Ever since humans mastered the art of recording music performances, albums have become incredibly important. Since music has become part and parcel of our daily lives, acquiring it has been easened with digital sales and streams. Out of the concert hall and the broadcast studio, people are able to acquire music to their taste at their convenience. This list is based on total certified units sold. The requirements of certified units are designed to avoid inflated sales figures, which are frequently practiced by record companies for promotional purposes.
Here are the top 20 best-selling music artists in history by album sales.
| Rank | Artist | Certified units |
| 1. | The Beatles | 183 million |
| 2. | Garth Brooks | 157 million |
| 3. | Elvis Presley | 139 million |
| 4. | Eagles | 120 million |
| 5. | Led Zeppelin | 111.5 million |
| 6. | Billy Joel | 84.5 million |
| 7. | Michael Jackson | 84 million |
| 8. | Elton John | 79 million |
| 9. | AC/DC | 75 million |
| 10. | Pink Floyd | 75 million |
| 11. | George Strait | 69 million |
| 12. | Barbra Streisand | 68.5 million |
| 13. | Aerosmith | 66.5 million |
| 14. | The Rolling Stones | 66.5 million |
| 15. | Bruce Springsteen | 65.5 million |
| 16. | Madonna | 64.5 million |
| 17. | Mariah Carey | 64.5 million |
| 18. | Metallica | 63 million |
| 19. | Whitney Houston | 60 million |
| 20. | Van Halen | 56.5 million |
