I can only find out UK top 10's (I could try Wiki but I don't trust them much LOL). Anyone got any from other countries then please post...

1. "Greatest Hits" (1981), Queen -- 5.4 million

2. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), Beatles -- 4.8m

3. "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" (1995), Oasis -- 4.3m

4. "Brothers In Arms" (1985), Dire Straits -- 3.9m

5. "Gold: Greatest Hits" (1992), Abba -- 3.9m

6. "The Dark Side Of The Moon" (1973), Pink Floyd -- 3.7m

7. "Greatest Hits II" (1991), Queen -- 3.6m

8. "Thriller" (1982), Michael Jackson -- 3.5m

9. "Bad" (1987), Michael Jackson -- 3.5m

10. "The Immaculate Collection" (1990), Madonna -- 3.4m

Source: http://www.philbrodieband...m#uktop100

Anyone reading this from outside the UK will now know how huge Queen are in the UK. In the top 10 twice (with greatest hits LOL). I think the list is a few years old and both of Jackson's entries would be placed abit higher now since his sales surge thanks to his passing. Iam pretty sure for many, many years "Bad" outsold "Thriller" in the UK, which is mind boggling as in the US, "Bad" had sales of about a quarter of "Thriller". Jacksons UK tour must of helped alot.

I love Dire Straits but Iam amazed thats in the top 5. It's not even my favourite Dire Straits album. I bet Mark Knofler is as dumbfounded as Iam.

I wonder how different other countries look? At least our very own Cliff Richard isn't in the top 10 LOL.

thesexofit said:

I can only find out UK top 10's (I could try Wiki but I don't trust them much LOL). Anyone got any from other countries then please post...

1. "Greatest Hits" (1981), Queen -- 5.4 million

2. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), Beatles -- 4.8m

3. "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" (1995), Oasis -- 4.3m

4. "Brothers In Arms" (1985), Dire Straits -- 3.9m

5. "Gold: Greatest Hits" (1992), Abba -- 3.9m

6. "The Dark Side Of The Moon" (1973), Pink Floyd -- 3.7m

7. "Greatest Hits II" (1991), Queen -- 3.6m

8. "Thriller" (1982), Michael Jackson -- 3.5m

9. "Bad" (1987), Michael Jackson -- 3.5m

10. "The Immaculate Collection" (1990), Madonna -- 3.4m

Source: http://www.philbrodieband...m#uktop100

Anyone reading this from outside the UK will now know how huge Queen are in the UK. In the top 10 twice (with greatest hits LOL). I think the list is a few years old and both of Jackson's entries would be placed abit higher now since his sales surge thanks to his passing. Iam pretty sure for many, many years "Bad" outsold "Thriller" in the UK, which is mind boggling as in the US, "Bad" had sales of about a quarter of "Thriller". Jacksons UK tour must of helped alot.

I love Dire Straits but Iam amazed thats in the top 5. It's not even my favourite Dire Straits album. I bet Mark Knofler is as dumbfounded as Iam.

I wonder how different other countries look? At least our very own Cliff Richard isn't in the top 10 LOL.

Well i have always been saying that QUEEN is possibly the biggest worldwide band of the last 40 years, their popularity on the World Stage is pretty much unequaled, there arent too many with this kind of PULL in so many countries, despite them falling off in America, they were so huge in so many places, u can just cross america off at some point, with that said another band comes to mind in terms of this kind of popularity in many markets.

Queen was big all over the world at one point for a good period between, I believe 1974 through 1986. They had sizable U.S. success but their overall popularity was as massive as MJ's would later be. In the UK, in particular, Queen had many loyal fans there.

Timmy84 said:

Queen was big all over the world at one point for a good period between, I believe 1974 through 1986. They had sizable U.S. success but their overall popularity was as massive as MJ's would later be. In the UK, in particular, Queen had many loyal fans there.

Another huge market for them was South America, that is a market people always take for granted, that is a HUGE market, as is the Asian Market, just ask Air Supply on that one!

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

Queen was big all over the world at one point for a good period between, I believe 1974 through 1986. They had sizable U.S. success but their overall popularity was as massive as MJ's would later be. In the UK, in particular, Queen had many loyal fans there.

Another huge market for them was South America, that is a market people always take for granted, that is a HUGE market, as is the Asian Market, just ask Air Supply on that one!

Yeah I heard they had a huge following in South America. Hell weren't they huge in Japan when their career started anyways? I know I saw footage of them in Japan and Japanese fans were treating them like royalty.

