Rules:

- List is based on SPS album units from post-2010s releases (Chartmasters)

 

- Pre-2010s artists who's ranking would be higher if catalogue sales were added have a *.

 

Post-2010 releases only

1. Taylor Swift - 196m

2. Adele - 99.6m

3. Ariana - 73.6m

 

4. Rihanna - 62.9m* 

5. Billie Eillish - 59.3m

6. Katy Perry - 51.9m

7. Lana Del Rey - 50.7m

8. Lady Gaga - 49.2m* 

9. Dua Lipa - 42.5m

10. Beyonce - 38.9m* 

 

Runner Ups: 

Nicki Minaj - 36.5m

Karol G - 32.4m

Olivia Rodrigo - 29.7m

Sia - 28.9m

Halsey - 27.9m

 

Sza - 26.1m

Shakira - 24.3m

Doja Cat - 24m

Miley Cyrus - 23.3m

P!nk - 22.5m

Selena Gomez - 22.4m

Sabrina Carpenter - 19.4m

 

Note: Beyoncé and Gaga would be top 5 if catalogue units of their pre-2010s albums were included.

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by SoundsandSongs

Note: Beyoncé and Gaga would be top 5 if catalogue units of their pre-2010s albums were included.

 

Beyonce has an additional 15m units from streaming alone for her 2000s solo albums, and Gaga has 11m streaming units from The Fame/Monster.

 

Both also had very high catalogue digital sales in the 2010s, with 15.2m digital single units for Beyoncé's pre-2010s albums, and 12m digital single units for TFM.

 

A huge portion of physical sales for TF/M and Sasha also came after 2010.

 

Total boost from catalogue streaming and digital singles alone:

Lady Gaga - 49.2m + 23m = 72.2m

Beyonce - 38.9m + 30.2m = 69.1m

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by SoundsandSongs

Billie Eilish is the only Gen Z act in the top 10. She really is in her own league

Why is Dua Lipa at #8 when ATRL told me she is faceless and not an MPG?

6. Katy Perry - 51.9m

7. Lana Del Rey - 50.7m

 

Stöve can't come soon enough 

8 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Billie Eilish is the only Gen Z act in the top 10. She really is in her own league

Why is Dua Lipa at #8 when ATRL told me she is faceless and not an MPG?

Not sure tbh. 

 

Dua is performing better than Xtina did in the 2000s who people claim is a MPG.

Lana and Billie, wow

This makes no sense I know OP already mentioned it nn but TFM sold most of its units from 2010 onwards  

17 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Billie Eilish is the only Gen Z act in the top 10. She really is in her own league

Why is Dua Lipa at #8 when ATRL told me she is faceless and not an MPG?

Because her playlist is included?

"chartmasters" 

5 minutes ago, Mariano said:

This makes no sense I know OP already mentioned it nn but TFM sold most of its units from 2010 onwards  

It's impossible to completely separate the sales but looking at the streaming and digital singles numbers for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's 2000s music, Gaga probably did at least 75m units since 2010 and Beyoncé at least 70m. 

Gaga and Beyoncé ruling the 2000s and 2010s as well. All while releasing their best music in the 2020s 

47 minutes ago, SoundsandSongs said:

6. Katy Perry - 51.9m

7. Lana Del Rey - 50.7m

8. Lady Gaga - 49.2m* 

 

1 minute ago, KatyPrismSpirit said:

 

As mentioned in the OP, this isn't counting pre-2010 releases. Gaga (and Beyoncé) are far above Katy Perry in actual units sold since 2010.

 

They just had the unfortunate timing of having their biggest era 1 year before 2010.

Katy and Gaga higher than Beyonce

Adele #2 despite only releasing 3 albums since 2010. Legend behavior.

Katy and Gaga higher than Beyonce

Adele #2 despite only releasing 3 albums since 2010. Legend behavior.

Dua the faceless flop you are 

Taylor's one of the peak era not counting is weird considering it sold a lot after 2010s

50 minutes ago, KatyPrismSpirit said:

 

all gar and lizzie need to do is put out one more alboom and you won't be laughing anymore  the clock is ticking... 

1 hour ago, SoundsandSongs said:

10. Beyonce - 38.9m* 

The way ATRL likes to pretend that her numbers don't match her hype, yet she's always far ahead of every other female artist who debuted around the same time as her and still competing with girlies who were born after Destiny's Child debuted

1 hour ago, SoundsandSongs said:

Nicki Minaj - 36.5m

 

Doja Cat - 24m

Hope Doja passes her within the next five years 

18 minutes ago, RideOrDie said:

all gar and lizzie need to do is put out one more alboom and you won't be laughing anymore  the clock is ticking... 

so they need 10 albums each to catch up to katy's 6 albums  

38 minutes ago, FolkLover1989 said:

Taylor's one of the peak era not counting is weird considering it sold a lot after 2010s

Well the same can be said for Beyoncé and Gaga (especially Beyoncé who has huge catalogue units for old albums).

 

Either way she's #1.

37 minutes ago, KatyPrismSpirit said:

so they need 10 albums each to catch up to katy's 6 albums  

gaga isn't catching up to katy as she has already sold more  this is just some arbitrary "since 2010" criteria

and you should be embarrassed lana has not only caught up in sales but also passed her on streaming when she is not the one desperately trying to get hits with dr luke and has no "diamond singles or albooms" as kitkats remind us every day

1 hour ago, PenguinTim said:

The way ATRL likes to pretend that her numbers don't match her hype, yet she's always far ahead of every other female artist who debuted around the same time as her and still competing with girlies who were born after Destiny's Child debuted

The worst part is Beyonce is actively shooting herself in the foot every era, she either doesn't release a full rollout for her albums (Formation video on Tidal , Sorry's radio adds went a month after its streaming peak, refusing to do the EDM-pop route of with 4, Renny and CC having ZERO visuals with no full blast radio adds/playlisting rollout) and yet she still manages to average 100M/track on her records (I will say CC was too bloated for me and it definitely shows in how poor its longevity was) like RENAISSANCE.

 

Imagine if she drops all the pretense and full out promo's the way girls like Sabrina and Taylor still do, multiple vinyl variants, CBS interviews, full single treatment (SO MANY WASTED #1s, we will avenge you Virgo's Groove and YA YA!)

20 minutes ago, RideOrDie said:

and you should be embarrassed lana has not only caught up in sales but also passed her on streaming when she is not the one desperately trying to get hits with dr luke and has no "diamond singles or albooms" as kitkats remind us every day

henry pull up and bluebird doing woman's world numbers btw