To Thrill Or Not To Thrill: The Greatest Selling Album?

[Kyuuketsuki]

OK,

So someone explain this to me.

I had a conversation with a friend who claimed Jackson was the greatest entertainer even known with which I (naturally enough) disagreed ... broadly speaking my argument revolved around the idea that "greatest entertainer" was a personal evaluation and that I doubted he had empirical data to support the claim: List of best-selling albums worldwide.

So the late Michael Jackson has the top selling album of all time ... or does he?

From WikiAnswers: Which are the 10 highest selling albums ever?

1. Thriller - Michael Jackson

2. Back in Black - AC/DC

3. Eagles Greatest Hits (71'to 75') - The Eagles

4. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

5. Come On Over - Shania Twain

6. The Bodyguard Sound Track - Whitney Houston/Various Artists

7. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

8. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

9. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf

10. Falling Into You - Celine Dion

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The above list is likely to be partially incorrect. The Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms was certified nine times platinum in America by the RIAA in 1996, but has not been a major catalogue seller in the last decade and is unlikely to be in the same range as albums such as Back in Black and Dark Side of the Moon. Celine Dion's Falling into You is also unlikely to be in the same league.

As of January 2009, the RIAA has these albums as the top certified sellers in the U.S.:

1. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, THE EAGLES (29 million)

2. Thriller, MICHAEL JACKSON (27 million)

3. Led Zeppelin IV, LED ZEPPELIN (23 million)

4. The Wall, PINK FLOYD (23 million)

5. Back in Black, AC/DC (22 million)

6. Double Live, GARTH BROOKS (21 million)

7. Greatest Hits Volume I & II, BILLY JOEL (21 million)

8. Come On Over, SHANIA TWAIN (20 million)

9. Rumours, FLEETWOOD MAC (19 million)

10. The Beatles, THE BEATLES (19 million)

Now I don't want this to devolve into a "Jackson Is The Greatest" vs. "Oh No He's Not" style argument but who has the greatest number of album sales? ... I genuinely want this explained as the numbers don't seem to tally.

Kyu