Since our last report in 2024 on the latest RIAA top 10 albums in terms of U.S. sales, AC/DC is the biggest mover, with their Back In Black masterstroke album now going from fourth to third on the list. In doing so they overtook the Eagles venerable Hotel California album.
Eagles, however, remain fully secure at the top of the list with their best seller, Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, at 38 million copies sold.
Also, Led Zeppelin's IV album notched past Billy Joel's two-volume greatest hits release, tying the Beatles White Album at 24 million sold.
Other moves in the top 10 tally include Michael Jackson's Thriller adding another million in sales to remain at #2, Garth Brooks Double Live picking up another two million to tie Pink Floyd's The Wall and the Billy Joel album, and Hootie & the Blowfish also adding a million for Cracked Rear View. Hootie also made news by taking back the tenth spot from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album.
So as of writing of this article in early September 2025, the RIAA's top 10 best-selling albums of all time list now looks like this:
1. Eagles, Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975, 38 million
2. Michael Jackson, Thriller, 34 million
3. AC/DC, Back In Black, 27 million
4. Eagles, Hotel California, 26 million
5. The Beatles, The Beatles (aka White Album), 24 million
6. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV, 24 million
7. Billy Joel, Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II, 23 million
8. Pink Floyd, The Wall, 23 million
9. Garth Brooks Double Live, 23 million
10. Hootie & The Blowfish, Cracked Rear View, 22 million
Of course it's not a race, but it's fun for stats fans to keep an eye on how these classic albums keep growing in sales and remain atop the sales pile, at least in the U.S.
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