The Top Twenty Albums Site

The Top Twenty Albums Website

people have been enlightened since December 18th, 1999, including you.

This site is simply a list of the current top twenty bestselling albums in history. I hope you find this page informative and witty, just as Homer Simpson finds Ted Koppel. This page is run by Michael Allen of St. Louis, MO. I owe all of my information to the author(s) of http://hometown.aol.com/PaulHry/music/riaa.html. I'm sorry the albums' sales aren't more specific; as it is, they're all listed by the number of times they went platinum. The stats here come courtesy of the Record Industry Association of America. If you know of any albums that should be on this list but for some reason are not, see any blatant mistakes or that I made or just have some comments about my site, then please, by all means sign my guestbook. (And if you sign my guestbook, please tell me how you found out about this site.)

This page is always under construction!

Last updated 1/25/01

By the way, if you know of any place where I can get some nice big pictures of these albums' covers that I can paste onto this page, please post a message.

#1
Eagles: Their Greatest Hits
The Eagles
Asylum, 1976
27 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
I'm surprised anything trumped the mighty Thriller, let alone a greatest hits album. The advantage of greatest hits albums is that they're less inconsistent than normal albums; the only drawback is that by listening only to greatest hits albums you miss some underappreciated gems that you might otherwise find. You be the judge. This particular greatest hits record is a very good one, since the Eagles are such a great band.
#2
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Epic, 1982
26 Million
Peaked at #1
The blockbuster album by which all other blockbuster albums are measured. Just about every song on Jackson's pop opus became a monster hit and the album stayed on the charts seemingly forever. Despite my usual distaste for pop albums, I really like Michael Jackson's.
#3
The Wall
Pink Floyd
Columbia, 1979
23 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
The consummation of all that Pink Floyd hoped to achieve, this album was one of the first true "rock operas", in the tradition of the Who's Tommy. It runs in a perfect loop and can be heard as one long self-reference, pulling pieces of music from all of the band's previous albums--fitting, as it was the last record that Floyd would make with frontman Roger Waters. Yielding many a hit, including "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)", "Mother" and "Comfortably Numb", it was made into a popular, very bizarre film a few years later. Also notable for a famous backmasked message included in the beginning of "Empty Spaces".
#4
IV (a.k.a. ZoSo)
Led Zeppelin
Atlantic, 1971
22 Times Platinum
Peaked at #2
Actually, this killer Zep album was released without a true title or even the name of the band on the sleeve, just some cryptic symbols inside (see above). Led Zeppelin released some great albums, but this is probably the best and obviously the most popular. Its trip up the charts was helped by singles like "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll" and the most-frequently played song in the history of radio, "Stairway to Heaven".
#5
Greatest Hits Vols. I & II
Billy Joel
Columbia, 1985
21 Times Platinum
Peaked at #6
Basically the same scenario as the Eagles' greatest hits album: a great musician who wrote some great songs. This one, however, comes with a neat biographical booklet.
#6
Rumours

Fleetwood Mac
Reprise, 1977
18 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
As far as pop albums go, it's hard to beat records like this classic. Rumours features a lot of songs that have since become fixtures of many a classic rock station, including "Dreams", "Go Your Own Way", "The Chain" and "You Make Loving Fun", as well as "Don't Stop", which got a little extra airplay when Bill Clinton used it as his campaign theme song in 1992. Beautiful music that makes for a very good listen.
#7
The Beatles
The Beatles
Apple, 1968
18 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
Commonly referred to as The White Album, this mainly-acoustic opus was written mostly while the Beatles were in India studying under the Maharishi Mehesh Yogi. It features some great silly songs and powerful ballads such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Many of the songs feature "deep" lyrics, but that's typical of the later Beatles stuff. Apparently Charles Manson found it inspirational; you may too.
#8
Come On Over
Shania Twain
Mercury Nashville, 1997
17 Times Platinum
Peaked at #2
(Not reviewed)
#9
The Bodyguard (Soundtrack)
Whitney Houston & Various Artists
Arista, 1992
16 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
The only true soundtrack on this list (excluding The Wall), The Bodyguard is remembered not so much for the movie but for the soundtrack's omnipresent smash single "I Will Always Love You". I don't know. What can you say about a soundtrack?
#10Boston
Boston
Atlantic, 1980
16 Times Platinum
Peaked at #3
(Not reviewed)
#11Back In Black
AC/DC
Atlantic, 1980
16 Times Platinum
Peaked at #4
Recorded after original lead singer Bon Scott died of an overdose, Back In Black marks the beginning of the AC/DC we know and love today. Much like Appetite For Destruction (see below), just about every song on here went on to become a rock classic, especially "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Have A Drink On Me", "What Do You Do For Money Honey" and the title track. Essential hard rock.
#12Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morrisette
Maverick, 1995
16 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
While such artists as PJ Harvey and Liz Phair had paved the way for the so-called "riot-grrrl" sound of the '90's, this album from former Canadian pop princess Alanis blew it into the mainstream. Songs such as "You Learn" and "Ironic" became impossible to avoid on the radio; nonetheless, the album still stands as a fine exercise in rock angst.
#13No Fences
Garth Brooks
Capitol, 1990
16 Times Platinum
Peaked at #3
(Not reviewed)
#14Cracked Rear View
Hootie & the Blowfish
Atlantic, 1995
16 Times Platinum
Peaked at #2
This album became even more of a soundtrack to the mid-'90's than Jagged Little Pill but has much less going for it. The songs on it work pretty well as pop but are hollow otherwise.
#15Born In The USA
Bruce Springsteen
Columbia, 1984
15 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
While Springsteen released some fine albums, this stands as probably the greatest testament to the Boss's pop power. Songs like "Dancing in the Dark", "I'm On Fire", "Glory Days" and the title track became ever-present on the radio and MTV and helped secure an even bigger spot in rock history than Springsteen had before. Did for pop what Born To Run did for rock.
#16
Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd
Harvest, 1973
15 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
In my opinion, this is the consummate album by which all other albums should be measured. Pink Floyd's mellow opus set the standard for all art rock that followed, as well as rock albums in general, inspiring many with its unique looping effect and lack of segues between songs. Simply beautiful.
#17Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
Geffen, 1987
15 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
The most successful debut album in history, Appetite features some truly classic songs, including "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Paradise City" and "My Michelle". You better believe it's essential.
#18Elton John: Greatest Hits
Elton John
MCA, 1974
15 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
Elton John, just like the Eagles and Billy Joel, is a great artist who has written some really great songs. He released three greatest hits albums; this is the best.
#19Hotel California
Asylum, 1976
15 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
(Not reviewed)
#20Saturday Night Fever
The Bee Gees & Various Artists
RSO, 1977
15 Times Platinum
Peaked at #1
The soundtrack to the film that, along with Grease, made John Travolta an international superstar and made disco mainstream America's drug of choice, at least for a few years.
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