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The best-selling musicians of all time include Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, and Whitney Houston.
RIAA ranked the best-selling musicians of all time based on total album units sold in the US.
Swift, Drake, and Beyoncé are among the newest artists to make the cut.
You might feel like Taylor Swift is the biggest musician of all time thanks to the number of albums she's recorded, the tickets she's sold, and the headlines she's generated.
In fact, she hasn't cracked the top 20.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists the best-selling musicians of all time, based on total certified album units sold in the US. It also includes streaming figures.
Artists from multiple different genres — pop, country, instrumental jazz, rap, metal — have earned their spots on this list.
Keep scrolling to see the 50 best-selling music artists of all time in the US by album sales.
This post has been updated with the most recent data from RIAA. John Lynch, Travis Clark, and Will Gendron contributed to a previous version of this post.
50. Bob Dylan — 36 million units
Timothée Chalamet was nominated for an Academy Award for playing Dylan in the biopic "A Complete Unknown."
Val Wilmer/Redferns/Getty Images
49. Tupac Shakur — 36.5 million
Shakur released four albums before his death in 1996.
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
47 (tie). Beyoncé — 37 million units
Beyoncé is the most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood/Getty Images
47 (tie). Backstreet Boys — 37 million units
The Backstreet Boys' 2019 album "DNA" was their third No. 1 album.
Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images
45 (tie). Rod Stewart — 38 million units
Stewart has released 32 albums over the course of 55 years.
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
45 (tie). Foreigner — 38 million units
Foreigner's best-known song is "I Want to Know What Love Is."
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
43 (tie). Simon & Garfunkel — 38.5 million units
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met in elementary school in the '50s.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
43 (tie). Britney Spears — 38.5 million
Some of Spears' No. 1 albums include "...Baby One More Time," "Oops! I Did It Again," "Britney," "Circus," and "Femme Fatale."
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
42. Chicago — 39 million units
Chicago had five consecutive No. 1 albums from 1972 to 1975.
Ian Showell/Keystone/Getty Images
41. Eric Clapton — 40 million units
Clapton had his first hit single, "I Shot the Sheriff," over 50 years ago.
Phil Dent/Redferns/Getty Images
38 (tie). Tim McGraw — 41 million units
Almost all of McGraw's albums have topped the country charts.
Michael Hickey/Getty Images
38 (tie). Reba McEntire — 41 million units
McEntire released her 32nd album, "Not That Fancy," in 2023.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
38 (tie). Bon Jovi — 41 million units
Bon Jovi released their sixteenth album, "Forever," in 2024.
Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images
37. Queen — 43 million units
Rami Malek won an Oscar for portraying Queen front man Freddie Mercury in the film "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images
36. Santana — 43.5 million units
Santana's last No. 1 album was 2002's "Shaman."
Al Pereira/Getty Images
33 (tie). Guns N' Roses — 44.5 million units
Guns N' Roses' debut album, 1987's "Appetite for Destruction," peaked at No. 1.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Power Trip
33 (tie). Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band — 44.5 million units
Seger retired from performing in 2019 after 50 years.
Scott Legato/WireImage/Getty Images
33 (tie). Alan Jackson — 44.5 million units
Jackson's hit songs include "Don't Rock the Jukebox," "Chattahoochee," and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," which he performed with Jimmy Buffett.
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
31 (tie). Kenny Rogers — 47.5 million units
Rogers died in 2020 at the age of 81.
David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
31 (tie). Drake — 47.5 million units
Drake is one of the best-selling artists of the 21st century.
Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images
29 (tie). Shania Twain — 48 million units
Twain almost lost her ability to sing after her Lyme disease diagnosis in the early 2000s.
Kevin Mazur/AMA2019/Getty Images for dcp
29 (tie). Kenny G — 48 million units
Kenny G's album "Breathless" is the best-selling instrumental album of all time.
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28. Alabama — 49 million units
Alabama was formed in 1969.
David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
27. Neil Diamond — 49.5 million units
Diamond retired from performing in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images
26. U2 — 52 million units
U2's most successful albums include "The Joshua Tree," "Rattle and Hum," and "Achtung Baby."
Sergione Infuso/Corbis/Getty Images
25. Journey — 52.5 million units
Guitarist Neal Schon (left) is the only original member of Journey who's still in the band.
Michael Putland/Getty Images
24. Celine Dion — 53 million units
Dion has released 27 albums, 10 of which have reached the top 10.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
23. Fleetwood Mac — 55.5 million units
Stevie Nicks had a successful solo career outside of Fleetwood Mac.
Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images
22. Van Halen — 56.5 million units
Van Halen was hugely successful but only had one No. 1 song, "Jump," in 1983.
David Tan/Shinko Music/Getty Images
21. Taylor Swift — 57 million units
Swift's Eras Tour is the first tour to gross $1 billion.
AP Photo/George Walker IV
20. Whitney Houston — 61 million units
Houston died in 2012 at the age of 48.
Icon and Image/Getty Images
19. Eminem — 61.5 million units
Eminem is the best-selling rapper of all time.
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18. Metallica — 63 million units
Metallica released their 11th album, "72 Seasons," in 2023.
Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images
17. Madonna — 65.5 million units
Madonna has been nicknamed the Queen of Pop.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
16. The Rolling Stones — 66.5 million units
The Rolling Stones celebrated their 62nd anniversary in 2024.
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15. Barbra Streisand — 68.5 million units
Streisand released her 970-page memoir, "My Name Is Barbra" in 2023.
Kevin Kane/Getty Images for BSB
13 (tie). George Strait — 69.5 million units
Strait has had 60 No. 1 songs across various Billboard charts, the most of any artist in any genre.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
13 (tie). Aerosmith — 69.5 million units
Aerosmith retired from touring in 2024, 51 years after their debut album was released.
Lisa Lake/Getty Images
12. Bruce Springsteen — 71 million units
Springsteen became a billionaire in July 2024.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
10 (tie). Pink Floyd — 75 million units
Pink Floyd's biggest hits include "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2," "Money," and "Keep Talking."
MJ Kim/Getty Images
10 (tie). Mariah Carey — 75 million units
Carey has had 19 No. 1 hits, the most of any female artist.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage for MC/Getty Images
9. Elton John — 81 million units
John completed his EGOT in 2024 when he won an Emmy.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
8. AC/DC — 84 million units
It took eight albums for AC/DC to top the charts.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Power Trip
7. Billy Joel — 86 million units
Joel released "Turn the Lights Back On" in 2024, his first new song in 17 years.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
6. Michael Jackson — 89 million units
Jackson has been crowned the King of Pop.
KMazur/WireImage/Getty Images
5. Led Zeppelin — 112.5 million units
Led Zeppelin hasn't released a new album since 1982's "Coda."
Jay Dickman/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images
4. Eagles — 120 million units
The Eagles' album "Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)" is the best-selling album of the 20th century in the US.
Fotos International/Getty Images
3. Elvis Presley — 146.5 million units
Presley is an iconic symbol of American pop culture.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
2. Garth Brooks — 162 million units
Brooks has recorded nine albums that have been certified platinum, the only musician to do so.
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1. The Beatles — 183 million units
It's unlikely that the Beatles will ever be surpassed in the era of streaming.
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