This list includes albums that have sold more than 4 million copies in total in European countries. Another list includes albums with highest certification of IFPI Europe.
The best-selling album in Europe is ABBA’s compilation Gold – Greatest Hits with sales over 13 million copies in 22 countries.
Contents:
List of best-selling albums in Europe
Click to album to see sales by country.
List of best-selling albums in Europe accourding to IFPI (1994 – 2014)
Countries where IFPI Europe counts sales (as of 2014 год): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom.
| № | Artist | Album | Certification | Sales | Year release |
| 1 | ADELE | 21 | 10x Platinum | 10,000,000 | 2011 |
| 2 | CELINE DION | LET`S TALK ABOUT LOVE | 10x Platinum | 10,000,000 | 1997 |
| 3 | THE BEATLES | 1 | 9x Platinum | 9,000,000 | 2000 |
| 4 | AMY WINEHOUSE | BACK TO BLACK | 8x Platinum | 8,000,000 | 2006 |
| 5 | SPICE GIRLS | SPICE | 8x Platinum | 8,000,000 | 1996 |
| 6 | BON JOVI | CROSS ROAD | 8x Platinum | 8,000,000 | 1994 |
| 7 | NORAH JONES | COME AWAY WITH ME | 7x Platinum | 7,000,000 | 2002 |
| 8 | MADONNA | RAY OF LIGHT | 7x Platinum | 7,000,000 | 1998 |
| 9 | U2 | THE BEST OF 1980 – 1990 | 7x Platinum | 7,000,000 | 1998 |
| 10 | SHANIA TWAIN | COME ON OVER | 7x Platinum | 7,000,000 | 1997 |
| 11 | CELINE DION | FALLING INTO YOU | 7x Platinum | 7,000,000 | 1996 |
| 12 | ALANIS MORISSETTE | JAGGED LITTLE PILL | 7x Platinum | 7,000,000 | 1995 |
| 13 | JAMES BLUNT | BACK TO BEDLAM | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 2004 |
| 14 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | GREATEST HITS | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 2004 |
| 15 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | SWING WHEN YOU`RE WINNING | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 2001 |
| 16 | EMINEM | THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 2000 |
| 17 | SANTANA | SUPERNATURAL | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1999 |
| 18 | GEORGE MICHAEL | LADIES & GENTLEMEN – THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1998 |
| 19 | ANDREA BOCELLI | ROMANZA | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1997 |
| 20 | FUGEES | THE SCORE | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1996 |
| 21 | MICHAEL JACKSON | HISTORY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE BOOK I | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1995 |
| 22 | OASIS | (WHAT`S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1995 |
| 23 | THE CORRS | TALK ON CORNERS | 6x Platinum | 6,000,000 | 1995 |
| 24 | COLDPLAY | X&Y | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2005 |
| 25 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | INTENSIVE CARE | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2005 |
| 26 | DIDO | LIFE FOR RENT | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2003 |
| 27 | COLDPLAY | A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2002 |
| 28 | EMINEM | THE EMINEM SHOW | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2002 |
| 29 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | ESCAPOLOGY | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2002 |
| 30 | BARRY WHITE | THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2000 |
| 31 | MADONNA | MUSIC | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 2000 |
| 32 | CELINE DION | ALL THE WAY…A DECADE OF SONG | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1999 |
| 33 | DIDO | NO ANGEL | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1999 |
| 34 | PHIL COLLINS | HITS | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1998 |
| 35 | BACKSTREET BOYS | BACKSTREET`S BACK | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1997 |
| 36 | EROS RAMAZZOTTI | EROS | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1997 |
| 37 | SOUNDTRACK | TITANIC | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1997 |
| 38 | SPICE GIRLS | SPICEWORLD | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1997 |
| 39 | GEORGE MICHAEL | OLDER | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1996 |
| 40 | BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | GREATEST HITS | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1995 |
| 41 | CELINE DION | D`EUX | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1995 |
| 42 | ELTON JOHN | LOVE SONGS | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1995 |
| 43 | QUEEN | MADE IN HEAVEN | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1995 |
