Before "Thriller" and "Dark Side of the Moon" came along, what was the best selling album ever?

Just read a short article that when Thriller first took the title (for keeps), Dark Side of the Moon was the previous biggest selling album in the world.

With that in mind, which albums were at the top during the rock era? It's hard to find anything out there that thoroughly documents the succession of "biggest selling album in the world."

 

Global sales fushion started in 1982 or something, didn't it? In the 60s-70s it was still more 'local' and more difficult to get an overiew? Well, i don't know... but interesting question, I'll be

 

wasn't Abba's Greatest Hits No.1 album from 1976-1980?

 

I think Carole King's Tapestry was the biggest selling album by a single artist until Thriller came along.

 

I was going to say that. I'd also say it's far better album than Thriller too (well, in my opinion anyway).

 

"The Sound of Music"?

 

I doubt there will be a definitive answer for this - I'm just not sure anyone was truly keeping tally back then (or how accurate it was if they were keeping track). I would guess Sgt Pepper (not the soundtrack album) was top for a while though.

Just a thought. Were gold, silver and platinum records awarded back then (I assume we're talking about the 1950s and 1960s)? I'm sure they were. It might give us a clue if anyone can find that info.

 

I would think Led Zeppelin IV and Sgt. Pepper would be in that area.

 

Led Zeppelin IV?

 

Frampton Comes Alive 1976.

 

I also prefer Tapestry over Thriller, but it's 2 different styles. Both albums were virtually instant "best ofs" with several of the tracks being released as hit singles. That boosted their sales considerably.

 

And it's still the top selling live album in recorded music history.

 

I think I heard Casey Kasem say that Saturday Night Fever replaced Tapestry as the biggest seller in a 1978 episode of AT40. I doubt it outsold Rumours by that time (maybe worldwide). I do think Rumours currently has more US sales than SNF.

 

I found this from RIAA. Interesting. And some surprises...

Gold & Platinum - RIAA »

 

Best bets:

The Sound of Music
Tapestry
Saturday Night Fever

Shame that we didn't multiplatinum awards until 1984.

Prior to that, you had to rely on the record label's press statements.

 

Surely an album with 1976 in the title wouldn't have come out before Dark Side Of The Moon?

 

A lot of these titles achieved massive sales in the CD era, i.e., after Thriller was released. Something like Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water must have had massive sales before CDs were released because original pressings are easy to find.

 

I'm guessing that's for the U.S alone? Tapestry has sold over 25 million copies worldwide but I noticed it shows 10 million there.

 

True, but before Frampton Comes Alive was declared the best selling album of all time, Tapestry held the record. Dark Side of the Moon didn't become the best selling album until later (I think so at least).

 

My point was best selling Live album of all time.

 

I've never heard that being the best selling album ever at any point. Wouldn't that be the best selling live album?

Edit: It has an estimated 11 million worldwide sales (I just looked).

 

A couple of people mentioned "Sgt. Pepper's...", but that wasn't even the biggest selling Beatles album.
The biggest selling Beatles album is what's known as "The White Album".

 

Probably posted somewhere here before but its a pretty cool visual

List and picture of all number 1 albums since 1946

Musicians do not dominate sales in America like they did in the past · Datavizz »

 

Good. It's a better album.