The best selling album in 2012 in Worldwide was 21 by ADELE which sold 8,300,000 copies.
| Rank | Artist | Album | Sales | Released |
| 1 |
ADELE |
21 |
8,300,000 |
2011 |
| 2 |
TAYLOR SWIFT |
RED |
5,200,000 |
2012 |
| 3 |
ONE DIRECTION |
UP ALL NIGHT |
4,300,000 |
2011 |
| 4 |
ONE DIRECTION |
TAKE ME HOME |
4,400,000 |
2012 |
| 5 |
LANA DEL REY |
BORN TO DIE |
3,400,000 |
2012 |
| 6 |
JUSTIN BIEBER |
BELIEVE |
3,000,000 |
2012 |
| 7 |
P!NK |
THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE |
2,600,000 |
2012 |
| 8 |
ROD STEWART |
MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY |
2,600,000 |
2012 |
| 9 |
RIHANNA |
UNAPOLOGETIC |
2,300,000 |
2012 |
| 10 |
MUMFORD & SONS |
BABEL |
2,300,000 |
2012 |
| 11 |
MAROON 5 |
OVEREXPOSED |
2,200,000 |
2012 |
| 12 |
MADONNA |
MDNA |
1,800,000 |
2012 |
| 13 |
LED ZEPPELIN |
CELEBRATION DAY |
1,800,000 |
2012 |
| 14 |
FUN. |
SOME NIGHTS |
1,800,000 |
2012 |
| 15 |
ED SHEERAN |
+ |
1,700,000 |
2011 |
| 16 |
GOTYE |
MAKING MIRRORS |
1,700,000 |
2011 |
| 17 |
BRUNO MARS |
UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX |
1,700,000 |
2012 |
| 18 |
EMELI SANDE |
OUR VERSION OF EVENTS |
1,700,000 |
2012 |
| 19 |
LINKIN PARK |
LIVING THINGS |
1,700,000 |
2012 |
| 20 |
NOW SERIES (UK) |
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! 83 |
1,600,000 |
2012 |
| 21 |
MUSE |
THE 2ND LAW |
1,600,000 |
2012 |
| 22 |
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN |
WRECKING BALL |
1,500,000 |
2012 |
| 23 |
LIONEL RICHIE |
TUSKEGEE |
1,300,000 |
2012 |
| 24 |
ADELE |
19 |
1,300,000 |
2008 |
| 25 |
NICKI MINAJ |
PINK FRIDAY: ROMAN RELOADED |
1,400,000 |
2012 |
| 26 |
CARRIE UNDERWOOD |
BLOWN AWAY |
1,400,000 |
2012 |
| 27 |
THE ROLLING STONES |
GRRR! |
1,400,000 |
2012 |
| 28 |
MICHAEL BUBLÉ |
CHRISTMAS |
1,300,000 |
2011 |
| 29 |
MR. CHILDREN |
MR.CHILDREN 2005-2010 ＜MACRO＞ |
1,300,000 |
2012 |
| 30 |
THE BLACK KEYS |
EL CAMINO |
1,300,000 |
2011 |
| 31 |
COLDPLAY |
MYLO XYLOTO |
1,300,000 |
2011 |
| 32 |
ALICIA KEYS |
GIRL ON FIRE |
1,300,000 |
2012 |
| 33 |
MR. CHILDREN |
MR.CHILDREN 2001-2005 ＜MICRO＞ |
1,300,000 |
2012 |
| 34 |
AKB48 |
1830M |
1,300,000 |
2012 |
| 35 |
LUKE BRYAN |
TAILGATES & TANLINES |
1,200,000 |
2011 |
| 36 |
ROBBIE WILLIAMS |
TAKE THE CROWN |
1,200,000 |
2012 |
| 37 |
COLDPLAY |
LIVE 2012 |
1,100,000 |
2012 |
| 38 |
DAVID GUETTA |
NOTHING BUT THE BEAT |
1,100,000 |
2011 |
| 39 |
LMFAO |
SORRY FOR PARTY ROCKING |
1,100,000 |
2011 |
| 40 |
KOBUKURO (コブクロ) |
ALL SINGLES BEST 2 |
1,100,000 |
2012 |
| 41 |
OF MONSTERS & MEN |
MY HEAD IS AN ANIMAL |
1,100,000 |
2011 |
| 42 |
CELINE DION |
SANS ATTENDRE |
1,100,000 |
2012 |
| 43 |
GREEN DAY |
UNO |
1,100,000 |
2012 |
| 44 |
NORAH JONES |
LITTLE BROKEN HEARTS |
1,000,000 |
2012 |
| 45 |
THE KILLERS |
BATTLE BORN |
1,000,000 |
2012 |
| 46 |
WHITNEY HOUSTON |
WHITNEY: THE GREATEST HITS |
1,000,000 |
2000 |
| 47 |
BRUNO MARS |
DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS |
1,000,000 |
2010 |
| 48 |
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE |
CEREMONIALS |
1,000,000 |
2011 |
| 49 |
MR. CHILDREN |
[(AN IMITATION) BLOOD ORANGE] |
1,000,000 |
2012 |
| 50 |
KATY PERRY |
THE COMPLETE CONFECTION |
1,000,000 |
2012 |
Source: IFPI Global Music Report
