List of best-selling music artists
Artist Country / Market Period active Release year of first charted record Genre Total certified units ( from available markets ) Claimed sales
The Beatles United Kingdom 1960-1970 1962 Rock / Pop Total available certified units : 279.1 million US : 217.250 million JPN : 4.950 million GER : 8 million UK : 20.345 million FRA : 3.890 million CAN : 14.455 million AUS : 3.060 million BRA : 550,000 NLD : 295,000 ITA : 580,000 SPA : 1.250 million SWE 485,000 DEN : 315,000 SWI : 350,000 ARG : 1.606 million BEL : 390,000 AUT : 500,000 POL : 175,000 NZ : 660,000 600 million 500 million
Elvis Presley United States 1954-1977 1954 Rock and roll / Pop / Country Total available certified units : 225.4 million US : 199.150 million JPN : 300,000 GER : 1.2 million UK : 14.815 million FRA : 2.590 million CAN : 2.925 million AUS : 1.797 million BRA : 125,000 NLD : 555,000 ITA : 130,000 SPA : 300,000 SWE 380,000 DEN : 165,000 SWI : 185,000 MEX : 105,000 ARG : 110,000 BEL : 115,000 AUT : 205,000 FIN : 213,945 NZ : 117,500 600 million 500 million
Michael Jackson United States 1964-2009 1971 Pop / Rock / Dance / Soul / R & B Total available certified units : 231.8 million US : 145.3 million JPN : 4.650 million GER : 11.275 million UK : 30.995 million FRA : 11.375 million CAN : 4.670 million AUS : 6.775 million BRA : 280,000 NLD : 2.105 million ITA : 1.270 million SPA : 1.995 million SWE : 1.310 million DEN : 1.409 million SWI : 910,000 MEX : 3.730 million ARG : 124,000 BEL : 665,000 AUT : 1.197 million POL : 530,000 FIN : 384,127 NZ : 912,500 350 million 300 million
Elton John United Kingdom 1964-present 1969 Pop / Rock Total available certified units : 186.6 million US : 129.850 million JPN : 1.1 million GER : 7.9 million UK : 26.345 million FRA : 4.825 million CAN : 6.055 million AUS : 2.982 million BRA : 835,000 NLD : 975,000 ITA : 125,000 SPA : 1.2 million SWE : 740,000 DEN : 285,000 SWI : 1.313 million MEX : 100,000 ARG : 128,000 BEL : 565,000 AUT : 765,000 POL : 150,000 FIN : 163,481 NZ : 285,000 300 million 250 million
Madonna United States 1979-present 1982 Pop / Dance / Electronica Total available certified units : 173.8 million US : 85.675 million JPN : 6.450 million GER : 12.4 million UK : 30.045 million FRA : 12.805 million CAN : 6.030 million AUS : 4.787 million BRA : 3.440 million NLD : 1.735 million ITA : 525,000 SPA : 2.815 million SWE : 1.070 million DEN : 407,000 SWI : 1.080 million MEX : 510,000 ARG : 1.098 BEL : 740,000 AUT : 602,500 POL : 530,000 FIN : 652,686 NZ : 417,500 300 million 275 million
Led Zeppelin United Kingdom 1968-1980 1969 Hard rock / Blues rock / Folk rock Total available certified units : 140.2 million US : 114.1 million JPN : 400,000 GER : 3.775 million UK : 9.530 million FRA : 2.310 million CAN : 4.710 million AUS : 2.8 million BRA : 820,000 ITA : 625,000 SPA : 450,000 SWI : 211,000 ARG : 360,000 POL : 120,000 300 million 200 million
Rihanna Barbados United States 2005-present 2005 R & B / Pop / Dance / Hip-hop Total available certified units : 277.5 million US : 201.55 million JPN : 1.4 million GER : 10.775 million UK : 38.1 million FRA : 1.465 million CAN : 3.120 million AUS : 9.5 million BRA : 705,000 ITA : 1.705 million SPA : 1.470 million SWE : 2.480 million DEN : 1.497 SWI : 860,000 MEX : 710,000 BEL : 660,000 AUT : 135,000 POL : 540,000 IRE : 240,000 NZ : 682,500 250 million 230 million
Pink Floyd United Kingdom 1965-1996 , 2014 1967 Progressive rock / Psychedelic rock Total available certified units : 121.2 million US : 78 million JPN : 100,000 GER : 7.5 million UK : 12.320 million FRA : 6.260 million CAN : 6.790 million AUS : 2.962 million BRA : 515,000 NLD : 435,000 ITA : 2.370 million SPA : 625,000 SWE : 220,000 SWI : 390,000 MEX : 210,000 ARG : 582,000 BEL : 115,000 AUT : 460,000 POL : 650,000 NZ : 787,500 250 million 200 million
Artists by reputed sales -- 250 million or more records
The Beatles Rihanna Michael Jackson Elvis Presley Elton John Madonna Led Zeppelin
This list includes music artists with claims of 75 million or more record sales. The artists in the following tables are listed with both their claimed sales figure along with their total of certified units and are ranked in descending order, with the artist with the highest amount of claimed sales at the top. If two or more artists have the same claimed sales, they are then ranked by certified units. The claimed sales figure and the total of certified units (for each country) within the provided sources include sales of albums, singles, compilation-albums, music videos as well as downloads of singles and full-length albums. Sales figures, such as those from Soundscan, which are sometimes published by Billboard magazine, have not been included in the certified units column. , based on both sales claims and certified units, The Beatles are considered the highest-selling band. Elvis Presley is considered the highest-selling individual artist based on sales claims and Drake is the highest-selling individual artist based on certified units.