This is a list of best-selling albums in Australia that have been certified by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Since the 1970s, ARIA certified an album platinum for a shipment of 50,000 copies across Australia. In 1983, the number of copies required for a platinum album was raised to 70,000 copies.[ 1] All albums in this list released after 1982 must have won at least ten ARIA Platinum Awards (700,000 copies) or fourteen awards (700,000 copies) if released before 1983. This list is primarily based on the ARIA database, so it does not include some of the albums which were best-sellers before ARIA began tracking records.
According to ARIA certifications, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf is the best-selling album of all time in Australia, with twenty-five times platinum; Whispering Jack by John Farnham is the second-best-selling album and best-selling album for any local artist, with twenty-four times platinum; and Shania Twain 's Come On Over holds record for the best-selling album by a female solo artist, with twenty-five times platinum. Gold: Greatest Hits by ABBA is the best-selling compilation album ever, while Madonna 's The Immaculate Collection is the best-selling compilation album in solo artist category. All of these records (except for the second-best-selling album of all time) are held by foreign artists. The highest-selling album by an Australian female solo artist is Delta Goodrem 's debut Innocent Eyes , with fifteen times platinum.
Gold and Platinum certification awards (Timeline)[ edit ]
Albums
Certification
Until 1983[ 2]
Since 1983[ 1] [ 3]
Since 2015[ 4]
Gold
20,000
35,000
no change
Platinum
50,000
70,000
no change
Diamond
–
–
500,000
Best-selling albums in Australia [ edit ]
Listing is sorted by certified sales and by release year.
No.
Year
Album
Artist
Nationality
Award
Sales
Source
1
1977
Bat Out of Hell
Meat Loaf
US
26× Platinum
1,820,000
[ 5]
2
1997
Come On Over
Shania Twain
Canada
25× Platinum
1,750,000
[ 5]
3
1986
Whispering Jack
John Farnham
Australia
24× Platinum
1,680,000
[ 6]
4
1992 2014
Gold: Greatest Hits Gold: Greatest Hits (40th Anniversary Edition)
ABBA
Sweden
17× Platinum 1× Platinum
1,260,000
[ 7] [ 8] [ 7]
2002
The Eminem Show
Eminem
US
18× Platinum
[ 9]
6
1982
Thriller
Michael Jackson
US
17× Platinum
1,190,000
[ 10]
1985
Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits
UK
[ 11]
2011
21
Adele
UK
[ 8]
9
1975
The Best of ABBA
ABBA
Sweden
22× Platinum
1,100,000
[ 12]
10
1981
Greatest Hits
Queen
UK
15× Platinum
1,050,000
[ 7]
2003
Innocent Eyes
Delta Goodrem
Australia
[ 13]
12
1995
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Canada
14× Platinum
1,035,000
[ 14] [ 15]
13
2011
Christmas
Michael Bublé
Canada
2× Diamond
1,000,000
[ 16]
15
1973
The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd
UK
14× Platinum
980,000
[ 13]
1978
Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
Olivia Newton-John , John Travolta & Various Artists
Various
[ 14] [ 17]
1984
Born in the U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
US
[ 18]
1993
So Far So Good
Bryan Adams
Canada
[ 5]
19
1994
Cross Road
Bon Jovi
US
13× Platinum
910,000
[ 5]
1996
Falling into You
Celine Dion
Canada
[ 13]
1996
Recurring Dream − The Very Best of Crowded House
Crowded House
New Zealand / Australia
[ 19]
1977
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
UK / US
[ 13]
1991
Metallica
Metallica
US
[ 18]
2008
Funhouse
Pink
US
[ 10]
25
1976
Arrival
ABBA
Sweden
18× Platinum
900,000
[ 12]
26
1980
Back in Black
AC/DC
Australia
12× Platinum
840,000
[ 20]
1990
The Immaculate Collection
Madonna
US
[ 21]
1993
Music Box
Mariah Carey
US
[ 13]
1997
Savage Garden
Savage Garden
Australia
[ 22]
2003
The Complete Greatest Hits
Eagles
US
[ 19] [ 6]
2004
The Sound Of White
Missy Higgins
Australia
[ 9]
2005
Curtain Call: The Hits
Eminem
US
[ 23] [ 24]
2006
I'm Not Dead
Pink
US
[ 10]
33
1979
The Wall
Pink Floyd
UK
11× Platinum
770,000
[ 13]
1987
Dirty Dancing
Various Artists
US
[ 13]
1994
Forrest Gump
Various Artists
US
[ 13]
2002
Come Away with Me
Norah Jones
US
[ 25]
2008
Only by the Night
Kings of Leon
US
[ 5]
2010
Greatest Hits...So Far!!!
