The Beatles.APIn the decades before streaming-era rules and digital downloads inflated album sales, platinum certification was more difficult for artists to obtain.
When an artist achieved platinum status back then — selling a million or more physical copies of an album — it took a more fervent effort from fans (who drove to record stores, found an album, and handed over their hard-earned cash for it), but many acts nonetheless reached platinum certification routinely.
Compiling RIAA data, we ranked the best-selling artists of all time by the number of platinum albums they’ve sold in the US.
While some of the results are surprising — country singer Garth Brooks, for instance, has the most diamond (or 10-times platinum) albums of all time with seven — the legendary acts sitting atop the list are ones you’d probably expect to see.
Here the 50 best-selling artists of all time, ranked by platinum album sales:
50. Prince — 11
Platinum albums: 11
Multi-platinum: 4
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Purple Rain” (13 million copies)
49. Bon Jovi — 11
Platinum albums: 11
Multi-platinum: 5
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Slippery When Wet” (12 million copies)
48. Eric Clapton — 11
Platinum albums: 11
Multi-platinum: 7
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Unplugged” (10 million copies)
47. Kenny G — 11
Platinum albums: 11
Multi-platinum: 8
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Breathless” (12 million copies)
46. John Mellencamp — 12
Platinum albums: 12
Multi-platinum: 5
Best-selling album: “American Fool” (5 million copies)
45. Toby Keith — 12
Platinum albums: 12
Multi-platinum: 5
Best-selling album: “Unleashed” (4 million copies)
44. The Who — 12
Platinum albums: 12
Multi-platinum: 5
Best-selling album: “Who’s Next” (3 million copies)
43. Queen — 12
Platinum albums: 12
Multi-platinum: 7
Best-selling album: “Greatest Hits” (8 million copies)
42. Ozzy Osbourne — 12
Platinum albums: 12
Multi-platinum: 8
Best-selling album: “Blizzard of Ozz” (4 million copies)
41. Barry Manilow — 13
Platinum albums: 13
Multi-platinum: 6
Best-selling album: “Even Now” (3 million copies)
40. Linda Ronstadt — 13
Platinum albums: 13
Multi-platinum: 7
Best-selling album: “Greatest Hits” (7 million copies)
39. Lynyrd Skynyrd — 13
Platinum albums: 13
Multi-platinum: 7
Best-selling album: “Skynyrd’s Innyrds” (5 million copies)
36. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band — 13
Platinum albums: 13
Multi-platinum: 7
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Greatest Hits” (10 million copies)
35. Michael Jackson — 13
Platinum albums: 13
Multi-platinum: 9
Diamond: 2
Best-selling album: “Thriller” (33 million copies)
33. Van Halen — 13
Platinum albums: 13
Multi-platinum: 12
Diamond: 2
Best-selling album: “1984 (MCMLXXXIV)” (10 million copies)
31. Rush — 14
Platinum albums: 14
Multi-platinum: 3
Best-selling album: “Rush In Rio” (7 million copies)
30. Kenny Chesney — 14
Platinum albums: 14
Multi-platinum: 5
Best-selling album: “When the Sun Goes Down” (4 million copies)
29. Dave Matthews Band — 14
Platinum albums: 14
Multi-platinum: 7
Best-selling album: “Crash” (7 million copies)
27. The Doors — 14
Elektra Records-Joel Brodsky
Platinum albums: 14
Multi-platinum: 5
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “The Best of The Doors” (10 million copies)
26. Mariah Carey — 14
Platinum albums: 14
Multi-platinum: 10
Diamond: 2
Best-selling album: “Music Box” (10 million copies)
25. Willie Nelson — 15
Platinum albums: 15
Multi-platinum: 6
Best-selling album: “Stardust” (5 million copies)
22. Pink Floyd — 15
Platinum albums: 15
Multi-platinum: 12
Diamond: 2
Best-selling album: “The Wall” (23 million copies)
19. U2 — 17
Platinum albums: 17
Multi-platinum: 11
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “The Joshua Tree” (1o million copies)
18. Bruce Springsteen — 17
Platinum albums: 17
Multi-platinum: 11
Diamond: 2
Best-selling album: “Born In The U.S.A.” (15 million copies)
16. Madonna — 17
Platinum albums: 17
Multi-platinum: 12
Diamond: 2
Best-selling album: “Like A Virgin” (10 million copies)
15. Chicago — 18
Platinum albums: 18
Multi-platinum: 8
Best-selling album: “Chicago 17” (6 million copies)
14. Aerosmith — 18
Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
Platinum albums: 18
Multi-platinum: 12
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits” (11 million copies)
13. Led Zeppelin — 18
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Platinum albums: 18
Multi-platinum: 14
Diamond: 5
Best-selling album: “Led Zeppelin IV” (23 million copies)
10. Alabama — 20
Platinum albums: 20
Multi-platinum: 10
Best-selling album: “Mountain Music” (5 million copies)
9. AC/DC — 20
Getty Images North America
Platinum albums: 20
Multi-platinum: 12
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Back In Black” (22 million copies)
8. Neil Diamond — 21
Platinum albums: 21
Multi-platinum: 12
Best-selling album: “The Jazz Singer” (5 million copies)
7. Elton John — 27
Platinum albums: 27
Multi-platinum: 14
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Greatest Hits” (17 million copies)
6. The Rolling Stones — 28
Platinum albums: 28
Multi-platinum: 11
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Four Flicks” (19 million copies)
5. Barbra Streisand — 30
Platinum albums: 30
Multi-platinum: 12
Best-selling album: “Greatest Hits Volume II” (5 million copies)
4. Garth Brooks — 30
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Platinum albums: 30
Multi-platinum: 16
Diamond: 7
Best-selling album: “Double Live” (21 million copies)
3. George Strait — 33
Platinum albums: 33
Multi-platinum: 13
Best-selling album: “Strait Out Of The Box” (8 million copies)
1. Elvis Presley — 67
Platinum albums: 67
Multi-platinum: 27
Diamond: 1
Best-selling album: “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (10 million copies)
