Who are the best selling artists of all time?
The Best Selling Artists of all time (based on combined RIAA certifications of all albums) are the Beatles, Garth Brooks, and Led Zeppelin. Garth moved back ahead of Led Zeppelin with the release of Sevens and threatens to overtake the Beatles. Other artists who have sold more than 50 million albums include: the Eagles, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Aerosmith, Elton John, and Elvis Presley. As of August 1998, Elton John became the second best selling solo artist of all time. The next three solo artists on the list are Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, and Elvis Presley. The Beatles have the most consecutive #1 albums with 8 scored between 1965 and 1968.
Based on Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996 and subsequent RIAA certifications, these artists have the most gold and platinum albums (each album is counted only once even if the album was certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum):
Elvis Presley (80)
Barbra Streisand (46) [the female with the most multi-platinum titles]
The Beatles (39)
The Rolling Stones (38)
Neil Diamond (37)
Elton John (32)
Kenny Rogers/First Edition (28)
Frank Sinatra(26)
Bob Dylan (28) [two with the Band]
Willie Nelson (24)
George Strait (24) [all 24 have gone gold and platinum]
Kiss (23)
Rush (22)
Alabama (22)
Top Pop Singles 1955-1999 listed these artists as having the most gold and platinum singles. I'll update the list with subsequent RIAA certifications.
1. Elvis Presley (24+28)
2. The Beatles (18+6)
3. Whitney Houston (14+6)
4. Janet Jackson (16+3)
5. Elton John (13+6)
6. Madonna (18)
7. Michael Jackson (7+9)
8. Temptations (10+6)
9. Mariah Carey (7+8)
10. Aretha Franklin (15)
Clearly The Beatles out perform Led Zep!
Sorry "Hank whatever" makes few top lists!
Neither does Metal_licka make few lists..
Our personal opinions are just that, but sales figures arn't biased
towards regional influences or age influences...
And John Lenon's death was more influential on history than John Bonhams Drug overdose!!!!
After the Break up of Zepplin we have very few post zep members albums to rave about, but the x-members of the beatles solo album projects have gone platinum...
But because of John we have Yoko and history doesn't look favorable to him on that note!
I didn't look for data to back up that last comment but I would like to see if I was wrong about that... I bet I am not wrong!
1K0N