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25 Biggest Hard Rock Albums

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25 Biggest Hard Rock Albums

Plus the 45 All-Time Top Selling Hard Rock Artists šŸ† + more

Ryan J. Downey
Apr 30, 2021
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25 Biggest Hard Rock Albums

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Since 2016, the RIAA has included Album Equivalent Units, adding streaming and single track sales into the totals. (The Eagles Greatest Hits jumped from 29 million to 38 million with the new criteria.) The below numbers reflect the current RIAA standard.

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Top 25 All-Time Hard Rock/Metal/Punk AlbumsĀ 
By RIAA Certified U.S. Album SalesĀ 

šŸ“ø: Ross Halfin

  1. AC/DC, Back in Black (1980) 25 Million*

  2. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV (1971) 24MĀ 

  3. Pink Floyd, The Wall (1979) 23MĀ 

  4. Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction (1987) 18MĀ 

  5. Boston, Boston (1976) 17MĀ 

  6. Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (1975) 16M

  7. Metallica, Metallica (1991) 16M

  8. Journey, Greatest Hits 15M (1988)

  9. Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 15MĀ 

  10. Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell (1977) 14M

  11. Pearl Jam, Ten (1991) 13MĀ 

  12. Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet (1986) 12MĀ 

  13. Def Leppard, Hysteria (1987) 12M

  14. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II (1969) 12MĀ 

  15. Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory (2000) 12MĀ 

  16. Aerosmith, Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits (1980) 11MĀ 

  17. Creed, Human Clay (2000) 11MĀ 

  18. Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy (1973) 11MĀ 

  19. Def Leppard, Pyromania (1983) 10MĀ 

  20. Green Day, Dookie (1994) 10MĀ 

  21. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (1969) 10MĀ 

  22. Nickelback, All the Right Reasons (2005) 10MĀ 

  23. Nirvana, Nevermind (1991) 10MĀ 

  24. No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom (1995) 10MĀ 

  25. Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) 10MĀ 

*No. 4 on the All-Genre list. Estimated 50M worldwide.


Top All-Time Hard Rock/Metal/Punk ArtistsĀ 
By RIAA Certified U.S. Album SalesĀ 

šŸ“ø: Neal Preston

  1. Led Zeppelin 112.5 millionĀ 

  2. AC/DC 75 millionĀ 

  3. Pink Floyd 75 millionĀ 

  4. Aerosmith 66.5 millionĀ 

  5. Metallica 63 millionĀ 

  6. Van Halen 56.5 millionĀ 

  7. Journey 48 million

  8. Guns N’ Roses 44.5M

  9. Queen 43MĀ 

  10. Def Leppard 35.5MĀ 

  11. Bon Jovi 34.5MĀ 

  12. Pearl Jam 31.5MĀ 

  13. Boston 31MĀ 

  14. Ozzy Osbourne 29.2MĀ 

  15. Linkin Park 28.5MĀ 

  16. Nirvana 28MĀ 

  17. Rush 26MĀ 

  18. Creed 25MĀ 

  19. Mötley Crüe 25M 

  20. Red Hot Chili Peppers 25MĀ 

  21. Green Day 24MĀ 

  22. Nickelback 24MĀ 

  23. Jimi Hendrix 23MĀ 

  24. Heart 22.5MĀ 

  25. Kiss 21MĀ 

  26. Smashing Pumpkins 19.7MĀ 

  27. Stone Temple Pilots 17.5MĀ 

  28. Korn 16.5MĀ 

  29. Limp Bizkit 16.5M

  30. Black Sabbath 15MĀ 

  31. No Doubt 15MĀ 

  32. The Offspring 14.5M

  33. Poison 14.5MĀ 

  34. The Cranberries 14.5MĀ 

  35. Ted Nugent 14M

  36. 3 Doors Down 13M

  37. Alice In Chains 12.5MĀ 

  38. Tool 12.5MĀ 

  39. Whitesnake 12.5MĀ 

  40. Live 12MĀ 

  41. Disturbed 11.5MĀ 

  42. Bush 10.5MĀ 

  43. Nine Inch Nails 10.5MĀ 

  44. Scorpions 10.5MĀ 

  45. Blink-182 10MĀ 

  46. Evanescence 10MĀ 


The Week’s Most-Streamed ArtistsĀ 
Top 50 Hard Rock, Metal, Punk, Etc.Ā 
Apr 23, 2021 - Apr 29, 2021Ā 

