Megadeth , Iron Maiden , Black Sabbath … there are many names in metal, but which group holds the title of the metal band that has sold the most albums in history?
In 2022, journalist Ryan J. Downing, host of the podcast Stream N' Destroy , a show about Metallica, found a formula on ChartMasters.org and selected the rock and metal artists who had sold the most records.
In some cases, it's difficult to definitively define a band's style, as is the case with Ghost , about whom there's debate as to whether the band is rock or metal . The fact is, when considering the Top 5 artists on the list, Metallica is the only metal band, appearing in fifth place, having sold 163.6 million albums. On the podium, we have Queen leading the list with 274.6 million albums, Pink Floyd with 235.8 million, Led Zeppelin with 205.6 million, and in fourth place, AC/DC with 198.6 million albums sold.
Below is a list of the Top 25 rock and metal bands that have sold the most albums:
1. Queen – 274.6 million albums
2. Pink Floyd – 235.8 million albums
3. Led Zeppelin – 205.6 million albums
4. AC/DC – 198.6 million albums
5. Metallica – 163.6 million albums
6. Bon Jovi – 149.9 million albums
7. Aerosmith – 133.4 million albums
8. Guns N' Roses – 124.1 million albums
9. Van Halen – 102 million albums
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers – 99.6 million albums
11. Nirvana – 95.8 million albums
12. Deep Purple – 92.8 million albums
13. Linkin Park – 90.9 million albums
14. Green Day – 88.9 million albums
15. Iron Maiden – 88.6 million albums
16. Journey – 82.1 million albums
17th Black Sabbath – 79.2 million albums
18th Meat Loaf – 62.5 million albums
19th Nickelback – 56.9 million albums
20th Ozzy Osbourne – 52.8 million albums
21st Avril Lavigne – 47.1 million albums
22nd The Cranberries – 46.6 million albums
23rd Foo Fighters – 43.9 million albums
24th No Doubt – 35.7 million albums
25th Evanescence – 31.9 million albums