| 44 | THE CRANBERRIES | NO NEED TO ARGUE | 5x Platinum | 5,000,000 | 1994 |
| 45 | MICHAEL BUBLÉ | CRAZY LOVE | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2009 |
| 46 | DUFFY | ROCKFERRY | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2008 |
| 47 | LEONA LEWIS | SPIRIT | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2007 |
| 48 | MIKA | LIFE IN CARTOON MOTION | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2007 |
| 49 | MADONNA | CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2005 |
| 50 | GREEN DAY | AMERICAN IDIOT | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2004 |
| 51 | GUNS N` ROSES | GREATEST HITS | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2004 |
| 52 | KEANE | HOPES AND FEARS | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2004 |
| 53 | NORAH JONES | FEELS LIKE HOME | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2004 |
| 54 | SHAKIRA | LAUNDRY SERVICE | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2001 |
| 55 | ANASTACIA | NOT THAT KIND | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 56 | BRITNEY SPEARS | OOPS!…I DID IT AGAIN | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 57 | COLDPLAY | PARACHUTES | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 58 | LINKIN PARK | HYBRID THEORY | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 59 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | SING WHEN YOU`RE WINNING | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 60 | TEXAS | THE GREATEST HITS | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 61 | U2 | ALL THAT YOU CAN`T LEAVE BEHIND | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 2000 |
| 62 | BRITNEY SPEARS | …BABY ONE MORE TIME | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1999 |
| 63 | MOBY | PLAY | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1999 |
| 64 | RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS | CALIFORNICATION | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1999 |
| 65 | CHER | BELIEVE | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1998 |
| 66 | DIRE STRAITS | SULTANS OF SWING – THE VERY BEST OF | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1998 |
| 67 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | I`VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1998 |
| 68 | WHITNEY HOUSTON | MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1998 |
| 69 | AQUA | AQUARIUM | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1997 |
| 70 | THE VERVE | URBAN HYMNS | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1997 |
| 71 | EROS RAMAZZOTTI | DONDE HAY MUSICA / DOVE C`E MUSICA | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1996 |
| 72 | STING | FIELDS OF GOLD THE BEST OF 1984-1994 | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1994 |
| 73 | CELINE DION | THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE | 4x Platinum | 4,000,000 | 1993 |
Best-selling albums in Europe by year
These lists were published in Music & Media magazine.
| Year | Artist | Album | Sales |
| 1985 | Dire Straits | Brothers In Arms | 3,700,000 |
| 1986 | Madonna | True Blue | 3,500,000 |
| 1987 | Michael Jackson | Bad | 6,700,000 |
| 1988 | Michael Jackson | Bad | >3,000,000 |
| 1989 | Tracy Chapman | Tracy Chapman | >3,000,000 |
| 1990 | Phil Collins | But Seriously | 8,000,000 |
| 1991 | R.E.M, | Out Of Time | 3,000,000 |
| 1992 | Queen | Greatest Hits II | 5,500,000 |
| 1993 | Soundtrack | The Bodyguard | 8,000,000 |
| 1994 | Mariah Carey | Music Box | 6,000,000 |
| 1995 | Cranberries | No Need To Argue | 5,500,000 |
| 1996 | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill | 5,000,000 |
| 1997 | Spice Girls | Spice | 8,000,000 |
| 1998 | Celine Dion | Let’s Talk About Love | 6,000,000 |
| 1999 | Cher | Believe | 4,000,000 |
| 2000 | Santana | Supernatural | 5,000,000 |
| 2001 | Dido | No Angel | 4,000,000 |
| 2002 | Shakira | Laundry Service | 3,000,000 |
| 2003 | Norah Jones | Come Away With Me | >3,000,000 |
| 2004 | Norah Jones | Feels Like Home | 3,000,000 |
| 2005 | Green Day | American Idiot | >2,000,000 |
| 2006 | James Blunt | Back To Bedlam | >2,000,000 |
| 2007 | Nelly Furtado | Loose | >2,000,000 |
| 2008 | Amy Winehouse | Back to Black | >3,000,000 |
| 2009 | Lady Gaga | The Fame | ≈2,000,000 |
| 2010 | Lady Gaga | The Fame | ≈2,000,000 |
See also. Best-selling albums by country:
Asia & Africa:
Europe:
North & South America: