According to THIS, they are, and by a not too shaby TENFOLD over the number 2 spot (Elvis)

Toughts?

You do know that the Wikipedia is made up of user submitted (mis)information. The article is being deleted because of false data.

Yep. Isn't it the Beatles, and not to far behind them, Garth Brooks? Elvis being in third. Anyone know how to find the real data?

Hahaha...The Beatles only released 10 albums....Hahahahahhaah!

Damn, someone messed with the list!

No who was it??

http://www.riaa.com/gp/bestsellers/topartists.asp

Based on US sales they arent even in the top 10.

While Metallica has sold a lot of records, there is no way they are the #1. I figured it was pretty much common knowledge that The Beatles were.

Of course, as someone said, that's the problem with Wikipedia. While a good resource, it can get skewered.

They've sold more records than Nana Mouskouri? Wow!

I really don't know how anyone can accurately come up with *worldwide* album sales to be honest. Unless you're a record company and are willing to spend a lil' cash and time to do a lot of research.

I though Micheal Jackson was... Oh well I'm an idiot.

He would be battling it out with the Eagles over single album sales. Thriller vs. the Eagles Greatest Hits, vol.1. This thread is about total album sales.

Looks like it was fixed now.

whew, can't tell you how relieved I am that William Hung isn't on that list....

Accurately? Probably near impossible. Even the US didn't have a truly accurate system of tracking album sales until fairly recently.

And unless something has changed in the past 3 years or so, it's still not "accurate". It's probably a good estimation, but the voodoo magic Soundscan uses to come up with actual album sales is basically just educated statistical guessing.

I have now lost all respect for Wikipedia as a reference for facts for the following two reasons:

1. Cliff
2. Richard

You know you can easily fix the stuff you don't like and add topics that aren't there. While the topic on Cliff isn't great, it's at least factually accurate.

I spend a fair amount of time editing band articles on Wikipedia and keeping the vandals off. It's thankless work, but it can be fun too... and it's always nice seeing an article you worked heavily on hit the front page (like Iron Maiden recently did).

Backstreet Boys have sold more records than Bob Dylan.

I'd read somewhere that Led Zeppelin were the worldwide champs with somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 million albums/cds.