I just went with certifications.

Mediatraffic underestimated Madonna's debut,TIC and Something to Remember.

TIC is at 28M.

You realize you are basically downplaying Gaga by comparing her with Katy right? Katy NEVER reached the global success Gaga reached in her peak and she never will be

Katy is still suffering in Europe even during her peak while Gaga in her peak managed to smash in literally every music market in the world, like Bang Up said very FEW artists managed to do this.

The Beatlesx5.

I was pointing out your mistake. Gaga made literally tens of millions from TMB, after going into the red to finance it.

And Mediatraffic underestimated Music Box, Merry Christmas and #1s. I guess we'll never know which sold more!

Gaga's bankruptcy was because she invested all her money on TMB which smashed and at the end paid off REAL good but Rihanna's tour didn't do the same

Mariah is too low, afterall she is the #1 best selling overall non-asian recording artist on the continent, grabbing that title in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan respectively.

A market where she actually topped the Beatles and Elvis and Madonna. Mariah - to my estimation - would also rank as the only non-asian act among a top 10 best sellers list which would include asian artists (note: on albums sales).

Also Mariah has been WAY more successful in Europe, Australia and North America than Shakira, Rihanna, Katy and Gaga (notably on albums performances).

While the Beatles are the overall biggest recording act and Madonna rules Europe, Mariah rules single continent and should therefore be placed behind them and Michael Jackson, but above the rest.

To my knowledged she has also outperformed and outsold Céline in North America, Asia and probably Australia. Although, they could be neck on neck in North America, afterall Céline has sold roughly 13m more albums in Canada than Mariah. In Australia they are both at around 3 million. In Europe Céline has sold twice as much, while Mariah doubles Céline in Asia. South America is completely in the pits. All I know is.. that Mariah is at around 3 million albums sold there (the majority coming from Brazil and Mexico, + to some extend Argentina).

So Céline vs. Mariah:

Asia - Mariah (2:1)
Europe - Céline (2:1)
Australia - Tie
North America - Tie
South America - ?
Africa - probably Mariah

The only reason why Céline leads Mariah in overall albums sales is the fact that Europe is a much much bigger music market than Asia.

She was really big specially when she started dating Luis Miguel, latinmericans were crazy for a collab. Also there are tons of covers of her songs in spanish like Heroe o Sin Ti.

She is not.
These lists here
___________

I forgot Pink Floyd.

#1's is the overall best selling album by a non-asian artist in Asia, it was given the 3 million sales award in japan weeks after its release. Assuming that the album has never ever sold a single more copy in the past 15 years, then yes, 3,6m is its final total in Japan.

If we would compare Asia and Europe in regards to #1's, then #1's must be closer to 6m in continental total sales in comparison to its mere 3 million in Europe.

Music Box' estimated shipment in Japan is 2,400,000 including imports (which Oricon did not include up until 2003). 1,589,270 Oricon sales.

Daydream: 2,600,000 (2,202,730 Oricon), Merry Christmas (2,090,244 ) 2,800,000 with imports

8xp - Butterfly
11xp - Music Box
12xp - Daydream
13xp - Merry Christmas
18xp - #1's

and yet all of last 4 releases obtained a Gold Award in Brazil (or better).

Mariah has sold an estimated 1,5 million albums in Brazil and over 600,000 albums in Mexico (confirmed), as well as a confirmed 300,000 in Argentina.

granted 2,5m in those 3 markets in career albums sales in South America is not smashing, but thinking of it, who except for Madonna and maybe idk a handful other non-south-american female artists have sold more?

She might really rank around #15 when it comes to non-south-american female artists.

Didn't Mariah sell like 4x Madonna in Japan, the world's second biggest market?

Madonna is huge in japan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Gold_Disc_Award

The Japan Gold Disc Awards (日本ゴールドディスク大賞) for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.

