Biggest Selling Artists (2000-2005)

Contributed anonymously:

Elvis or the Beatles were probably the Biggest Selling Acts of the 20th century. Madonna is the biggest selling female artist of the 20th century but Mariah was awarded ‘Biggest Selling Female of the Millennium’ because Madge didn’t reply to the World Music Awards invitation (this was confirmed through E-mail by the World Music Awards). Anyways, it’s nice to be acquainted with the top contenders for “Biggest Selling Artist of the 21st Century”.

Ranking according to actual album sales (not shipments):

This list does not including catalog sales. Studio Albums were considered because they are the bulk of artist’s sales & catalog sales figures are too ambiguous to compile. Only albums released after the year 2000 have been included under the listed artists.

*Note: Only actively recording artists were included (e.g. even though Elvis & the Beatles released compilation albums that might have qualified them in the list they weren’t included for the tracks in the albums were already part of their catalogs).

Ranking according to actual album sales (not shipments):

1. Eminem: (TOTAL = 58 million)
Marshal Mather’s LP = 18 million
Eminem Show = 18 million
8-Mile Soundtrack = 8 million
Encore = 9 million
Curtain Call: The Greatest Hits= 5 million

2. Britney Spears: (TOTAL = 46 million)
Oops = 20 million
Britney = 11 million
In The Zone = 8 million
GH: MP = 7 million

3. Backstreet Boys: (TOTAL = 34 million)
Black & Blue: 24 million
Greatest Hits: 8 million
Never Gone: 2 million

4. Madonna: (TOTAL = 32.2 million)
Music: 13 million
American Life: 5 million
GHV2 = 7 million
Remixed & Revisited = 0.5 million
COADF = 6.7 million

5. Norah Jones : (TOTAL = 31 million)
Come Away With Me = 21 million
Feels Like Home = 10 m

6. Jennifer Lopez : (TOTAL = 30.5 million)
JLO = 15 million
J to tha LO = 5 million
This is me-then = 7 million
Rebirth = 3.5 million

7. Linkin Park (30 million)
Hybrid Theory = 19 million
Meteora = 9 million
Live In Texas = .5 million
Collision Course (with Jay-Z) = 1.5 million

8. Robbie Williams (Europe Based) (TOTAL = 29 million)
Sing When You’re Winning = 4.5 million
Swing When You’re Winning = 5 million
Escapology = 6.5 million
Live At Knebworth = 1.5 million
Greatest Hits = 6 million
Intensive Care = 5 million

9. -N Sync (TOTAL = 28.5 million)
No Strings Attached = 15 million
Celebrity = 13 million
Greatest Hits = 0.5 million

10. Avril Lavigne: (TOTAL = 24 million)
Let Go = 15 million
Under My Skin = 9 million

11. Kylie Minogue (TOTAL = 23 million)
Light Years = 2 million
Fever = 17.5 million
Body language = 2 million
Ultimate Kylie (Greatest Hits) = 2 million

13. Mariah Carey: (TOTAL = 22 million)
Charmbracelet = 2.5 million
Glitter = 3.5 million
Remixes = 1 million
Greatest Hits = 3 million x 2 = 6 million (dual-disk)
TEOM = 9 million

13. Christina Aguilera: (TOTAL = 21.5 million)
Mi Reflejo = 5 million
My Kind Of Christmas = 3.5 million
Just Be Free = 1 million
Stripped = 12 million

14. U2: (TOTAL = 21 million)
All That You Can’t Leave Behind = 11 million
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb = 10 million

15. Alicia Keys (TOTAL = 20.5 million)
Songs In A Minor = 11 million
The Diary Of Alicia Keys = 8 million
Unplugged = 1.5 million