List of best-selling female music artists
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The following is a list of the world's best-selling female music artists of all time. The criteria for inclusion are women whose claimed record sales have at least reached 75 million or more of their musical productions. Artists are listed in order of the number of records sold and thereafter by their tenier and available cross-referenced music recording certifications, with the highest being for claims of at least 300 million records, and the lowest for claims of 75 million records.
Since there is no official entity that certifies sales in their totality;[1] the artists' sales figure must have been published by a reliable source (news organizations and highly regarded music industry-related organization) such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, MTV, and VH1.
Madonna is believed to have sold the most records among any female music artists in history, with 300 million records sold worldwide,[2] recognized by the Guinness World Records and other major media outlets while the best-selling Latin artist of all time is Shakira with more than 80 million records sold.[3]
Female artists by reputed sales[edit]
300 million or more records sold
Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Estimated sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Madonna | ![]() | 1983–present | Pop / dance / | 300 million[2][4] |
200 million to 300 million records[edit]
Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Estimated sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rihanna | ![]() | 2005–present | Pop / R&B / Dance[5] | 250 million[6] |
Mariah Carey | ![]() | 1990–present | R&B / Pop[7] | 220 million[8] |
Taylor Swift | ![]() | 2006–present | Pop / Country / Folk[9] | 200 million[10] |
Whitney Houston | ![]() | 1985 - 2012 | R&B / Pop / Soul[11] | 200 million[12] |
Céline Dion | ![]() | 1981–present | Pop rock[13] | 200 million[14][15] |
100 million to 199 million records[edit]
75 million to 99 million records[edit]
Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Estimated sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reba McEntire | ![]() | 1977–present | Country/Gospel | 90 million[35] |
Alicia Keys | ![]() | 2001–present | Hip-hop / R&B / pop | 90 million[36] |
Avril Lavigne | ![]() | 2002–present | Pop punk / Pop rock | 90 million[37] |
Ariana Grande | ![]() | 2013–present | Pop/R&B | 85 million[38] |
Enya | ![]() | 1987–present | New-age / Celtic | 80 million[39] |
Kylie Minogue | ![]() | 1988–present | Disco-pop | 80 million[40] |
Shakira | ![]() | 1991–present | Latin pop | 80 million[41] |
Ayumi Hamasaki | ![]() | 1999–present | J-pop / pop / dance | 80 million[42] |
Aretha Franklin | ![]() | 1961–2018 | Soul/R&B | 75 million[43] |
Carole King | ![]() | 1970–present | Pop/soft-rock | 75 million[44] |
Alanis Morissette | ![]() | 1991–present | Alternative rock | 75 million[45] |
Jennifer Lopez | ![]() | 1999–present | Dance Pop | 75 million[46] |
Gloria Estefan | ![]() | 1989–present | Latin Pop / pop rock | 75 million[47] |
Miley Cyrus | ![]() | 2007–present | Pop | 75 million[48] |
See also[edit]
- List of best-selling boy groups
- List of best-selling girl groups
- List of best-selling albums by women
- List of best-selling female rappers
- Women in music
References[edit]
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- ^ a b "Best-selling female recording artist". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ Lopez, Julyssa (2021-12-21). "'500 Greatest Albums' Podcast: How Shakira Reshaped Latin Pop". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Madonna at 60: The Queen of Pop in seven charts". BBC News. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
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- ^ "Rihanna appointed as ambassador by Barbados". BBC News. 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
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