110 million worldwide, but it’s 100 percent certain that they

have sold more than that.

WHITNEY HOUSTON – 112 MILLION

Whitney broke several records during her short but legendary prime:

She is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot

100 hits; her 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, became the

best-selling debut by a woman at the time, and her famous remake

of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” became the best-selling

single by a woman in music history, while The Bodyguard is one of the

highest-selling soundtracks to date. With certified sales of over

112 million and countless awards and honours under her belt,

Whitney Houston’s greatest legacy will always be her incredible voice.

EMINEM – 115 MILLION

Eminem is the best-selling hip-hop artist of all time and the best-selling

artist of the 2000s with total official album sales reaching 45 million

in the United States alone. His worldwide album and single sales

(including digital) stand at more than 155 million, but they counted only

the physical sales as they did with the rest of the artists on this list.

PINK FLOYD – 115+ MILLION

According to their record company the legendary band has sold more

than 250 million records worldwide, including 74.5 million

certified units in the United States. Despite their undeniable commercial

success however, Pink Floyd’s claim to fame and musical legacy can

be attributed to their unique use of philosophical lyrics, sonic

experimentation, and elaborate live shows, which had a huge impact on

many great groups and solo artists that followed.

CELINE DION –125 MILLION

Celine Dion is the only female artist to have two singles to sell more

than a million copies in the UK and her 1995 album D’eux is the best-selling

French-language album of all time to date. Not bad for a girl who

started her music career because of a cheesy Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2004, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award at the

World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of all time,

an award that was highly disputed for its accuracy. Nonetheless,

Dion undoubtedly remains one of the best-selling female artists of all time

with certified sales of over 125 million copies while her record company

makes claims of over 200 million albums sold worldwide.

MARIAH CAREY – 130 MILLION

Let’s take a deep breath and start with Mariah’s commercial achievements:

her duet with Boyz II Men, “One Sweet Day,” spent a record sixteen

weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and remains the longest-running

number one song in US chart history; she was the best-selling recording

artist of the 1990s; she has eighteen number one singles in the US, which

makes her the female artist with the most number one singles in history,

and to top it all off, she has a five-octave vocal range and her signature

use of the whistle register made her famous worldwide.