[simple.wikipedia.org]

Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best selling album of all time. The album is cited as selling as many as 110 million copies worldwide.

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon 50 million
AC/DC - Back in Black 50
Michael Jackson - Bad 50
...

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie

More than two times that of the others?

And not a single Stones' release to be seen! Crazy.

It is rather remarkable though when one looks at all of Michael Jackson's releases that are on the list. The man had talent, no doubt about it. I believe I own all of them except for Off The Wall for some weird reason. His solo discography I'm talking about, not just the albums listed on this list.

That list baffles me, but to each their own.

Not gonna knock any of those LP's but I just don't get them at that level of sales.

Interesting list. I too, was suprised to see that Thriller's position is so much higher than that of the next on the list.

I calculated the average release year on that list: 1989.

You can tell that record sales were high in the 1970s to 2000. Many blockbusters like Dark Side of the Moon and Rumours in the 70s, but I realized that many high selling records a bit further down in the list were in the later period, around the late 80s and 90s. Very few 60s albums. Granted, albums hadn't become big until the latter half of the 60s, and that time feel kind of diverse. Funny that Iron Butterfly is on there, that's an oddity IMHO.

By the way, if this site is to be believed, the Stones' biggest sellers are:

Hot Rocks (6,9 M)
Some Girls (6,3)
Forty Licks (5,3)
Tattoo You (4,9)
Voodoo Lounge (3,8)
Let It Bleed (3,6)
Sticky Fingers (3,6)
Steel Wheels (3,3)
GHS (3,2)
Jump Back (3,1), and so on.

Exile is only at 18th place at 1,5 million, less than Blue And Lonesome and Dirty Work, which I find really hard to believe.

Either way, the total of all are 85 million, which is obviously more than what many artists on the all-time list posted above have reached.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-10-02 22:03 by LieB.

Go to RIAA for accurate US figures. As far as Thriller selling over 100 million, that's total BS! As far as I know, anyone can post things on Wikipedia.
The last totals I read a few years back had Thriller at 50 million and BIB at 39 million.

You can find list with sticky Fingers total sale 22 millions

Quote
LieB
By the way, if this site is to be believed, the Stones' biggest sellers are:

Hot Rocks (6,9 M)
Some Girls (6,3)
Forty Licks (5,3)
Tattoo You (4,9)
Voodoo Lounge (3,8)
Let It Bleed (3,6)
Sticky Fingers (3,6)
Steel Wheels (3,3)
GHS (3,2)
Jump Back (3,1), and so on.

Exile is only at 18th place at 1,5 million, less than Blue And Lonesome and Dirty Work, which I find really hard to believe.

Either way, the total of all are 85 million, which is obviously more than what many artists on the all-time list posted above have reached.

According to RIAA Hot Rocks sold 12 million only in the US

__________________________

Quote
NICOS

Quote
LieB
By the way, if this site is to be believed, the Stones' biggest sellers are:

Hot Rocks (6,9 M)
Some Girls (6,3)
Forty Licks (5,3)
Tattoo You (4,9)
Voodoo Lounge (3,8)
Let It Bleed (3,6)
Sticky Fingers (3,6)
Steel Wheels (3,3)
GHS (3,2)
Jump Back (3,1), and so on.

Exile is only at 18th place at 1,5 million, less than Blue And Lonesome and Dirty Work, which I find really hard to believe.

Either way, the total of all are 85 million, which is obviously more than what many artists on the all-time list posted above have reached.

According to RIAA Hot Rocks sold 12 million only in the US

RIAA treats double albums as 2 sold and triple albums as 3 sold, etc. So yes, Hot Rocks is the biggest selling Stones album in the states even though its sold 6 million actual copies.

Maybe Micheal Jackson's commercial success is that he constantly was able to access the world children market, besides the other markets. All the other artists on that list sell records to young adults and adults rarely kids.
Rockandroll,
Mops

Quote
rollmops
Maybe Micheal Jackson's commercial success is that he constantly was able to access the world children market, besides the other markets. All the other artists on that list sell records to young adults and adults rarely kids.
Rockandroll,
Mops

Thriller was HUGE! Came out in late 82 and dominated all of 83 and into 84. Ironically, it was Beat It that probably gave him a whole new audience thanks to Eddie VH guitar solo. Even Eddie, who did the solo for free, didn't think the rest of the band would find out he did it! It was Thriller that prevented VH 1984 album from hitting number 1 in the US although Jump did make it to #1. Every new video from Thriller was on heavy rotation on MTV.

It’s a far from unknown fact that Thriller is, globally, the biggest-selling album of all time. It’s the #1 in the U.S.A. However, here in the U.K., the top-two are Queens Greatest Hits, followed by ABBA Gold. Thriller is in the top-10, though. Adele’s 21 and Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? are also amongst the top-sellers.

Edit: Michael Jackson’s Thriller is positioned at #6



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-10-03 22:06 by Big Al.

Actually Eagles Greatest is #1 in the US with 38 million sold vs 34 million for Thriller. BIB is at 25 million.
Hot Rocks, as mentioned previously, is at 12 million but it hasn't been recertified in quite a while. I'm sure Georgelicks can give an accurate, up to date estimate as to what it should be currently, perhaps 15 million?

Quote
DGA35
Actually Eagles Greatest is #1 in the US with 38 million sold vs 34 million for Thriller. BIB is at 25 million.
Hot Rocks, as mentioned previously, is at 12 million but it hasn't been recertified in quite a while. I'm sure Georgelicks can give an accurate, up to date estimate as to what it should be currently, perhaps 15 million?

You are correct, of course. I had actually forgotten about The Eagles and AC/DC. Funnily enough, both of these albums, Greatest Hits, and Back in Black, are not amongst the biggest-sellers in the U.K. I’m not at all surprised about the Eagles, of course, but AC/DC were, are are, a big draw in the U.K. and across Europe. I just guess Back in Black was a particularly U.S. phenomenon; and there’s nothing wrong with that!