Using RIAA data, we ranked the best-selling artists of all time — including acts like The Beatles and Elvis Presley — by their number of platinum album sales. In the decades before streaming-era rules and digital downloads inflated album sales, platinum certification was more difficult for artists to obtain.
When an artist achieved platinum status back then — selling a million or more physical copies of an album — it took a more fervent effort from fans (who drove to record stores, found an album, and handed over their hard-earned cash for it), but many acts nonetheless reached platinum certification routinely.
Compiling RIAA data, we ranked the best-selling artists of all time by the number of platinum albums they’ve sold in the US.
While some of the results are surprising — country singer Garth Brooks, for instance, has the most diamond (or 10-times platinum) albums of all time with seven — the legendary acts sitting atop the list are ones you’d probably expect to see.
Here the 50 best-selling artists of all time, ranked by platinum album sales:
50. Prince — 11
Platinum albums: 11 Multi-platinum: 4 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Purple Rain” (13 million copies)
49. Bon Jovi — 11
Platinum albums: 11 Multi-platinum: 5 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Slippery When Wet” (12 million copies)
48. Eric Clapton — 11
Platinum albums: 11 Multi-platinum: 7 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: “Unplugged” target=”_blank” (10 million copies)
47. Kenny G — 11
Platinum albums: 11 Multi-platinum: 8 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: “Breathless” target=”_blank” (12 million copies)
46. John Mellencamp — 12
Platinum albums: 12 Multi-platinum: 5 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”American Fool” (5 million copies)
45. Toby Keith — 12
Platinum albums: 12 Multi-platinum: 5 Best-selling album: “Unleashed” target=”_blank” (4 million copies)
44. The Who — 12
Platinum albums: 12 Multi-platinum: 5 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Who’s Next” (3 million copies)
43. Queen — 12
Platinum albums: 12 Multi-platinum: 7 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits” (8 million copies)
42. Ozzy Osbourne — 12
Platinum albums: 12 Multi-platinum: 8 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Blizzard of Ozz” (4 million copies)
41. Barry Manilow — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 6 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Even Now” (3 million copies)
40. Linda Ronstadt — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 7 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits” (7 million copies)
39. Lynyrd Skynyrd — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 7 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Skynyrd’s Innyrds” (5 million copies)
38. John Denver — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 7 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”John Denver’s Greatest Hits” (9 million copies)
37. Jay-Z — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 8 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life” (5 million copies)
36. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 7 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits” (10 million copies)
35. Michael Jackson — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 9 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: “Thriller” target=”_blank” (33 million copies)
34. Metallica — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 11 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: “Metallica” target=”_blank” (16 million copies)
33. Van Halen — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 12 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”1984 (MCMLXXXIV)” (10 million copies)
32. The Eagles — 13
Platinum albums: 13 Multi-platinum: 11 Diamond: 3 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975″ (38 million copies)
31. Rush — 14
Platinum albums: 14 Multi-platinum: 3 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Rush In Rio” (7 million copies)
30. Kenny Chesney — 14
Platinum albums: 14 Multi-platinum: 5 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”When the Sun Goes Down” (4 million copies)
29. Dave Matthews Band — 14
Platinum albums: 14 Multi-platinum: 7 Best-selling album: “Crash” target=”_blank” (7 million copies)
27. The Doors — 14
Platinum albums: 14 Multi-platinum: 5 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Best of The Doors” (10 million copies)
28. James Taylor — 14
Platinum albums: 14 Multi-platinum: 5 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”James Taylor’s Greatest Hits” (11 million copies)
26. Mariah Carey — 14
Platinum albums: 14 Multi-platinum: 10 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Music Box” (10 million copies)
25. Willie Nelson — 15
Platinum albums: 15 Multi-platinum: 6 Best-selling album: “Stardust” target=”_blank” (5 million copies)
24. Bob Dylan — 15
Platinum albums: 15 Multi-platinum: 6 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits” (5 million copies)
23. Alan Jackson — 15
Platinum albums: 15 Multi-platinum: 8 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Greatest Hits Collection” (6 million copies)
22. Pink Floyd — 15
Platinum albums: 15 Multi-platinum: 12 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Wall” (23 million copies)
21. Luther Vandross — 16
Platinum albums: 16 Multi-platinum: 7 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Best of Luther Vandross” (3 million copies)
20. Kenny Rogers — 17
Platinum albums: 17 Multi-platinum: 7 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits” (12 million copies)
19. U2 — 17
Platinum albums: 17 Multi-platinum: 11 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Joshua Tree” (1o million copies)
18. Bruce Springsteen — 17
Platinum albums: 17 Multi-platinum: 11 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Born In The U.S.A.” (15 million copies)
17. Billy Joel — 17
Platinum albums: 17 Multi-platinum: 12 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II” (23 million copies)
16. Madonna — 17
Platinum albums: 17 Multi-platinum: 12 Diamond: 2 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Like A Virgin” (10 million copies)
15. Chicago — 18
Platinum albums: 18 Multi-platinum: 8 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Chicago 17″ (6 million copies)
14. Aerosmith — 18
Platinum albums: 18 Multi-platinum: 12 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits” (11 million copies)
13. Led Zeppelin — 18
Platinum albums: 18 Multi-platinum: 14 Diamond: 5 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Led Zeppelin IV” (23 million copies)
12. Reba McEntire — 19
Platinum albums: 19 Multi-platinum: 9 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits, Volume II” (5 million copies)
11. Rod Stewart — 19
Platinum albums: 19 Multi-platinum: 10 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Foot Loose & Fancy Free” (3 million copies)
10. Alabama — 20
Platinum albums: 20 Multi-platinum: 10 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Mountain Music” (5 million copies)
9. AC/DC — 20
Platinum albums: 20 Multi-platinum: 12 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Back In Black” (22 million copies)
8. Neil Diamond — 21
Platinum albums: 21 Multi-platinum: 12 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Jazz Singer” (5 million copies)
7. Elton John — 27
Platinum albums: 27 Multi-platinum: 14 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits” (17 million copies)
6. The Rolling Stones — 28
Platinum albums: 28 Multi-platinum: 11 Diamond: 1 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Four Flicks” (19 million copies)
5. Barbra Streisand — 30
Platinum albums: 30 Multi-platinum: 12 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Greatest Hits Volume II” (5 million copies)
4. Garth Brooks — 30
Platinum albums: 30 Multi-platinum: 16 Diamond: 7 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Double Live” (21 million copies)
3. George Strait — 33
Platinum albums: 33 Multi-platinum: 13 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”Strait Out Of The Box” (8 million copies)
2. The Beatles — 42
Platinum albums: 42 Multi-platinum: 26 Diamond: 6 Best-selling album: ” target=”_blank”The Beatles (The White Album)” (19 million copies)
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Tech: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time, ranked by platinum albums