Timmy84 said:

lastdecember said:

Another huge market for them was South America, that is a market people always take for granted, that is a HUGE market, as is the Asian Market, just ask Air Supply on that one!

Yeah I heard they had a huge following in South America. Hell weren't they huge in Japan when their career started anyways? I know I saw footage of them in Japan and Japanese fans were treating them like royalty.

Exactly they were tremendous in Japan, and they were treated like royality, i think what got Queen into alot of these markets, was that alot of people despite language boundaries, got their music, Queen had anthems, and like their name were on a grand stage that to me hasnt been duplicated and with music the way it is now, will never happen again

I expected seeing the Rolling Stones in that list.

Harlepolis said:

I expected seeing the Rolling Stones in that list.

They're more popular in this country than in their own (much like the Beatles).

Timmy84 said:

Harlepolis said:

I expected seeing the Rolling Stones in that list.

They're more popular in this country than in their own (much like the Beatles).

Talk about having a false impression.

austria:

1. brothers in arms - dire straits

Timmy84 said:

Harlepolis said:

I expected seeing the Rolling Stones in that list.

They're more popular in this country than in their own (much like the Beatles).

I think they are also a case of having a lot of great albums to choose from, like the Beatles.

Several albums on this list are greatest hits compilations. And Thriller & Bad are kind of no-brainers in the Michael catalog. But which one Beatles/Stones album do you choose to buy?

Timmy84 said:

Harlepolis said:

I expected seeing the Rolling Stones in that list.

They're more popular in this country than in their own (much like the Beatles).

Thats alot like Elton John, i mean he was HUGE here, and the Uk his home, he was popular but it took till "Sacrifice" for him to score a Number 1 hit there, and here he had 6 pretty quick.

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

They're more popular in this country than in their own (much like the Beatles).

Thats alot like Elton John, i mean he was HUGE here, and the Uk his home, he was popular but it took till "Sacrifice" for him to score a Number 1 hit there, and here he had 6 pretty quick.

I was gonna mention him but I almost said Rod Stewart. THEN AGAIN...Rod was also popular more often in the states than in the UK (ironically Lionel Richie has a bigger UK following than in America so I guess two can play at that game...)

Timmy84 said:

lastdecember said:

Thats alot like Elton John, i mean he was HUGE here, and the Uk his home, he was popular but it took till "Sacrifice" for him to score a Number 1 hit there, and here he had 6 pretty quick.

I was gonna mention him but I almost said Rod Stewart. THEN AGAIN...Rod was also popular more often in the states than in the UK (ironically Lionel Richie has a bigger UK following than in America so I guess two can play at that game...)

Lets not forget the Queen Tina Turner, i mean i know she blew up with "Private Dancer" but things like "River Deep Mountain High" were like anthems over there but not here? And she basically survived because of the European Market till the US caught on in the 80's again

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

I was gonna mention him but I almost said Rod Stewart. THEN AGAIN...Rod was also popular more often in the states than in the UK (ironically Lionel Richie has a bigger UK following than in America so I guess two can play at that game...)

Lets not forget the Queen Tina Turner, i mean i know she blew up with "Private Dancer" but things like "River Deep Mountain High" were like anthems over there but not here? And she basically survived because of the European Market till the US caught on in the 80's again

OH YEAH! Tina Turner definitely benefited from years of European exposure going back to the 1960s. In fact she was always treated like royalty overseas. It took 25 years for America to truly appreciate the legend that Tina had become by then.

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

I was gonna mention him but I almost said Rod Stewart. THEN AGAIN...Rod was also popular more often in the states than in the UK (ironically Lionel Richie has a bigger UK following than in America so I guess two can play at that game...)

Lets not forget the Queen Tina Turner, i mean i know she blew up with "Private Dancer" but things like "River Deep Mountain High" were like anthems over there but not here? And she basically survived because of the European Market till the US caught on in the 80's again

Yep

Kids over there thought everything John Lennon said was the gospel, so when he said that "River Deep" was one of his fave records, you know folks took notice.

Roy Ayers is a legend in UK. I've went to two of his concerts, one in London and one in D.C., I thought we loved the man untill I saw his British audience.

Harlepolis said:

lastdecember said:

Lets not forget the Queen Tina Turner, i mean i know she blew up with "Private Dancer" but things like "River Deep Mountain High" were like anthems over there but not here? And she basically survived because of the European Market till the US caught on in the 80's again

Yep

Kids over there thought everything John Lennon said was the gospel, so when he said that "River Deep" was one of his fave records, you know folks took notice.