Pink
US
[ 10]
2014
1989
Taylor Swift
US
[ 10]
2017
÷
Ed Sheeran
UK
[ 5]
39
1972
Hot August Night
Neil Diamond
US
14× Platinum
700,000
[ 26] [ 27]
1975
ABBA
ABBA
Sweden
[ 12]
1990
Led Zeppelin Remasters
Led Zeppelin
UK
10× Platinum
[ 28]
1991
Dangerous
Michael Jackson
US
[ 13]
1991
Soul Deep
Jimmy Barnes
Australia
[ 23]
1994
Don't Ask
Tina Arena
Australia
[ 13] [ 29]
1994
Throwing Copper
Live
US
[ 8]
1995
Greatest Hits
Bruce Springsteen
US
[ 5]
1996
Yourself or Someone Like You
Matchbox Twenty
US
[ 30]
2000
1
The Beatles
UK
[ 11]
2009
I Dreamed a Dream
Susan Boyle
UK
[ 13]
2015
25
Adele
UK
[ 31]
2014
×
Ed Sheeran
UK
[ 18]
^ a b "ARIA Accreditations" . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 6 February 2010 .
^ Glenn A Baker (12 June 1982). "Riding an International Wave" . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 54, Australia New Zealand insert p. 2 (A/NZ2). ISSN 0006-2510 .
^ Glenn A Baker (15 November 1986). "Pacing the Majors: Labels Try to Balance Pluses and Minuses in Year of Transition" . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 60, Australia insert p. 6. Retrieved 11 February 2024 .
^ Ryan, Gavin (28 November 2015). "ARIA Albums: Adele '25' Debuts at No 1 in Australia" . noise1.com. Retrieved 20 January 2017 .
^ a b c d e f g "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 5 December 2022 .
^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ a b c "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 December 2019 .
^ a b c "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 28 June 2024 .
^ a b c d e "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 3 May 2023 .
^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ a b c Glen Baker (8 November 1979). "Billboard Magazine Volume 91, No. 36" . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510 . Retrieved 11 December 2010 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k <"ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ "ARIA Charts media release 7 November 2015" (PDF) . ARIA. Retrieved 20 January 2017 .
^ "ARIA End of Year Album Chart 2016" . Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 January 2017 .
^ "ARIA Catalogue Albums Chart – 03/12/2012" . Australian Recording Industry Association. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012 .
^ a b c "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 6 February 2022 .
^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ "ARIA Catalogue Albums Chart" . Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012 .
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ "Eminem – "Curtain Call" Certified 12xPlatinum in Australia | Eminem.Pro - the biggest and most trusted source of Eminem" . 6 September 2020.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ Position 21, 138th week: Hot August Night - Neil Diamond, 14 x Platinum "ARIA Albums Chart". 24 November 1991.
^ Position 41, 145th week: Hot August Night - Neil Diamond, 14 x Platinum "ARIA Album Chart" . 12 January 1992.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
^ "The all-time more than 500,000 sellers, according to ARIA accreditations" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media . 12 July 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2009 .
^ "ARIA Australian Top 20 Catalogue Albums | Australia's Official Top 20 Catalogue Records - ARIA Charts" . www.ariacharts.com.au . Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2017 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 October 2021 .
Lists of number-ones Lists of number one artists Lists of best-selling records See also
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