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Stats: Best-selling artists of the SoundScan era (Updated)
Member Since: 9/17/2012
Posts: 9,591
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Best-selling artists of the SoundScan era (Updated)
Introduction
This is the list of the top 50 best-selling album artists of the Soundscan era (1991-present). The list uses up-to-date receipts (2012-2014) for most artists. However, there are a few artists on the list whose latest sales updates happened in November-December 2011; those are the ones written in blue. But don't worry, their sales haven't significantly changed since their last update as they are not really relevant album sales-wise anymore.
UPDATED: Madonna and Jay Z's numbers, and added Usher to the list.
1) Garth Brooks 69,900,000
2) Beatles 66,100,000
3) Metallica 54,600,000
4) Mariah Carey 54,600,400
5) Celine Dion 52,400,000
6) Eminem 45,160,000*
7) George Strait 45,300,000
8) Tim McGraw 42,200,000
9) Alan Jackson 40,361,000
10) Pink Floyd 38,508,000
11) Jay Z (35,600,000)
12) Elvis Presley (35,555,000)
13) U2 (34,715,000)
14) Kenny G (34,248,000)*
15) Michael Jackson (34,723,000)
16) Shania Twain (34,500,000)
17) Britney Spears (33,100,000)
18) AC/DC (31,901,000)
19) Pearl Jam (31,785,000)
20) Aerosmith (31,702,000)
21) Dave Matthews Band (31,151,000)
22) Backstreet Boys (31,039,000)
23) Eagles (30,836,000)
24) Eric Clapton (30,832,000)
25) Reba McEntire (30,400,000)
26) Toby Keith (30,200,000)
27) Rod Stewart (30,000,000)
28) 2pac (29,235,000)
29) Kenny Chesney (28,925,000)
30) Frank Sinatra (28,737,000)
31) Madonna (28,200,000)
32) NSYNC (28,100,000)
33) Taylor Swift (28,035,000) (June 2015)
34) Elton John (27,256,000)
35) Dixie Chicks (27,200,000)
36) Creed (27,079,000)
37) Enya (26,623,000)
38) Whitney Houston (26,617,000)
39) Nirvana (26,410,000)
40) Santana (26,331,000)
41) Jimmy Buffett (26,141,000)
42) Guns N' Roses (25,453,000)
43) Led Zeppelin (25,000,000) (December 2012)
44) Johnny Cash (25,000,000) (July 2013)
45) Kid Rock (25,000,000) (December 2013)
46) Linkin Park (25,000,000) (November 2014)
47) Mary J Blige (24,500,000)
48) Usher (23,800,000)
49) Nickelback (23,200,000)
50) Bob Dylan (23,000,000)
* The MJ/Shania/Kenny G rank confusion, and why Eminem is ranked below George Strait.MJ ranks at #14 on the official Soundscan list between Kenny G and Shania Twain, according to Chart Watch. However, you probably have noticed that Kenny G is ranked above MJ and Shania with sales less than the other two. That's because Kenny G's number is outdated as there hasn't been a sales update for him since late 2011, unlike MJ and Shania who got more recent sales updates. I can't rank him below MJ and Shania when it was just confirmed by Chart Watch that he ranks higher than MJ, so I ranked him above them, but with lower sales.
As for Eminem, it was reported in March 2014 that he had surpassed George Strait. However, Strait's sales have received more recent updates, and that's he's ranked below Eminem, but with a higher number. When Billboard updates Eminem's number, I'll make sure to edit it here. Artists that should be on the list, but are not due to extremely outdated receipts
There are some artists that should rank in the top 50, but, due to their very outdated receipts, I did not know in which spot to rank them and with what number. They have surely sold much more than their latest, but outdated, receipts indicate, by now.
- The Rolling Stones' most recent receipt: 25,700,000 (December 2010)
- Brooks & Dunn's most recent receipt: 23,000,000 (December 2010). Would rank in between Jonny Cash and Taylor Swift if their receipt were up to date
- Red Hot Chilli Peppers: 20,700,000 (December 2007)
- Prince's most recent receipt: 19,690,000 (December 2007)
- Bon Jovi's most recent receipt: 19,991,000 (April 2009)
Other artists who have hit the 20 million mark recently
- Bob Marley & the Wailers (January 2014)
- Lynyrd Skynyrd (December 2013)
Thanks to UKMix and Pulse Music Board for some of the receipts.
P.S. If you've got anything helpful to add, just notify me. I tried finding as much up-to-date receipts as possible. 
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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7) Eminem 42,307,000
The consistency 
He'll easily move up to #6 with MMLP2
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 13,434
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Britney Spears just below MJ. Yet people are still doubting her power.
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Member Since: 1/17/2011
Posts: 6,037
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Britney.
With the updated numbers she should be close to the Top 10 by now. #LEGEND
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Member Since: 8/11/2012
Posts: 13,230
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Quote:
5) Celine Dion (51,800,000)
34) Madonna (26,935,000)
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 13,434
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Gaga better watch out. Eminem will block her to debut at number 1
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Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,394
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3) Mariah Carey 54,000,000
Legend M 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 13,434
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The Beatles debuted on 60s yet they are still selling tons of albums.
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Member Since: 9/18/2011
Posts: 30,431
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43) Taylor Swift (21,889,529)
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Member Since: 6/6/2011
Posts: 48,509
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43) Taylor Swift (21,889,529)
With just 4 albums. Debuted in 2000's (sales slowed down a lot). What a LEGEND.
Celine and Madonna.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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And to think that most of those top artists have sold even more than what's listed (Madonna, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks) since this includes 1993 to the present
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Member Since: 9/13/2012
Posts: 3,203
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YESS Taylor, Mariah & Jay-Z!! 
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Member Since: 6/16/2009
Posts: 7,224
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Quote:
Originally posted by umichgrad07
7) Eminem 42,307,000
The consistency
He'll easily move up to #5 with MMLP2 |
Girl! He is not going to sell 8 million copies of one album.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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Quote:
Originally posted by DRjuss06
Girl! He is not going to sell 8 million copies of one album.
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That should have been a 6.
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Member Since: 6/16/2009
Posts: 7,224
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Mariah tho, the queen of the 90s!
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Member Since: 6/6/2012
Posts: 25,442
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I have never heard of some of these lol
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Member Since: 6/16/2009
Posts: 7,224
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Quote:
Originally posted by umichgrad07
That should have been a 6.
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that seems better i mean who knows, he can always pull an Adele, hopefully!
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Member Since: 9/17/2012
Posts: 9,591
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Quote:
Originally posted by Cheers
43) Taylor Swift (21,889,529)
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Member Since: 9/9/2012
Posts: 59,872
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Quote:
Originally posted by boodytay
3) Mariah Carey 54,000,000
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Member Since: 2/28/2012
Posts: 12,605
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16) Britney Spears (32,432,000)
legend
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