Order Artist Album Released Genre Total certified copies Claimed sales* Ref(s)
                   1 Michael Jackson Thriller 1982 Pop, post-disco, funk, rock 51.2 70 [4][5]
                   2 AC/DC Back in Black 1980 Hard rock 30.1 50 [36]
                   3 Whitney Houston / various artists The Bodyguard 1992 R&B, soul, pop, soundtrack 28.7 45 [43][44]
                   4 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Progressive rock 24.8 45 [46]
                   5 Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 1976 Country rock, soft rock, folk rock 41.2 44 [47]
                   6 Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell 1977 Hard rock, glam rock, progressive rock 22 43 [49]
                   7 Eagles Hotel California 1976 Soft rock 31.8 42 [51]
                   8 Shania Twain Come On Over 1997 Country, pop 30.4 40 [54][55]
                   9 Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 Soft rock 30.3 40 [59][60]
                10 Bee Gees / Various artists Saturday Night Fever 1977 Disco 22.1 40 [62][63]
                11 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1971 Hard rock, heavy metal, folk rock 30.4 37 [66]
                12 Michael Jackson Bad 1987 Pop, rhythm and blues, funk and rock 21.2 35 [73][74][75]
                13 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995 Alternative rock 25.4 33 [79][80]
                14 Various artists Dirty Dancing 1987 Pop, rock, R&B 24.1 32 [83]
                15 Celine Dion Falling into You 1996 Pop, soft rock 21.1 32 [86]
                16 Adele 21 2011 Pop, soul 27.1 31 [98]
                17 The Beatles 1 2000 Rock 23.2 31 [100]
                18 Metallica Metallica 1991 Heavy metal 22.7 31 [102]
                19 Celine Dion Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop, soft rock 20.5 31 [106]
                20 Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984 Reggae 22.9 30 [108]
                21 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 1987 Hard rock 22.8 30 [111][112]
                22 Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Heartland rock 22 30 [116]
                23 ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits 1992 Pop, disco 21.6 30 [121]
                24 Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 Roots rock, blues rock, soft rock 21.1 30 [125][126]
                25 Santana Supernatural 1999 Latin rock 20.8 30 [127]
                26 Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop, dance 20.8 30 [130]
                27 Pink Floyd The Wall 1979 Progressive rock 18.9 30 [133]
                28 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 Rock 18.3 30 [134]
                29 Michael Jackson Dangerous 1991 New jack swing, R&B and pop 17 30 [136]
                30 The Beatles Abbey Road 1969 Rock 16.9 30 [138]
                31 Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2002 Jazz 19.9 28 [140]
                32 Mariah Carey Music Box 1993 Pop, R&B 17.8 28 [142]
                33 Various artists Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture 1978 Rock and roll 15 28 [144]
                34 Eminem The Eminem Show 2002 Hip hop 19.1 27 [147][148]
                35 James Horner Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture 1997 Film score 18.1 27 [151]
                36 Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time 1999 Pop 19.9 26 [152]
                37 Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Grunge, alternative rock 17.8 26 [155]
                38 Eric Clapton Unplugged 1992 Acoustic rock, acoustic blues 17 26 [157]
                39 Queen Greatest Hits 1981 Rock 20.6 25 [159]
                40 Phil Collins No Jacket Required 1985 Pop rock 17.7 25 [161]
                41 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 1985 Pop, R&B 17.6 25 [165][166]
                42 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2000 Hip hop 17.5 25 [168]
                43 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory 2000 Nu metal, rap metal, alternative metal 17.2 25 [170]
                44 U2 The Joshua Tree 1987 Rock 16.7 25 [171]
                45 Prince and The Revolution Purple Rain 1984 Pop rock, new wave, R&B 15.7 25 [173]
                46 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986 Hard rock, glam metal 15.3 25 [175]
                47 Carole King Tapestry 1971 Pop 15.1 25 [176]
                48 Madonna True Blue 1986 Pop, dance 14.5 25 [177]
                49 Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water 1970 Folk rock 12.5 25 [178]
                50 George Michael Faith 1987 Pop, R&B, funk, soul 13.9 25 [180]
                51 Elton John Greatest Hits 1974 Pop 19.1 24 [181]
                52 Backstreet Boys Millennium 1999 Pop 18.4 24 [182]
                53 Adele 25 2015 Soul, pop, R&B 19 23 [184]
                54 Spice Girls Spice 1996 Pop 16.4 23 [186][187]
                55 Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign 1993 Pop 14.4 23 [188]
                56 Michael Jackson HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I 1995 R&B, pop and hip hop 15.2 22 [191]
                57 Celine Dion All the Way... A Decade of Song 1999 Pop 14.4 22 [192]
                58 Madonna Like a Virgin 1984 Pop, dance 16.2 21 [193]
                59 Bon Jovi Cross Road 1994 Hard rock, glam metal 11.6 21 [194]
                60 Elvis Presley Elvis' Christmas Album 1957 Christmas, pop, gospel, rock and roll 20.8 20 [196][197][198]
                61 Boston Boston 1976 Arena rock, hard rock 18.1 20 [199]
                62 Mariah Carey Daydream 1995 Pop, R&B 15.2 20 [200]
                63 Green Day Dookie 1994 Pop punk, punk rock, alternative rock 14.6 20 [203]
                64 Shania Twain The Woman in Me 1995 Country, pop 14.5 20 [204]
                65 Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again 2000 Pop 14.4 20 [205]
                66 Whitney Houston Whitney 1987 Pop, R&B 14.4 20 [207]
                67 Def Leppard Hysteria 1987 Hard rock, glam metal 13.9 20 [209]
                68 Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1998 Neo Soul, R&B and Hip Hop 13.7 20 [210][211][212]
                69 Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 1988 Folk rock 13.3 20 [215]
                70 Lionel Richie Can't Slow Down 1983 Pop, R&B, soul 12.3 20 [216]
                71 Michael Jackson Off the Wall 1979 Disco, pop, funk and R&B 11.7 20 [218]
                72 Fugees The Score 1996 Alternative hip hop 11.6 20 [221]
                73 Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Britpop, rock 11.6 22 [223][224]
                74 Celine Dion The Colour of My Love 1993 Pop 11.1 20 [225]
                75 Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973 rock, pop rock, glam rock 9.6 20 [228]
                76 Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here 1975 Progressive rock, art rock, experimental rock 9.2 20 [229]
                77 Various artists Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture 1983 Electro, synthpop 7.9 20 [230]