Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units. All the artists who made the top twenty list are internationally renowned for their contributions to music and range from British pop-icon Elton John to American rock legends like Metallica.
What do the top-selling artists have in common?
The artists in the top twenty ranking for worldwide certified sales all made their mark in music in their own unique way. However, what is notable is that many of the artists in the list achieved fame and success several decades ago and were fortunate enough to have a lasting impact. Most of the musicians in the list were born in the United States or the United Kingdom and began their musical career in the 1960s or 1970s.
The music of the 1960s is often considered revolutionary, with politically-minded music from the likes of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez achieving huge popularity and psychedelic rock becoming one of the musical hallmarks of the era. British psychedelic/progressive rock band Pink Floyd as well as rock groups The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin all formed in London in the 1960s, as well as The Beatles who began their career in Liverpool at the beginning of the decade.
Which artists are still active today?
As of 2022, only a few of the artists who made the list remain active. American band the Eagles have toured regularly throughout their long career.
Sadly though, several of the world’s top-selling musicians have now passed, including Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. Certain groups are still musically active but few have retained their original line-up. Australian rock and roll band AC/DC have undergone multiple line-up changes over the years, the most recent being the replacement of vocalist Brian Johnson with Guns n’ Roses singer Axl Rose.
FAQs
The Beatles are the best selling artist of all-time with over 420 million equivalent album sales. More than 85 million sales behind, Michael Jackson is runner up ahead of Elvis Presley.
Who is the most selling artist of all time in the world? ›
The Beatles are the best selling artist of all-time with over 420 million equivalent album sales. More than 85 million sales behind, Michael Jackson is runner up ahead of Elvis Presley.
Who is the #1 artist of all time? ›
Who is the single best selling artist of all time? ›
250 million or more records
| Artist | Country | Claimed sales |
|---|
| Michael Jackson | United States | 500 million 400 million |
| Elvis Presley | United States | 500 million |
| Elton John | United Kingdom | 300 million 250 million |
| Queen | United Kingdom | 300 million 250 million |
6 more rowsMichael Jackson's 'Thriller' of 1982 has sold more than 120 million copies, making it the best-selling album of all time in the world. Featuring such monster hits as 'Beat It,' and 'Billie Jean,' and, of course, the title track, the late pop icon's signature album has an indelible place in music history.
Which artist has sold 1 billion records? ›
Record Sales
It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis Presley records have been sold worldwide. From his early sessions at Sun Records to the end of his career and beyond, Elvis albums and singles enjoyed strong sales across every format–vinyl, cassette, CD and digital.
Who is the world record for best selling solo artist of all time? ›
Elvis Presley (USA) is the best-selling solo artist, with 1 billion sales worldwide (129.5 million in the USA).
Who is considered the greatest artist of all time? ›
Leonardo da Vinci, probably the most important Renaissance artist, is widely recognized as the most famous artist of all time. He's the genius behind the iconic Mona Lisa painting masterpiece, after all.
Who has the most #1 hits ever? ›
The Beatles have the most No. 1 hits among all acts in the chart's history, with 20.
What is the most successful song of all time? ›
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
This song had a estimated earning of $65 million. After 120 years, 'Happy Birthday', is sill the richest and most profitable song of all time. It was written by the Hill Sisters in 1893 because they needed a song that they could sing to their kindergarten class on someone's birthday.
What is the most played song in history? ›
There's even a dispute over the exact title. Yet “It's a Small World,” also known as “It's a Small, Small World” and “It's a Small World (After All),” is very likely the most played song in music history — nearly 50 million times.
Who is the greatest entertainer of all time? ›
According to Alhadji Dounard Thrash, head of Georgia State's Music department, a great entertainer has to have a vigorous work ethic, be a visionary, a risk taker, a dreamer, and a perfectionist. Because of these reasons, the rankings, and so many more, Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer of all time.
Who is the most successful artist of all time? ›
Best-selling artists worldwide as of 2022
Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
Who is the #1 artist in the world? ›
Chart: Taylor Swift Retains Crown of World's No. 1 Recording Artist | Statista.
What is the #1 album of all time? ›
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Madonna and Whitney Houston each have three.
Who is the #1 artist right now? ›
Who has the number one selling song of all time? ›
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
Who has the most #1 hits? ›
The Beatles have the most No. 1 hits among all acts in the chart's history, with 20.
Who is the world's number one artist? ›
1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
