Top 5 Best-Selling Music Artists of All Time: Dominating Global Sales Charts

The music industry is quite diverse, and you never know which artist will be able to captivate the whole world next. In this digital age of the internet, music streaming and AI have made it easier for music to reach its audiences, but back then, it was all different. People used to buy CDs, DVDs, and Vinyl, and it was considered album sales. The time has changed now, but the music lovers are still fascinated with the best-selling artists. What makes them unique is that the charts may change with time, but nothing can beat the charisma of making the highest sales in an age without the internet.

Top 5 Best-Selling Music Artists of All Time

Determining the best-selling artists among the top musicians can be a difficult task, as it requires much consideration. For instance, if sales are being measured by certified units (e.g., RIAA certifications based on shipments and streams) or the claimed global sales, it can be daunting to determine. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the top best-selling artists are,

• The Beatles – Sold more than 183 million certified units
• Garth Brooks – Total of 162 million certified units
• Elvis Presley –  146.5 million certified units
• Eagles – More than 120 million certified units
• Led Zeppelin – 112.5 million certified units

Now, if you consider the various claimed figures and global sales in different countries, the list of artist and their number of sales can change drastically. If considered the most successful music artist with the best-selling records, then the list would be,

• The Beatles

There is no doubt that this band is going to take all the top spots in most global charts. It is estimated that the band has sold more than 420 million total records since the release of their first single, ‘Love Me Do’, which was released in 1962.

• Michael Jackson

The King of Pop stole the second spot, who is also known as the world's best-selling solo artist. MJ has sold more than 330 million records, and a quarter of the projects are part of the digital era.

• Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley is no doubt the greatest ever who managed to sell more than 320 million records during his lifetime and 24 a long career. The most astonishing fact is that half of that huge number represents the number of physical copies that have been bought by the fans. It is impressive to see the digital age of music streaming sites.

• Queen

The only other band that belongs to the top 5, other than The Beatles, is Queen, which sold more than 300 million records. The interesting fact is that this band also managed to sell approximately 90 million studio albums, which is much higher than Elvis Presley, who has sold 50 million.

• Madonna

Madonna is no doubt one of the most loved pop stars all around the world. It is the most successful female music artists in the industry who racked a huge amount of music record sales and became as successful as Rihanna without the need for a brand. She has sold over 240 million records, and quite impressively, around 140 million records are sold physically.

It is quite hard to choose the top 5 best-selling artists when the number of successful music artists is too high in the industry. So, here are 5 more honourable mentions based on the global music statistics.

• Elton John – This man has a huge musical career that spans over 60 years, and he has made over 210 million total record sales. Guess what? 90 million of those are physical album sales.

• Frank Sinatra – The man taught men how to love and sold over 230 million records to date.

• Eminem - This is the most interesting addition to the list, as Eminem made history by being the first white rapper to gather over 210 million global sales. He is also the most-streamed artist in this digital age.

• Pink Floyd – Pink Floyd pioneered psychedelic rock and won the hearts of global music lovers. They managed to make over 240 million total sales, and it includes more than 170 million album sales.

• The Rolling Stones – This band has successfully made over 244 million sales globally, and this number has been added gradually with each studio album release.

There are also many rock bands like AC/DC and U2 that made millions of sales and ranked at 11th and 12th spots on the top list. The numbers might change in the modern era of streaming, but can beat the feeling of buying the vinyl of your favourite artist? Buy more music and support your local artists.