Roy Ayers is a legend in UK. I've went to two of his concerts, one in London and one in D.C., I thought we loved the man untill I saw his British audience.

On the rnb tip we also blew up Alexander O neal over here more then the US (I know he had a following in the US, but he was bigger by comparison in the UK).

More recently we also blew up the scissor sisters, who they themselves have said they couldn't sell f*** all in america.

Anyone have lists from other countries?

ForbiddenFruit said:

austria:

1. brothers in arms - dire straits

Really? I know the importance of that album and the event of the CD (one of the first Cd's that you showed off in hi-fi stores etc..) but its amazing how big that album was.

i would hve thought david bowie would hve bn there and elton john

Well the US looks something like this:

Around 29 million:

EAGLES - Greatest Hits 71-76 (1976)

MICHAEL JACKSON - Thriller (1982)

around 23 million:
LED ZEPPELIN - IV (1971)

around 22 million:

AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)

around 20 million:

PINK FLOYD - The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

SHANIA TWAIN - Come On Over (1997)

around 19 million:

FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours (1977)

around 18 million:

GUNS N' ROSES - Appetite For Destruction (1987)

around 17 million:

BOSTON - Boston (1976)
WHITNEY HOUSTON - The Bodyguard (soundtrack) (1992)

around 16 million:

ELTON JOHN - Greatest Hits (1974)

EAGLES - Hotel California (1976)

GREASE (soundtrack) (1978)

HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH - Cracked Rear View (1994)

ALANIS MORISSETTE - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

Since the numbers are not precise I'd rather not put a ranking and that's why I listed over 10 albums but the Top 10 are definitely in there. For comparison purposes the best-selling album of 2009 Susan Boyle's 'I Dreamed A Dream' has sold around 3.7 million to date

[Edited 7/12/10 17:23pm]

jiorjios said:

Well the US looks something like this:

Around 29 million:

EAGLES - Greatest Hits 71-76 (1976)

MICHAEL JACKSON - Thriller (1982)

around 23 million:
LED ZEPPELIN - IV (1971)

around 22 million:

AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)

around 20 million:

PINK FLOYD - The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

SHANIA TWAIN - Come On Over (1997)

around 19 million:

FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours (1977)

around 18 million:

GUNS N' ROSES - Appetite For Destruction (1987)

around 17 million:

BOSTON - Boston (1976)
WHITNEY HOUSTON - The Bodyguard (soundtrack) (1992)

around 16 million:

ELTON JOHN - Greatest Hits (1974)

EAGLES - Hotel California (1976)

GREASE (soundtrack) (1978)

HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH - Cracked Rear View (1994)

ALANIS MORISSETTE - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

To people in the UK, it would boggle the mind how many copies that damn Eagles record sold. In general, they say greatest hit albums do worse in America, but thats not the case with their top selling album LOL. No disrespect to the Eagles, but damn, as many as "Thriller"?

Led Zeppelin seem more american then british to me LOL (unlike the Stones and Beatles). Not suprised to see them up there. I notice hardly any newer stuff in their top 10 (minus Shania Twain). You look at the UK list (click the link), and you see quite alot of modern artists up there. No Mariah or Celine is surprising!

Alot of the world seems to loves Abba, and whilst I know they made their mark in america, it was nothing like it was over in the UK (and probably europe).

[Edited 7/12/10 17:23pm]

Mariah's best selling albums are 'Music Box' and 'Daydream' both are around 10m to date. Celine Dion's best selling album 'Falling Into You' is at around 11m. As for the 00s well the best selling album of that decade is N' Sync's 'No Strings Attached' with around 13m. That was a 2000 album and it is going downhill ever since. As I wrote before, 2009's best seller sold just 3.7m. The only other decades not featured on the list are the 50s and the 60s. From 1956 till 1959 the best seller is probably Miles Davis' 'Kind Of Blue' which is at over 6m. Best seller of the 60s was either Beatles' 'Abbey Road' or Led Zeppelin's 'II' both are at around 12m.

[Edited 7/12/10 17:35pm]

jiorjios said:

Mariah's best selling albums are 'Music Box' and 'Daydream' both are around 10m to date. Celine Dion's best selling album 'Falling Into You' is at around 11m. As for the 00s well the best selling album of that decade is N' Sync's 'No Strings Attached' with around 13m. That was a 2000 album and it is going downhill ever since. As I wrote before, 2009's best seller sold just 3.7m. The only other decades not featured on the list are the 50s and the 60s. From 1956 till 1959 the best seller is probably Miles Davis' 'Kind Of Blue' which is at over 6m. Best seller of the 60s was either Beatles' 'Abbey Road' or Led Zeppelin's 'II' both are at around 12m.

