SOME OF THE BEST SELLING ALBUMS IN HISTORY
Added on: 6th Dec 2016
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.
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