The Biggest Album Sales of All Time: Does Your Favorite Artist Make the Cut?

October 18th, 2012 - By C. Cleveland

Fans are known to make outlandish claims defending the supremacy of their chosen idol. When debates get heated and tempers flair, it’s time to face the facts. As the song goes, “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.”

Album sales don’t come as easily as they used to. Purchasing an album is a commitment only the best artists can persuade audiences to make. Compiled below are the best selling black artists in Pop/R&B and Hip-Hop, as tallied by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). How does your favorite measure up to the best?

At the Billboard Music Awards in 1995. Image: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Hip-Hop #5 – Notorious B.I.G.

17 million units

A gift for storytelling and a penchant for humorous, violently detailed narratives of Brooklyn street life launched the Notorious B.I.G. to stardom and paved the way for the return of East Coast rapper after the Dr. Dre era. His untimely death in 1997 raised his impact to mythic proportions.

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  • Rebecca

    Surprised that Eminem wasnt in the hip hop category

  • Grad98tn

    Whitney’s body of work had “legs” as she once said, she didn’t necessarily have to put out an album every year like other artists. The albums would continue to produce hit records for years.. RIP Whitney

  • NicPal

    Ok how did Nelly beat the Notorious BIG and how did Mariah beat Whitney? Sorry just a little puzzled on that one.

    • Tagirl

      These must be single album sales. But Mariah is the greatest selling female artist of all time.

      • Tagirl

        Oh, it seems that they’re doing U.S sales.But Mariah’s numbers are closer to 69mil. But overall, she’s sold more that 150mil.

    • nassau_royale

      Mariah released more albums. Whitney Houston was knowns to take years in between releases

    • NicPal

      Thank you all for the replies I really wasn’t trying to be smart I really just did not understand:)

  • alize31_99@hotmail.com

    Don’t worry about clicking, here’s the list:

    Hip-Hop #5 – Notorious B.I.G.-17 million units
    Hip-Hop #4 – Nelly-21 million units
    Hip-Hop #3 – Outkast-22 million units
    Hip-Hop #2 – Jay-Z-27 million units
    Hip-Hop #1 – 2Pac-38.5 million units

    Pop/R&B #5 – R. Kelly-33.5 million units
    Pop/R&B #4 – Prince-39.5 million units
    Pop/R&B #3 – Whitney Houston-57 million units
    Pop/R&B #2 – Mariah Carey-63.5 million units
    Pop/R&B #1 – Michael Jackson-70.5 million units

    • Thamo

      Lmfao.

  • Meyaka

    Yes to all minus jay z .

  • http://twitter.com/MsRedboneBrite Tee Elyse

    YAYYYYY for Outkast!! I watched a documentary on Netflix the other day and they were talking to Outkast’s manager, basically following a day in the life of him to see what all he had to go through during the release of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below… it was definitely draining, but I’m proud to say that as a true fan of them, I bought that CD the day it was released and thoroughly enjoyed both albums! I miss them, wish they would drop another because hip hop is in dire need of some real music!!

  • realadulttalk

    This could have been a 2-page article!! I understand ads & clicks = money, but sometimes ya’ll get way too ridiculous. You literally had a one-liner about each artist but felt each one was worthy of a page?? Either do more work to make the clicks worthwhile or just make less clicks to make your site more desirable.

  • marie

    interesting article if I was able to read it. with 10 different pages to click on then 10 ads taking over my screen, it’s too frustrating to read! “Ain’t nobody got time for dat!”

    • Tamz

      And if I see Betty White and that ugly bootleg Baby Phat jacket pop up on my screen one mo ‘gain….!!!

  • afroveda

    I’d like to see the list, but I can’t make myself click through these links 10+ times.