th Year Japan Domestic International
1 1987 Akina Nakamori Madonna
2 1988 Rebecca The Beatles
3 1989 Boøwy Bon Jovi
4 1990 Southern All Stars Madonna
5 1991 Yumi Matsutoya Madonna
6 1992 Chage and Aska Guns n' Roses
7 1993 Chage and Aska Madonna
8 1994 Wands The Beatles
9 1995 TRF Mariah Carey
10 1996 TRF Mariah Carey
11 1997 Namie Amuro Me & My
12 1998 Glay Celine Dion
13 1999 B'z Celine Dion
14 2000 Hikaru Utada Celine Dion
15 2001 Ayumi Hamasaki The Beatles
16 2002 Ayumi Hamasaki Backstreet Boys
17 2003 Hikaru Utada Avril Lavigne
18 2004 Ayumi Hamasaki Twelve Girls Band
19 2005 Orange Range Queen
20 2006 Kumi Koda O-Zone
21 2007 Kumi Koda Daniel Powter
22 2008 Exile Avril Lavigne
23 2009 Exile Madonna
24 2010 Arashi The Beatles
25 2011 Arashi Lady Gaga
26 2012 AKB48 Lady Gaga
27 2013 AKB48 Che'Nelle
28 2014 AKB48 One Direction
29 2015 Arashi One Direction

Mariah has sold MUCH more there than Madonna, almost double:

1990 - 900,000 - 352,670 - 4xp - Mariah Carey
1991 - 1,000,000 - 485,720 - 5xp - Emotions
1992 - 400,000 - 191,030 - 2xp - Unplugged
1993 - 2,400,000 - 1,589,270 - 11xp - Music Box
1994 - 2,800,000 - 2,090,244 - 13xp - Merry Christmas
1995 - 2,600,000 - 2,202,730 - 12xp - Daydream
1997 - 1,600,000 - 1,025,290 - 8xp - Butterfly
1998 - 3,600,000 - 2,808,030 - 18xp - #1's
1999 - 1,000,000 - 570,010 - 5xp - Rainbow
2001 - 450,000 - 261,900 - 2xp - Glitter
2001 - 400,000 - 219,268 - 2xp - Greatest Hits
2002 - 400,000 - 245,376 - 2xp - Charmbracelet
2003 - 75,000 - 6,511 - N/A - Remixes
2005 - 350,000 - 301,998 - 1xp - The Emancipation of Mimi
2008 - 165,000 - 146,293 - Gold - E=MC²
2009 - 100,000 - 77,114 - N/A - Memoirs of an imperfect Angel
2009 - 75,000 - 54,993 - N/A - The Ballads
2010 - 40,000 - 24,813 - N(A - Merry Christmas II You
2014 - 25,000 - 19,482 - N/A - Me. I am Mariah
2015 - 30,000 - 19,891 - N/A - #1 to Infinity

The slayage and outselling Madge 2:1 continues in places such as South Korea

1990 - 100,000 - 1xp - Mariah Carey
1991 - 100,000 - 1xp - Emotions
1992 - 100,000 - 1xp - Unplugged
1993 - 1,000,000 - 10xp - Music Box
1994 - 600,000 - 6xp - Merry Christmas
1995 - 600,000 - 6xp - Daydream
1997 - 300,000 - 3xp - Butterfly
1998 - 400,000 - 4xp - #1's
1999 - 100,000 - 1xp - Rainbow
2001 - 100,000 - 1xp - Glitter
2001 - 150,000 - 1xp - Greatest Hits
2002 - 90,000 - 3xp - Charmbracelet
2003 - 15,000 - Gold - Remixes
2005 - 30,000 - 1xp - The Emancipation of Mimi
2008 - 20,000 - 1xp - E=MC²
2009 - 10,000 - N/A - The Ballads
2009 - 15,000 - 1xp - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
2010 - 25,000 - 1xp - Merry Christmas II You
2014 - 5,500 - N/A - Me. I am Mariah
2015 - 3,500 - N/A - #1 to Infinity

Taiwan:

1990 - 50,000 - 1xp - Mariah Carey
1991 - 50,000 - 1xp - Emotions
1992 - 50,000 - 1xp - Unplugged
1993 - 500,000 - 10xp - Music Box (unconfirmed million seller)
1994 - 300,000 - 6xp - Merry Christmas
1995 - 400,000 - 8xp - Daydream
1997 - 150,000 - 3xp - Butterfly
1998 - 250,000 - 5xp - #1's (unconfirmed at 400k)
1999 - 100,000 - 2xp - Rainbow
2001 - 75,000 - 1xp - Glitter
2001 - 100,000 - 2xp - Greatest Hits
2002 - 100,000 - 2xp - Charmbracelet
2005 - 35,000 - 1xp - The Emancipation of Mimi

Mj madonna Britney Rihanna Shakira

Rihanna

I agree with this list but I'd swap Barbara with Tina Turner.

1. Madonna
2. dont really are