Top-Selling Albums Through The Years 💿

What We're Showing

The top-selling album of the year from 2001 to 2023 by units sold.

Units sold include all physical formats (vinyl, cassette, CD) and paid full album downloads.

Figures come from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and are updated as of August 2024.

Key Takeaways

• British singer-songwriter Adele is one of the best-selling artists in the past two decades. Her past three albums: 21, 25, and 30, each sold the most units worldwide in their respective release years. Her top-selling album, 21–with hit singles like "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You"–won two years in a row.
• In recent years, album sales have become increasingly global, with Taiwanese (Jay Chou), Korean (Seventeen, BTS), and Japanese (ARASHI) artists recording top-selling albums.
• Popular films have also produced highly successful soundtrack albums, such as High School Musical, Frozen, and The Greatest Showman.