It's somewhat shockingto find out, for instance, that smooth-jazz saxophonistKenny G has sold more albums than Eminem, and that Garth Brooks has sold more than Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
After the Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday, we've updated this ranking the most successful acts in music history according to their total certified album units sold in the US (including streaming figures), as provided by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Check out the 50 best-selling music artists of all time by album sales:
50. Bon Jovi 34.5 million units
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49. Britney Spears 34.5 million units
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48. Dave Matthews Band 34.5 million units
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47. Queen 34.5 million units
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46. Def Leppard 35.5 million units
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45. Bob Dylan 36 million units
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44. Tupac Shakur 36.5 million units
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43. Backstreet Boys 37 million units
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42. Tim McGraw 37.5 million units
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41. Rod Stewart 38 million units
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40. Foreigner 38 million units
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39. Simon & Garfunkel 38.5 million units
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38. Chicago 38.5 million units
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37. Eric Clapton 40 million units
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36. Reba McEntire 41 million units
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35. Taylor Swift 43 million units
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34. Santana 43.5 million units
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33. Alan Jackson 43.5 million units
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32. Guns N Roses 44.5 million units
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31. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band 44.5 million units
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30. Eminem 46 million units
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29. Alabama 46.5 million units
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28. Kenny Rogers 47.5 million units
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27. Shania Twain 48 million units
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26. Kenny G 48 million units
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25. Journey 48 million units
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24. Neil Diamond 49.5 million units
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23. Celine Dion 50 million units
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22. U2 52 million units
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21. Fleetwood Mac 54.5 million units
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20. Van Halen 56.5 million units
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19. Whitney Houston 58.5 million units
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18. Metallica 63 million units
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17. Mariah Carey 64 million units
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16. Madonna 64.5 million units
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15. Bruce Springsteen 65.5 million units
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14. Aerosmith 66.5 million units
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13. The Rolling Stones 66.5 million units
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12. Barbra Streisand 68.5 million units
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11. George Strait 69 million units
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10. AC/DC 72 million units
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9. Pink Floyd 75 million units
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8. Elton John 78.5 million units
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7. Michael Jackson 84 million units
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6. Billy Joel 84.5 million units
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5. Led Zeppelin 111.5 million units
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4. Eagles 120 million units
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3. Elvis Presley 146.5 million units
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2. Garth Brooks 148 million units
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1. The Beatles 183 million units
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SEE ALSO: The best-selling album the year you were born