What Are the Best-Selling Albums of All Time
The best-selling album of all time is Michael Jackson's Thriller, which has sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide since its 1982 release, according to Guinness World Records and industry estimates from IFPI and RIAA data. While exact figures vary by source, Thriller consistently appears at the top of global best-seller lists compiled by major music rights organizations and market analysts Forbes.
The second best-selling album is Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975), with estimated sales of around 42 million copies in the United States alone, as certified by the RIAA. Other top contenders include Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, and Whitney Houston's soundtrack The Bodyguard, each with tens of millions of units sold globally RIAA.
How Thriller's Sales Are Measured and Verified
Certification Bodies and Global Tracking
Sales figures for Thriller are tracked by organizations such as the RIAA in the United States, the BPI in the United Kingdom, and IFPI globally, which certify albums based on equivalent units including physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming IFPI.
Guinness World Records lists Thriller as the best-selling album worldwide, citing its 70 million copies, while acknowledging that precise global sales are difficult to verify across all territories and formats, including vinyl, cassette, CD, and digital Guinness World Records.
How Thriller Compares to Modern Best-Sellers
Streaming Era Impact on Album Sales
In the streaming era, album equivalent units now include track sales and streams, but Thriller's 70 million figure remains based on traditional sales and certifications, making direct comparisons with modern releases challenging SEC.
Despite newer blockbusters by artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, and Drake, no album has surpassed Thriller's long-standing sales record, which has held for over four decades across multiple chart systems and industry reports.