These Are The Top-Selling Albums Of The 21st Century

These Are The Top-Selling Albums Of The 21st Century

The music industry is a rapidly changing space, with new formats like digital streaming surpassing physical formats like CDs.

Regardless, album sales - both physical and digital - are still a key measure of popularity, especially for certain genres and fan bases that prioritize album purchases.

This visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, shows the top-selling album of the year from 2001 to 2023 by number of units sold. Units sold include all physical formats (vinyl, cassette, CD) and paid full album downloads.

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

Top Albums by Units Sold, 2001 to 2023

Below, we list the top-selling album each year from 2001 to 2023, showing how Adele is the most dominant musician on this front over the past 23 years.

Year Album Artist Units sold* 2023 SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album 'FML' SEVENTEEN 6,400,000 2022 Greatest Works of Art Jay Chou 7,500,000 2021 30 Adele 4,700,000 2020 MAP OF THE SOUL 7 BTS 4,800,000 2019 5×20 All the BEST!! 1999-2019 ARASHI 3,300,000 2018 The Greatest Showman OST Various Artists 3,500,000 2017 ÷ Ed Sheeran 6,100,000 2016 Lemonade Beyoncé 2,500,000 2015 25 Adele 17,400,000 2014 Frozen Various Artists 10,000,000 2013 Midnight Memories One Direction 4,000,000 2012 21 Adele 8,300,000 2011 21 Adele 18,100,000 2010 Recovery Eminem 6,000,000 2009 I Dreamed A Dream Susan Boyle 8,300,000 2008 Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends Coldplay 6,800,000 2007 High School Musical 2 Various Artists 6,300,000 2006 High School Musical Various Artists 5,300,000 2005 X & Y Coldplay 8,300,000 2004 Confessions Usher 12,000,000 2003 Come Away With Me Norah Jones 10,500,000 2002 The Eminem Show Eminem 13,900,000 2001 HYBRID THEORY LINKIN PARK 8,800,000

*Includes CDs, vinyl, cassettes, and paid full album downloads.

British singer-songwriter Adele is one of the best-selling artists in the past two decades, with her past three albums: 21, 25, and 30, each top-sellers 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. It is the best-selling album of all-time in the United Kingdom.

In recent years, album sales have become increasingly global, with Taiwanese (Jay Chou), Korean (Seventeen, BTS), and Japanese (ARASHI) artists recording top-selling albums.

In 2023, 19 of the top 20 albums on the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart came from South Korean acts. The only non-Korean album among the top 20 was Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

South Korea’s album sales are driven by the popularity of K-pop albums, which feature extensive photobooks, posters, photocards, and other collectible content, making physical copies highly sought after due to their innovative packaging and exclusive keepsake value.

Additionally, popular films have also produced highly successful soundtrack albums, such as High School Musical, Frozen, and The Greatest Showman.

To learn more about the music industry, check out this graphic that shows the world’s largest music streaming platforms globally, by market share as of 2023.

Tyler Durden Sat, 09/21/2024 - 20:25