  1. Queen* 22.6M Total Song Streams (Top Song: ā€œBohemian Rhapsodyā€)Ā 

  2. AC/DC 18.9M (Top Song: ā€œThunderstruckā€)Ā 

  3. Twenty One Pilots 18.6M (ā€œShy Awayā€)Ā 

  4. Linkin Park 17M (ā€œIn the Endā€)

  5. Panic! At The Disco 16.7M (ā€œHigh Hopesā€)Ā 

  6. Red Hot Chili Peppers 16M (ā€œUnder the Bridgeā€)Ā 

  7. Metallica 15.8M (ā€œEnter Sandmanā€)Ā 

  8. Led Zeppelin 15.1M (ā€œStairway to Heavenā€) Ā 

  9. Five Finger Death Punch 14M (ā€œBlue on Blackā€)Ā 

  10. Nirvana 13.8M (ā€œSmells Like Teen Spiritā€)Ā 

  11. Fall Out Boy 13.7M (ā€œSugar, We’re Goin Downā€)Ā 

  12. Pink Floyd 13.4M (ā€œWish You Were Hereā€)Ā 

  13. Green Day 13M (ā€œBasket Caseā€)Ā 

  14. Blink-182 10.7M (ā€œAll the Small Thingsā€)Ā 

  15. Guns N’ Roses 10.7M (ā€œSweet Child O’ Mineā€)Ā 

  16. Three Days Grace 10.6M (ā€œ(I Hate) Everything About Youā€)

  17. 5 Seconds Of Summer 10.6M (ā€œYoungbloodā€)Ā 

  18. Journey 10.5M (ā€œDon’t Stop Believinā€)Ā 

  19. Disturbed 10.3M (ā€œThe Sound of Silenceā€)Ā 

  20. Shinedown 10.2M (ā€œSimple Manā€)Ā 

  21. Paramore 10.1M (ā€œMisery Businessā€)Ā 

  22. Weezer 10M (ā€œIsland in the Sunā€)Ā 

  23. Aerosmith 9.4M (ā€œDream Onā€)Ā 

  24. My Chemical Romance 9.1M (ā€œTeenagersā€)Ā 

  25. Van Halen 9M (ā€œJumpā€)Ā 

  26. Slipknot 8.9M (ā€œDualityā€)Ā 

  27. Breaking Benjamin 8.8M (ā€œThe Diary of Janeā€)Ā 

  28. Foo Fighters 8.7M (ā€œEverlongā€)Ā 

  29. All Time Low 8.5M (ā€œMonstersā€ ft. Blackbear)Ā 

  30. System Of A Down 7.9M (ā€œChop Suey!ā€)Ā 

  31. Bon Jovi 7.9M (ā€œLivin’ on a Prayerā€)Ā 

  32. Pearl Jam 7.8M (ā€œBlackā€)Ā 

  33. Nickelback 7.8M (ā€œHow You Remind Meā€)Ā 

  34. Korn 7.8M (ā€œComing Undoneā€)Ā 

  35. Bring Me The Horizon 7.4M (ā€œCan You Feel My Heartā€)Ā 

  36. Mƶtley Crüe 7.1M (ā€œKickstart My Heartā€)Ā 

  37. Def Leppard 7M (ā€œPour Some Sugar On Meā€)Ā 

  38. Avenged Sevenfold 7M (ā€œHail to the Kingā€)Ā 

  39. Alice In Chains 6.9M (ā€œMan in the Boxā€)Ā 

  40. Skillet 6.8M (ā€œMonsterā€)Ā 

  41. Tool 6.7M (ā€œSoberā€)Ā 

  42. Godsmack 6.3M (ā€œBulletproofā€)Ā 

  43. A Day To Remember 6.3M (ā€œIf It Means a Lot to Youā€)Ā 

  44. Seether 6.2M (ā€œFake Itā€)Ā 

  45. Falling In Reverse 6.2M (ā€œPopular Monsterā€)Ā 

  46. 3 Doors Down 6M (ā€œKryptoniteā€)Ā 

  47. The Offspring 6M ā€œSelf Esteemā€)Ā 

  48. Ozzy Osbourne 5.7M (ā€œCrazy Trainā€)Ā 

  49. Papa Roach 5.7M (ā€œLast Resortā€)Ā 

  50. Theory Of A Deadman 5.1M (ā€œRx (Medicate)ā€)Ā 

*No. 69 all-genreĀ 
(Source: Rolling Stone)


Top 30 Hard Rock, Metal, Punk, Etc.Ā 
All Time Digital Singles - By RIAA Certified UnitsĀ 

  1. Twenty One Pilots* 44MĀ 

  2. Panic! At The Disco 32.5MĀ 

  3. Queen 32.5MĀ 

  4. Linkin Park 30MĀ 

  5. Fall Out Boy 26MĀ 

  6. Paramore 17MĀ 

  7. Three Days Grace 14MĀ 

  8. Breaking Benjamin 12.5MĀ 

  9. Daughtry 12.5MĀ 

  10. Shinedown 12.5MĀ 

  11. 3 Doors Down 10.5MĀ 

  12. Bon Jovi 10.5MĀ 

  13. Skillet 10MĀ 

  14. 5 Seconds Of Summer 9.5MĀ 

  15. Foo Fighters 8.5MĀ 

  16. Survivor 8MĀ 

  17. Theory Of A Deadman 8MĀ 

  18. Red Hot Chili Peppers 7.5MĀ 

  19. My Chemical Romance 7MĀ 

  20. Plain White T’s 7MĀ 

  21. No Doubt 6.5MĀ 

  22. Muse 6MĀ 

  23. Chevelle 5.5MĀ 

  24. Green Day 5.5MĀ 

  25. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus 5.5MĀ 

  26. Disturbed 5MĀ 

  27. Evanescence 5MĀ 

  28. Journey 5MĀ 

  29. Portugal. The Man 5MĀ 

  30. The All-American Rejects 5MĀ 

*No. 27 All GenreĀ 


Keep up with my bullshit.


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Updated November 20, 2021

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