Jason English
The Best-Selling Albums of All-Time (Plus #198)
by Jason English - October 23, 2006 - 7:11 AM

I always thought Frampton Comes Alive was one of the all-time best-selling albums. And I’m not alone. Consider this quote, by Wayne Campbell in Wayne’s World 2: “Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide.”

By “everybody,” Wayne meant 6 million people in the U.S. (and 16 million worldwide). This is according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s Top Albums, and good enough to be #198. From that list, here’s some light trivia for a Monday morning:
eaglesgreatesthits.jpg

The #1 album is from the Eagles — Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 was released in 1976 and sold 29 million copies. Eagles Greatest Hits, Volume 2 came out in 1982 and sold a paltry 11 million copies, landing all the way down at #55.

Here’s the rest of the top ten: 2. Michael Jackson, Thriller (27 million, 1982); 3. Led Zeppelin, Untitled (a.k.a. Led Zeppelin IV, 23 million, 1971); 4. Pink Floyd, The Wall (23 million, 1979), 5. AC/DC, Back in Black (21 million, 1980); 6. Billy Joel, Greatest Hits, Vol. I & II (21 million, 1985); 7. Shania Twain, Come on Over (20 million, 1997); 8. Garth Brooks, Double Live (20 million, 1998); 9. The Beatles, The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album, 19 million, 1968); 10. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (19 million, 1977).

Frampton Comes Alive is no longer even the best-selling live album. Garth Brooks owns that distinction, for 1998′s Double Live (20 million copies). Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s 1986 Live moved 13 million units. Throwing Copper, a studio album by Live, ranks 138th (8 million).

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Comments (34)

  1. The Wall, IV, The Beatles, Come on Over. One of these is not like the others. Sigh.

    posted by Becky on 10-23-2006 at 10:46 am

  2. Yeah – how true, Led Zep suck…..

    posted by Neil on 10-23-2006 at 12:51 pm

  3. The Eagles album is a greatest hits package, though I like it very much. Thriller is pop music. Thus, the top selling true rock album of all time is fittingly by the absolute greatest band of all time. Oh Neil, that would be Led Zeppelin IV by the mighty Led Zeppelin.

    posted by bobby on 12-31-2006 at 2:41 pm

  4. Becky:

    Keep in mind that although the masses deem something extremely important, you must always remember that they are mostly empty-headed sheep who deemed it important because someone told them so. :)

    Although the Eagles are an incredibly talented rock band, they definitely pale in comparison to many of the true musical masters of our time (Zepplin, Floyd, The Beatles, etc. ).

    That’s my $0.2

    posted by Dan on 4-23-2007 at 10:10 am

  5. what about guns and roses apetite for distruction?

    posted by rick campbell on 4-23-2007 at 12:31 pm

  6. I’m so disappointed. I was sure it was the 1969 all time classic:
    “Sugar Sugar” by the Archies

    Who cares? but I do miss vinyl.

    posted by Fred Flinstones on 5-23-2007 at 12:26 am

  7. The White Album, Garth Brooks and Billy Joel’s albums have actually sold half that amount because they double the number if it’s a double-album.

    posted by billstevejim on 5-23-2007 at 11:25 am

  8. My God!?! The horror! How dare they omit the great Milli Vanilli?? I can understand the oversight of Vanilla Ice, but THE Milli Vanilli?

    \Vanilla? Another way of saying plain?
    \\Any correlation? I think not?
    \\\Still loves me some bad muzak or not.

    posted by Skot on 5-24-2007 at 9:57 am

  9. The Beatles are more serving of that #1 spot. That is not even a real album ether it its a greatest hits album it shouldnt even count

    posted by John on 12-2-2007 at 12:33 am

  10. Uh actually. The eagles are one million or more behind MJ’s “Thriller”. I understand how you white people love to try and diminish black artists legacy’s and work. but no matter how hard you try. you can’t erase what we have done. get your facts straight.

    posted by Dee on 1-23-2008 at 10:23 pm

  11. Yep, that sounds like the strategy, Dee. “Let’s diminish the legacy of black artists.” That must have been this guy’s plan when he reported these figures. And “we”? What did “you” have to do with it?

    posted by Keith on 1-23-2008 at 10:30 pm

  12. Actually Dee, the Eagles GHV1 passed Thriller in 1997. The Eagles Hell Freezes Over Tour and subsequent album & video pushed the GHV1 album back up the charts again until it passed Thriller. Also, the 90′s were not kind to Michael & his album sales, which contributed to his falling to 2nd place. BTW, no one’s trying to diminish what Michael or anyone else has done. Remember, for a time, Home Alone was the biggest movie of all time. Did that diminish Hepburn, Brando etc? I think not…

    posted by Jeff on 1-24-2008 at 12:35 am

  13. B day Beyonce Damn want a album. rocking

    posted by Oyama on 1-24-2008 at 5:29 am

  14. what about tlc’s crazysexycool 11 million!

    posted by yrollam on 1-24-2008 at 1:56 pm

  15. Sorry Dee from one brother to another I think Jeff is right. The article is based on record sales…so I don’t think it’s a conspiracy against Black Artists. Plus….that Eagles’ album was a monster hit…..I have it myself. Yet I’m “Old School R&B” and for me Marvin Gaye’s “Whats Going On” is the best…of R&B any way…..smile!

