Today we wish to present to you the BEST SELLING MUSIC ARTISTS OF ALL TIME. Will your fave be here or can you guess who they are? Stick around to find out.
Disclaimer: The term of measurement used in this list “unit” is equivalent to either 1 album sale, 10 track sales, or 1,500 song streams.
#10. TAYLOR SWIFT(200 MILLION)​​
For the 10th place on our list, we have American sweet heart Taylor Swift, coming in at a whooping 200 million units sold.
Born in America in 1989, she is a singer-song writer- who is known for her autobiographical style of writing which focus on romance, heartbreak and love, which helps her connect to a younger generation who can relate to her struggles. This form of songwriting has helped her churn out hits like “I Knew You Were Trouble“, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “Look What You Made Me Do“. such songs have earned accolades such as 11 Grammy Awards, two brit awards and 11 MTV Video Music Awards.
Fun fact: Taylor Swift also has her own video production house known as Taylor Swift Productions Inc, which is known for the producing some of her music videos like “Mine“.
#9. EMINEM (220 MILLION)​
For the number 9 spot on my list and the first rapper on this list, all the way from Detroit, we have the Rap God, Eminem, coming in hot at 220 million units sold. He is considered to be among the most commercially successful rappers of all time and is credited to reducing the racial barrier of white rappers coming into the rap game.
Born Marshall Bruce Mathers in 1972. As a child, he was interested in storytelling and heard his first rap song “Breakin” featuring Ice-T which sparked his interest in rapping.
Eminem is known for his brash, in-your-face, funny, and sometimes offensive rap style, which has garnered him a lot of attention and increase in sales. Some of his famous feuds include those with Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Ja Rule. He is is also known for his amazing storytelling and rhyming in his songs, such as the song “Stan” which was called the third-greatest rap song of all time by publication “Q“.
Fun fact: Eminem was once sued by his own mother for slander due to him claiming she sprinkled drugs in his food as a child.
#8. PINK FLOYD(200-250 MILLION)​
Another UK rock band that makes our list at number 8 is Pink Floyd, having sold between 200-250 million units. They are a distinguished rock band known for their philosophical lyrics, extended compositions, and amazing live shows.
They were an English rock band formed in 1965 in London. The band composed of Gilmour (vocalist), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitarist, Wright (keyboards), and Syd Barrett (lead vocals and guitar). The release and success of their first debut album set them up for success in their subsequent albums such as “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall” which are considered being among the best-selling rock albums of all time.
Fun fact: Barrett left the group after their debut album and was replaced by David Gilmour due to his deteriorating mental health.
#7. RIHANNA (250 MILLION)
For the 7th spot we have the Caribbean goddess, the one and only Rihanna, coming in hot with 250 million units sold. She’s an amazing singer, actress and businesswoman in her own right, with her cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty and also to first black woman to head the LVMH luxury brand.
Born in 1988 in Barbados, her talent was discovered by record producer Evan Rogers when she was part of a trio girl group, who then invited her to his hometown in the US to record demo tapes. After signing with Def-Jam records she got instant recognition from her first two albums “Music of the Sun” and “A Girl Like Me“, ever since then it’s been an upward trajectory for her, with her earning 14 number-ones and 31 top-ten singles in the US and UK.
Aside from her music and cosmetic business career, she also has ventured into acting having major roles in “Ocean’s 8” and “Battleship“
Fun fact: Rihanna was appointed Ambassador for tourism and education by the government of Barbados in 2018.
#6. LED ZEPPELIN (200-300 MILLION)​
For the place of no 6 on our list, we have Led Zeppelin having sold between 200-300 million units. Many industry insiders consider them to be the most innovative and influential rock bands of all time and they are also credited with the development of “Stadium-Rock” genre.
Led Zeppelin is an English rock band formed in London in 1968, which consists of vocalist Jimmy Page, vocalist Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and keyboardist Paul Jones. Their debut album in 1969 aptly named “Led Zeppelin’,was a top ten album hit in charts world-wide, which was almost never seen before.
Fun fact: They were originally named “New Yardbirds”, but dropped the name before signing with Atlantic Records.
#5. MADONNA (200-300 MILLION)​
At number five we have our first female entry, Madonna. an amazing singer, songwriter, and actress, it’s no wonder she referred to as the “Queen of Pop“. Spanning her career, she’s sold an astonishing 200-300 million units worldwide and is noted for her ability to continuously reinvent her songwriting and visual presentation through the years.
In her early years, she began by moving to New York City in order to pursue a career in modern dance. But after performing as vocalist and drummer in several rocks, she shot into stardom with her debut album “Madonna“, ever since then she just keeps climbing higher and higher, thus earning her the recognition of being the best-selling female record artist of all time by Guinness Word Records.
Fun fact Madonna is also an actress which helped grow her popularity with films like “Evita” earning her a Golden Globe Award for best actress.
#4. ELTON JOHN (300-250 MILLION)​
For number 4 on our list, we have another from the UK, Sir Elton John. He is an incredibly accomplished songwriter, pianist, composer and singer, having sold between 250 and 300 million units. He is also a recipient of 5 Brit Awards and 5 Grammy Awards.
Sir Elton was exposed early to a life of music, with his family being a musically incline one. he father was a trumpeter for a semi-professional band that performed at military parties awhile. His mum usually brought home records of singers like Elvis Presley, so yeah we can clearly see where he got his flair and flamboyance from
Fun fact: Sir Elton John is a Knight, and was knighted in the year 1998 for his services to music and charities.
#3. MICHAEL JACKSON(300 – 350 MILLION)​
With another entry from the US, we have the famed Michael Jackson and god-like, having sold between 300 and 350 million units worldwide, with one of them being “Thriller” which arguably one of the best albums of the century. He was an accomplished singer, dancer, and songwriter of his day with many modern artistes, claiming inspiration from him, thus earning the title of ” The King of Pop“.
Michael was born into the musically inclined Jackson family as the eighth child and joined the band “The Jackson 5” at a tender age. This allowed him to develop quickly as a musician.
Michael is also most notably known for his “moon walking” dance and signature white gloves and stockings, which drive the crowd wild. This allowed him to sell concert venues within minutes.
Fun fact: michael jackson once won 8 Grammys at a single event which is a record tie, with the music band “Santana“.
#2. ELVIS PRESLEY(500 MILLION)
For the 2nd spot on our list, we have Elvis Presley (thank you very much – Elvis Presley voice) having sold a total of 500 million units before his tragic death.
Elvis was dubbed the “King of Rock ‘n Roll“, due to his amazing dancing style and energised performance of his songs. He is a recipient of 3 Grammy Awards and is also considered an icon of the 20th Century.
FUN FACT: Elvis is actually a twin with his other twin Jesse Garon Presley, being born 35 minutes before him as a still-born.
#1. THE BEATLES(500-600 MILLION)​
You probably guessed this right at the top of our list we have the beatles after having sold 500-600 million units World Wide.
They are a British-based rock band group that was formed in the 1960s in Liverpool. the most famous line-up of the group consists of Paul MCcartney, Ringo Star, John Lennon, and George Harrison.
They were responsible for leading the “British Invasion” of the United States pop market in 1964, thus breaking many record sales upon their entry. Some of their most famous albums include Rubber Soul and Revolver.
Fun Fact: The Beatles have a day named after them, under UNESCO, which is January 16th.