Contributed by StilettoSadist:
During an online chat hosted by billboard.com, Keith Caulfield was asked, “Who has sold the most albums – Mariah Carey or Madonna.” Keith answered, “If we are going strictly by album and single sales, we don’t have a way of getting an exact figure for both artists. Nielsen SoundScan, our sister company that was established in 1991, tracks U.S. music sales. Unfortunately, because a good chunk of Madonna’s career (and a sliver of Carey’s) pre-dates 1991, we don’t have a complete sales record for either of them. Additionally, there is no sole independent firm, like SoundScan, that tabulates global sales. So, establishing how much each has sold worldwide is out, too.”