The Recording Industry Association of America recently published a list of the best selling artists of all-time, ranking roughly the top 60 from all genres and eras. While nowhere close to the runaway winner The Beatles, Pac ranked as the highest rapper and higher than many legendary performers. The Beastie Boys and Eminem also made the list.

01. The Beatles - 165.5
02. Led Zeppelin - 106.0
03. Garth Brooks - 105.0
04. Elvis Presley - 104.0
05. Eagles - 88.0
06. Billy Joel - 78.5
07. Pink Floyd - 73.5
08. Barbra Streisand - 71.5
09. Elton John - 67.5
10. Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones - 63.5
11. AC/DC - 63.0
12. Bruce Springsteen - 61.5
13. Madonna - 60.0
14. Michael Jackson - 58.5
15. Mariah Carey and Metallica - 57.0
16. George Strait - 54.5
17. Whitney Houston - 54.0
18. Kenny Rogers and Van Halen - 50.0
19. Neil Diamond - 50.0
20. Fleetwood Mac - 48.5
...
32. 2Pac, Bob Seger and Prince - 36.5
...
56. Beastie Boys - 21.0
...
58. Eminem - 20.0

Madonna and MJ at 13th and 14th, what is going on in America with shit like the Eagles at 5th place. i mean the eagles are ok but how many times can you re-release a greatest hits of the same songs!

Its amazing that MJ has sold over 30million records in the UK and 58million in the US even though it is a country with 6 times the population.

Also Madonna has sold about 15million in the UK whilst artists such as the Eagles, Garth Brooks and Led Zepplin wouldnt even make the top 100!

Its also shocking that in such a racially diverse culture there are no black artists in the top ten, with MJ being the highest!

Yet in the UK black artists seem to be more popular!

FunkyBrotha said:

Garth fucking Brooks at number three???!!! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

The British generally have much better taste, that's for sure.
[This message was edited Fri Jan 9 17:00:49 PST 2004 by VoicesCarry]

FunkyBrotha said:

what's even more amazing is that someone looked at that list and then proceeded to divide it racially.

VoicesCarry said:

Cliff Richard, anyone?

AaronAlmighty said:

A rare archive picture of Cliff and a woman.

SassyBritches said:

Everyone knows that music belongs to the Negros

garnis said:

right. that's exactly what i was thinking.

mass said:

I thought MJ would b higher in the list. Thriller has sold around 40 million plus worldwide, plus Bad sold about 25 million plus the other albums, meaning MJ must have sold atleast over 100 million worldwide.

thetimefan said:

I believe these are America-only stats.

mass said:

The most amazing number there to me is Led Zeppelin. I like them and want to get more of their stuff (I only some hits CDs that are rather incomplete) but never thought they would rank as the second highest selling group. I wonder if those figures include singles as well?

Since this is the list of the best selling white artits of all-time, when will they release the real list?

BlueNote

I've seen that list before. It's actually concerning most units of albums sold in the U.S. by the top selling artists.

...see, this one of the many reasons why America is laughed at...

Garth-fucking-Brooks sold more than MJ or The Rolling Stones?

SassyBritches said:

The fuck wrong with u callin us Negros? fuck u 2.

Anyway it's not shocking 2 me. Old people buy more music these days than any1 else. Just cuz Britney and 50 Cent and all them dumb young mf's sell alot o rekids, they will never compare 2 the peeps on the list.
[This message was edited Sat Jan 10 13:35:43 PST 2004 by paisleypark4]

SassyBritches said:

---
Why because someone is living in the land of reality.
The only rap artist in the top 20 is Emiemn. Don't you think it is interesting that he is the number one rapper with the most sales?

Don't you think it is interesting that as popular as rap music is only one rap artist made into the top 20 and only 3 African-Americans. It takes a lot to get your music over to large diverse audience. If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times race plays a roll in everything in the good old US of A.

Oh for fucks sake it has nothing to do with race anymore. With regards to hip-hop it's a love it/hate it genre and the genre itself is only really 25 years old. Im sure if the poll was taken from 1979 onwards there would be more black artists featured. Move on people.

On a completely different note and even more staggering is that ACDCs Back In Black is the second biggest selling album of all time and this is a worldwide state. Only MJ's Thriller has outsold it. It's incredible to think it's outsold any Beatles or Led Zeppelin album and is a very cool stat.