Quote

Sales numbers – even carefully weighted format by format – don't always tell the full story. That's why we've created the ASR score, a smarter way to look at musical success. Let's take a different look at success.

Best-selling doesn't always mean most successful

The following ranking doesn't just show the best-selling artists: it highlights the most successful ones overall.

What's the difference?

Success isn't only about how many units of records are sold. It's also about how an artist's discography is built and presented.
Some artists release mostly studio albums, meaning fans have to buy many of them to get all the hits. Others release well-curated compilations, like Greatest hits, that deliver everything in one go.

To reflect this, we created a new way to measure success: the ASR (Artist Success Rating).

This score, rated on a 0 to 1000 scale, combines:

• EAS (Equivalent Album Sales) – which shows how many sales the artist's catalog has generated;
• EDS (Equivalent Discography Sales) – which reflects how often the catalog is consumed as a whole.

In short, ASR rewards both impact and efficiency. Here's the ranking of the most successful artists, according to this unique approach!

 

https://chartmasters.org/best-selling-artists-of-all-time/#most_successful_artists_of_all-time

 

Thoughts?

 

Are we finally collectively ditching Chartmasters

 

 

 

 

Quote

1		The Beatles	518,303,000	117,248,831	1,000
2		Michael Jackson	336,792,000	102,007,256	752
3		Queen	277,668,000	84,091,841	620
4		Elvis Presley	320,372,000	51,966,768	523
5		Eagles	175,625,000	77,476,219	473
6		Neil Diamond	157,925,000	78,602,452	452
7		ABBA	163,071,000	71,508,419	438
8		Mariah Carey	193,860,000	58,286,842	431
9		Led Zeppelin	206,524,000	54,099,835	429
10		Elton John	222,249,000	49,836,975	427
11		Madonna	246,892,000	43,535,455	421

 

 

 

the amount of legendarycness in the top 11

 

Edited August 18, 2025Aug 18 by Katamari

Just now, Katamari said:

the amount of legendarycness in the top 11

 

...and Elvis

 

I clicked the link and shes at #16, behind Madonna, Taylor Swift, and Celine Dion. What is the truth

3 minutes ago, TedLasso said:

I clicked the link and shes at #16, behind Madonna, Taylor Swift, and Celine Dion. What is the truth

let's try reading.

 

https://chartmasters.org/best-selling-artists-of-all-time/#most_successful_artists_of_all-time

 

btw @Kayseri Mantisi

 

Lana #156

Lorde #177

 

Thank you radio payola, thank you Tommy 

7 minutes ago, suburbannature said:

let's try reading.

 

https://chartmasters.org/best-selling-artists-of-all-time/#most_successful_artists_of_all-time

 

Thank you Submarine

 

 

2 minutes ago, suburbannature said:

btw @Kayseri Mantisi

 

Lana #156

Lorde #177

 

and? why am i pinged for this 

 

congrats to Mariah Carey i guess!!! yaaasss 🥳🥳 all i want for Christmas is more chart success 🤶🏻🤶🏻

LEGEND!!! 

He should add an extra paragraph explaining who Niel Diamonds is

Fake news

Quote

If two artists sold 50 million CSPC units each, but the first one issued 10 albums and the second one issued only 2, it is rather clear that the former has been the most successful.

I'd definitely rather be the latter

Completely unrelated to Mariah but this guy really likes to make up **** formulas. ASR? EAS? EDS? how does he pay the billls

Just now, tost1 said:

Completely unrelated to Mariah but this guy really likes to make up **** formulas. ASR? EAS? EDS? how does he pay the billls

It's actually insane, yes

Alanis ahead of Rihanna and Beyonce hmmmmm 

20 minutes ago, TaylorsSquad said:

Thank you radio payola, thank you Tommy 

You don't have to like her but this is disingenuous. 
 

Sony did do radio payola and after a thorough investigation they had to pay out ten million dollars but Mariah's name was never brought up in any of the documentation. 
 

Which considering she was their golden goose I can see why they wouldn't have her in that type of crosshairs. 
 

Now they did discount some of her singles to 49 cents for better sales which also meant better chart positions and that can be talked about. 
 

But Sony wasn't the only label doing that at the time. And if nobody wanted to buy her singles they wouldn't have. 
 

Back then those tactics still wasn't a guaranteed win as you still needed airplay and MTV. Her songwriting, production skills and Tommy's guidance all played a part. Also, Warner wanted her before Tommy did. 

Edited August 18, 2025Aug 18 by I Am Music

12 minutes ago, Loca said:

He should add an extra paragraph explaining who Niel Diamonds is

the chopped stock ass getty ass pic

 

If chartmaster say so, she can have it 

6 minutes ago, Kayseri Mantisi said:

the chopped stock ass getty ass pic

 

Is this chart masters?

13 minutes ago, I Am Music said:

You don't have to like her but this is disingenuous. 
 

Sony did do radio payola and after a thorough investigation they had to pay out ten million dollars but Mariah's name was never brought up in any of the documentation. 
 

Which considering she was their golden goose I can see why they wouldn't have her in that type of crosshairs. 
 

Now they did discount some of her singles to 49 cents for better sales which also meant better chart positions and that can be talked about. 
 

But Sony wasn't the only label doing that at the time. And if nobody wanted to buy her singles they wouldn't have. 
 

Back then those tactics still wasn't a guaranteed win as you still needed airplay and MTV. Her songwriting, production skills and Tommy's guidance all played a part. Also, Warner wanted her before Tommy did. 

And the single that was discounted to .49 cents from week one was Loverboy…which didn't even going #1. That was the only true example of some legitimate tomfoolery.
 

All artists discounted physical CDs (that people still went to the stores to buy…and how ironic to see a Taylor fan mention that) and Mariah's were a handful in the late 90s and always after the singles had already been #1 for weeks.
 

6 minutes ago, Supernatural94 said:

Is this chart masters?

Yes

 

Beatles at the top of course so it must be right  

 

 

Niel Diamond!?