The following is a list of the best-selling albums in the United States based on RIAA certification and Nielsen SoundScan sales tracking. The criteria are that the album must have been published (including self-publishing by the artist), and the album must have achieved at least a diamond certification from the RIAA. The albums released prior to March 1991 should be included with their certified units only, as their Nielsen SoundScan sales are not complete.
Since February 2016, album certifications include "on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent" units.[1]
Groupings are based on different benchmarks; the highest being for at least 20 million units, and the lowest being for multi-disc albums certified at least 10 times platinum and single-disc albums that have been certified at least 10 times platinum but with sales figures lower than 10,000,000. Albums are listed in order of units certified, or sales figures when available, by greatest to least.
As a result of the RIAA's methodology of counting each disc in a multi-disc set as one unit toward certification, most double albums on the list—such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below—have been certified with a number double the number of copies sold. Such albums have the shipments of copies, not discs, indicated. Conversely, the certification level for double albums that fit onto one compact disc such as the Saturday Night Feversoundtrack reflect the actual number of copies sold.
The albums in this list are ordered first by number of units, then by platinum awards received, and finally by artist name and album title.
Albums with two references for their estimated actual sales include sales through BMG Music Club. Albums with three references for their estimated actual sales include sales through BMG Music Club and Columbia House.
†Only includes sales tracked by Nielsen SoundScan since March 1, 1991 and BMG Music Club sales, where available.[51] When tracking began, Nielsen SoundScan only had about 40% coverage of album sales.[52] SoundScan initially did not track albums sold in supermarkets, and never tracked those sold through mail-order music clubs such as Columbia House or BMG Music Club.[53][54]
‡Album certifications from February 1, 2016 onward include "on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent."[1]
^"RIAA Gold & Platinum" Dookie Sold 20 Million Units as of 20 September 2024 https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=dookie#search_section Retrieved 2024-09-20
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