[Edited 7/12/10 17:35pm]

I thought Mariah and Celine's best selling albums would of sold more in the US? I was wrong. I guess its telling that of best selling US albums, only a few are what could be considered as quite recent. As I said, thats not the same in the UK. I wonder about other countries?

OK these are the best-selling international albums ever (digital sales not included) in Japan (I have a list with Japanese albums too but it's kinda pointless I guess)

1.#1s-Mariah Carey

2.The Best Of...-The Carpenters

3.Daydream-Mariah Carey

4.Merry Christmas-Mariah Carey

5.1-The Beatles

6.The Bodyguard-Whitney Houston

7.Thriller-Michael Jackson

8.Music Box-Mariah Carey

9.Scatman's World-Scatman John (in case you don't know this check it on youtube, he makes Ke$ha actually sound good)

10.Titanic-soundtrack

The four Mariah Carey albums have sold around 9m copies combined in Japan

[Edited 7/12/10 18:34pm]

jiorjios said:

OK these are the best-selling international albums ever (digital sales not included) in Japan (I have a list with Japanese albums too but it's kinda pointless I guess)

1.#1s-Mariah Carey

2.The Best Of...-The Carpenters

3.Daydream-Mariah Carey

4.Merry Christmas-Mariah Carey

5.1-The Beatles

6.The Bodyguard-Whitney Houston

7.Thriller-Michael Jackson

8.Music Box-Mariah Carey

9.Scatman's World-Scatman John (in case you don't know this check it on youtube, he makes Ke$ha actually sound good)

10.Titanic-soundtrack

The four Mariah Carey albums have sold around 9m copies combined in Japan

[Edited 7/12/10 18:34pm]

Thanks for the post. Anyone have Canada?

Wow! I had no idea how huge Mariah was in Japan? Thats amazing. I guess it soerta makes sense considering how they seem to love OTT power ballads (perfect for Karaoke), plus her very innocent, girly image. She locks out the top 4. Insane!

"Bodyguard" doesn't surprise me (unfortunately). Nice to see the Beatles again though. And a christmas album at no. 4 LOL. Japan never fails to surprise me.

thesexofit said:

I can only find out UK top 10's (I could try Wiki but I don't trust them much LOL). Anyone got any from other countries then please post...

1. "Greatest Hits" (1981), Queen -- 5.4 million

2. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), Beatles -- 4.8m

3. "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" (1995), Oasis -- 4.3m

4. "Brothers In Arms" (1985), Dire Straits -- 3.9m

5. "Gold: Greatest Hits" (1992), Abba -- 3.9m

6. "The Dark Side Of The Moon" (1973), Pink Floyd -- 3.7m

7. "Greatest Hits II" (1991), Queen -- 3.6m

8. "Thriller" (1982), Michael Jackson -- 3.5m

9. "Bad" (1987), Michael Jackson -- 3.5m

10. "The Immaculate Collection" (1990), Madonna -- 3.4m

Source: http://www.philbrodieband...m#uktop100

Anyone reading this from outside the UK will now know how huge Queen are in the UK. In the top 10 twice (with greatest hits LOL). I think the list is a few years old and both of Jackson's entries would be placed abit higher now since his sales surge thanks to his passing. Iam pretty sure for many, many years "Bad" outsold "Thriller" in the UK, which is mind boggling as in the US, "Bad" had sales of about a quarter of "Thriller". Jacksons UK tour must of helped alot.

I love Dire Straits but Iam amazed thats in the top 5. It's not even my favourite Dire Straits album. I bet Mark Knofler is as dumbfounded as Iam.

I wonder how different other countries look? At least our very own Cliff Richard isn't in the top 10 LOL.

