Ask Billboard
Recently on "Oprah" it was stated that Shania Twain was the top selling female artist of all time. I was shocked. I would have thought it would be Madonna or Barbra Streisand. This led to a fun discussion in our house, and we were wondering who the top five female and male artists are. Can you give us a definitive answer? Thanks! Zack Parsons
Hi Zack. The top selling female artist in the United States in the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991-present) is Celine Dion. She has sold 45.6 million units in America and is trailed by Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Britney Spears and Reba McEntire. The top five solo male artists, per SoundScan, are Garth Brooks, George Strait, Kenny G., Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw.
However, because SoundScan has only tracked sales since 1991, one has to look at the Recording Industry Association of America for a bigger picture. The RIAA is the organization that awards albums gold/ platinum/ diamond certifications depending on how many units an album has shipped to U.S. retailers. Also, the RIAA certifies multi-unit sets (such as double albums) often as multiple units, whereas SoundScan only counts a an album package (no matter how many discs are inside) as one unit.
Per the RIAA's Web site, the top selling female acts in the United States are Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. The top five male artists, according to the RIAA, are Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen. (Billboard)
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