This is a list of the best-selling albums of the 21st century to date based on
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
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 shipped at least 10 million units starting from January 1, 2001.
Units sold include
physical copies and
digital downloads.
30 million copies or more
20–29 million copies
13–19 million copies
10–12 million copies
Best-selling album by year
The charts of the best-selling albums by year in the world are compiled by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) annually since 2001. These charts are published in their two annual reports, the ''Digital Music Report'' and the ''Recording Industry in Numbers''. Both the ''Digital Music Report'' and the ''Recording Industry in Numbers'' were replaced in 2016 by the ''Global Music Report''.
In 2022, for sales of albums in 2021, IFPI reported three formats of sales chart, the Global all-format chart which includes all physical sales ,digital downloads and streaming numbers, newly created Global vinyl album chart counting vinyl physical sales, combination of physical sales and digital downloads as Global album sales chart. Adele's 30 topped the newly created Global Vinyl Album Chart with sales standing at 862k and Global Album Sales Chart with sales standing at 4.6 million, totaling the pure sales over 5.5 million. IFPI has never revealed the total units in Global all-format chart.
See also
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List of best-selling albums
This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music. To appear on the list, the figure must have been published by a reliable source and the album must have sold at least 20 million copies. This list can contain any types of al ...
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List of best-selling albums in the United States
This 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 ...
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List of best-selling albums by country
The following is a list of best-selling albums by country. Depends on the measurement, record sales of albums are taken by estimations or certifications.
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Burki ...
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List of best-selling music artists
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List of best-selling singles
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, new ...
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List of best-selling albums by year in the United States
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List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States
Since July 1993, ''Billboard'' has published the best-selling Latin albums in the United States on the Top Latin Albums chart. Latin music is defined by ''Billboard'' and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as a music release wi ...
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IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year
References
{{Lists of best-selling albums
Best-selling albums
Best-selling albums
21st century
The 21st (twenty-first) century is the current century in the ''Anno Domini'' era or Common Era, under the Gregorian calendar. It began on 1 January 2001 ( MMI) and will end on 31 December 2100 ( MMC).
Marking the beginning of the 21st centur ...