I'm still surprised that George Michael's Faith did better in the states than it did in the UK

I Want Your Sex/Hard Day- #2 US, #3 UK

Faith #1 US, #2 UK

Father Figure #1 US, #11 UK

One More Try #1 US, #8 UK

Monkey #1 US , #13 UK

Kissing A Fool #5 US, #18 UK

Top ten in Australia

1. Whispering Jack, John Farnham 1,680,000 copies

2. Bat out of hell, Meatloaf 1,610,000 copies

3. Innocent Eyes, Delta Goodrem 1,200,000

4. Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits, 1,190,000

5. Come on Over, Shania Twain 1,050,000

6. Thriller, Michael Jackson 1,050,000

7. Queen: Greatest Hits 1, 980,000 (1981 one with Freddie and his moustache)

8. Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morisette, 980,000

9. Falling into you, Celine Dion, 840,000 - 880,000

10 = Rumours, Fleetwood Mac, Savage Garden (Eponymous), The best of Crowded House Recurring dream 1986 -1996, all 840,000 each

In Australia a Platinum record is 70,000 copies sold. so whispering jack is 24 x Platinum

Now New Zealand, a definitive list has not been compiled, but a platinum record here is only 15,000 copies, some album sales I found on the net. (Ukmix,com)

I will post this list next when I compile it

For New Zealand the best I could do.

A: Most albums sold (K = 1,000)

1. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms 360,000 copies

2. Abba - Greatest Hits 300-315k

3. Shania Twain, Come on Over, 300k

4. Legend, The Best of Bob Marley - 270k

5. Bat out of hell, Meatloaf - 255k

6. Saturday Night Fever Original Soundtrack - 250k

7= Dark Side of the moon - Pink Floyd - 240k

7= Gold, Abba - 240k

9. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen - 230k

10 = U2 The Joshua Tree, Jagged Little Pill, #1 Beatles, The Wall, all 210,000 copies each

11. Whispering Jack - John Farnham 198k

12. Falling in To You - Celine Dion - 180,000

Some others

Thriller - 165k, Come away with me 175k,

Eagles Greatest Hits, Grease Soundtrack - 165k each

Bad, Off the Wall - 120k each

Purple Rain 90k, Like a Virgin 105k

Crowded House albums, couldn't find, But I guess they would be over 100k each along with Split Enz albums.

B. Most Chart success (Courtesy of charts.org.nz)

1. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

2. Making Movies - Dire Straits

3. Atlantic Crossing - Rod Stewart

4. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

5. Beautiful Collision - Bic Runga (New Zealand Artist)

6. Based on a true story - Fat Freddy's Drop (NZ Artist)

7. The Joshua Tree - U2 (Mainly because of the song One Tree Hill, about a Maori Groupie who passed away, was released as a single here and went to #1 for 6 weeks)

8. Come on Over - Shania Twain

9. Come away with me - Norah Jones

10. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

I have included both lists as they differ and I suspect some artists are not on list A. Bic Runga and Abba have sold boatloads here along with Crowded House, Split Enz, Tim Finn, Flight of the Conchords and various Australian artists like John Farnham.

Not sure about the whole Top 10 but those are the best-selling international albums in various countries:

EUROPE

FRANCE

D'Eux-Celine Dion (around 4m.)

NETHERLANDS

Thriller-Michael Jackson (around 0.8m.)

GERMANY

But Seriously-Phil Collins (around 3m.)

BELGIUM

Thriller-Michael Jackson (around 0.4m.)

IRELAND

White Ladder-David Gray (over 0.25m.)

ITALY

True Blue-Madonna (around 1.3m.)

SWITZERLAND

Gold-Abba (around 0.45m.)

FINLAND

Greatest Hits II-Queen (around 0.135m.)

TURKEY (since 1990)

Dangerous-Michael Jackson

POLAND

Let's Talk About Love-Celine Dion (around 0.45m.)

GREECE

No real data but based on popularities etc it must be some Michael Jackson album probably 'Thriller'

ASIA

SOUTH KOREA

The Bodyguard-Whitney Houston (around 1.1m.)

PHILIPINES

Daydream-Mariah Carey (around 0.5m.)

CHINA (including TAIWAN)

Titanic-Soundtrack (around 2m)

LATIN AMERICA

CHILE

Thriller-Michael Jackson

MEXICO

Mi Tierra-Gloria Estefan (around 0.75m)

ARGENTINA

Thriller-Michael Jackson

Greatest Hits II-Queen

Donde Estan Los Ladrones-Shakira

Abbey Road-Beatles (all three are at around 0.5m.)

OTHERS

EGYPT

Oral Fixation Vol.II-Shakira (around 0.4m.)

CANADA

Thriller-Michael Jackson (around 3m.)

SOUTH AFRICA

Thriller-Michael Jackson (around 0.6m.)

NEW ZEALAND

Best Of Abba (1975

[Edited 7/13/10 3:21am]