The King of Pop reigns atop the all-time list of best-selling albums.
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The 50 best-selling albums of all time
Michael Jackson reigns atop the all-time list of the best-selling albums, and it's unlikely that any album will top "Thriller" anytime in the near future.
Michael Jackson.
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Released in 1982, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" currently boasts a sales mark that no album is likely to touch anytime in the near or distant future.
We compiled the RIAA's data for the best-selling albums in history (measured in "certified units" sold), and it's fascinating to see some of the names that appear in the top 50 — including a recent entry from Adele's "21."
Check out the best-selling albums of all time:
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50. Phil Collins — "No Jacket Required"
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49. Matchbox Twenty — "Yourself or Someone Like You"
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48. Led Zeppelin — "Led Zeppelin II"
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47. Kenny Rogers — "Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits"
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46. Kenny G — "Breathless"
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45. Jewel — "Pieces of You"
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44. Dixie Chicks — "Wide Open Spaces"
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43. Def Leppard — "Hysteria"
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42. Boyz II Men — "II"
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41. Bon Jovi — "Slippery When Wet"
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40. Whitney Houston — "Whitney Houston"
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39. Prince & The Revolution — "Purple Rain"
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38. Pearl Jam — "Ten"
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37. Bruce Springsteen — "Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band Live 1975-'85"
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36. Backstreet Boys — "Millennium"
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35. Steve Miller Band — "Greatest Hits 1974-1978"
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34. Simon & Garfunkel — "Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits"
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33. Meat Loaf — "Bat Out of Hell"
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32. Garth Brooks — "Ropin' The Wind"
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31. Britney Spears — "...Baby One More Time"
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30. Adele — "21"
Certified units: 14 million
29. Backstreet Boys — "Backstreet Boys"
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28. The Beatles — "The Beatles 1962-1966"
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27. Santana — "Supernatural"
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26. Pink Floyd — "Dark Side of the Moon"
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25. Journey — "Greatest Hits"
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24. Bruce Springsteen — "Born In The U.S.A."
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23. Bob Marley & The Wailers — "Legend"
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22. Bee Gees — "Saturday Night Fever" (Soundtrack)
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21. Metallica — "Metallica"
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20. Led Zeppelin — "Physical Graffiti"
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19. Hootie & The Blowfish — "Cracked Rear View"
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18. Eagles — "Hotel California"
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17. Alanis Morisette — "Jagged Little Pill"
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16. Whitney Houston – "The Bodyguard" (Soundtrack)
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15. The Beatles — "The Beatles 1967-1970"
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14. Garth Brooks — "No Fences"
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13. Elton John — "Greatest Hits"
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12. Boston — "Boston"
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11. Guns N' Roses — "Appetite for Destruction"
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10. The Beatles — "The Beatles" ("The White Album")
Certified units: 19
9. Shania Twain — "Come On Over"
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8. Fleetwood Mac — "Rumours"
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7. Garth Brooks — "Double Live"
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6. AC/DC — "Back In Black"
Certified units: 22
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5. Pink Floyd — "The Wall"
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4. Led Zeppelin — "Led Zeppelin IV"
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3. Billy Joel — "Greatest Hits Volume 1 & Volume 2"
Certified units: 23
2. Eagles — "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)"
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Certified units: 29
1. Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
Certified units: 32 million
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