    PEACE

    posted by Marvin on 1-24-2008 at 2:39 pm

  16. I think that the Shop Boyz’s album you know-Party Like A Rockstar! Well everyone had that cd so i think its the most popular.

    posted by Jade on 1-24-2008 at 2:52 pm

  17. I have it from insiders that “Dee” is a self-loathing white person who only plays black on the internet. Word up, my brutha.

    posted by Morgan Wright on 1-24-2008 at 3:01 pm

  18. I feel Michael is to blame for his diminished sales……what a wreck….Never got the Beatles…Zep belongs….Aerosmith “Rocks” ? Pearl Jam “Ten”? Gotta be up there…..

    posted by Loce on 1-24-2008 at 3:04 pm

  19. Hey, how are all of you guys finding this post? Was this part of some trivia contest? Since yesterday, over 1,000 people have entered our site through a google search of “worst selling albums of all time.”

    Just curious.

    posted by Jason on 1-24-2008 at 3:17 pm

  20. Uh Dee, Thriller was nothing more than a rip-off of Alice Cooper’s Welcome To My Nightmare. He too made lots of videos, before they were even fashionable, and had one of his best friends, Vincent Price both on the album, and in the TV version.

    posted by ysbaddaden on 1-24-2008 at 3:24 pm

  21. Where is Elvis or Sinatra? Hard to believe Billy Joel is on the list ahead of them.

    posted by Pete on 1-24-2008 at 3:37 pm

  22. Dee, Michael is white (or at least he is trying to be).

    posted by Laura on 1-24-2008 at 3:48 pm

  23. Jason, There is a link called Worst Selling albums of all time on Yahoo’s home page, and it takes you to a list of sites that have Worst Albums of all time, this site being one of them close to the top. Condradulations!!

    posted by Mike Procter on 1-24-2008 at 3:53 pm

  24. Billy has every right to be in there, so do all of the others. Obviously people love them thats why they’ve sold so many albums. The list isnt one guys opinion, its a fact. By the way, I think everyone found this because there was an article about worst selling albums and this was the first one that came up in the search

    posted by john on 1-24-2008 at 4:01 pm

  25. Jason wrote:
    “Hey, how are all of you guys finding this post? ….
    …Just curious.”

    It is because of the pointless front-page Yahoo article about Alicia Keys’ dismal new album sales, at #1 on the charts.
    So, I was just curious too. lol
    Search query for “worsts” turns up this ONE “greatests” article near the top of page.

    Oh yeah,
    >To those above who stated Led Zep as the ‘best’….Right on!!

    >Eagles?? slightly over-rated, and sticking around too long
    >Pink Floyd?? Sorry, they are NOT good cruisin’ music.
    >M. Jackson?? Ruined his own legacy, sadly….ppffhhhppt

    These acts get to be on the statistical list, yea sure, but Led Zeppelin IV is the TRUE iron-man album of them all.
    Overall, the band’s songlist is too abundant, full of variety(except disco lol), and lasting the test of time. The album IV alone summarizes that to great degree.

    As for the “everybody has Frampton” comment…I think Wayne meant that everybody who ‘matters’ …has that album. LOL

    posted by Duuuude on 1-24-2008 at 4:06 pm

  26. Thanks for the info on the Yahoo! link. Carry on!

    posted by Jason on 1-24-2008 at 4:17 pm

  27. I’m with you John, “The Beatles are more serving of that #1 spot. That is not even a real album ether it its a greatest hits album it shouldnt even count”, but I think we both’d agree; If Beatles 1 was #1, we wouldn’t say a word.

    posted by debjorgo on 1-24-2008 at 6:36 pm

  28. Euhh I think it was proved that jackson has a skin desease…
    And he sold 104 millions copies, it is official.
    He is number 1

    posted by MAHER on 2-12-2008 at 5:19 pm

  29. What about Def Leppard’s Hysteria? And Pyromania? Over 10 million copies in the US alone of each.. They deserve abit of credit..

    posted by Ericcccccccc on 5-10-2008 at 4:57 am

  30. When AC/DC came out with Black Ice this year (2008) I predict that Black in Black will move up surpassing anything
    in it’s path.Side note:I named my Cat Angus and he’s Black ,yes he’s black yes’He’s black He’s Angus the cat.

    posted by Rich Banfield on 1-14-2009 at 9:47 pm

  31. Get ready for Thriller to take the #1 spot. Dead men sell more records than living.

    posted by Nation on 6-25-2009 at 7:04 pm

  32. Nation: Actually Thriller is by far the #1 Album in worldwide sales. Eagles are for US sales.

    Sad to see Michael go. Whatever craziness his life was, he made music that all of us in this generation loved and got down to. Who hasn’t boogied to Billie Jean

    Fun stuff, not a lot of depth. For that I’ll take Bob Marley, Fleetwood, and Dire Straits.

    posted by Yonkel on 6-25-2009 at 11:24 pm

  33. THE EAGLES ARE THE GREATEST MUSICIANS OF ALL TIME. NO SONG THEY’VE WRITTEN SOUNDS ALIKE. THEIR TALENT SINGING, PLAYING, WRITING, HARMONIZING IS THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST. REPEAT…NO ONE EVEN IS IN THEIR LEAGUE.

    posted by Larry G Sullens on 6-26-2009 at 12:08 am

  34. Yonkel: I agree with you 100%. Billy Jean still makes me move!

    posted by Nation on 6-26-2009 at 2:33 am

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