document_title: List of best-selling music artists

question_text: who has sold the most music records of all time

text: List of best-selling music artists

text: Definitions

text: All artists included on this list, which have begun charting on official albums or singles charts have their available claimed figures supported by at least 20% in certified units. That is why Cliff Richard, Diana Ross, Scorpions, Charles Aznavour, Bing Crosby, Gloria Estefan, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Tom Jones, The Jackson 5, Dionne Warwick, the Spice Girls, Luciano Pavarotti, Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne, Andrea Bocelli and others have not been included on this list. The more recent the artist, the higher the required percentage of certified units, so artists such as Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Adele, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Nicki Minaj are expected to have their claimed figures supported by over 75% in certified units. The certified units are sourced from available online databases of local music industry associations. All certified units are converted from Gold/Platinum/Diamond certification awards based on criteria provided by certifying bodies. The certified sales percentage varies according to the first year that an artist appeared in the charts.[a]

text: The requirements of certified sales are designed to avoid inflated sales figures, which are frequently practiced by record companies for promotional purposes.[1][2] The claimed figures are referenced from online articles created by highly reliable sources. For clarity, the sources used, say the term "records" (singles, albums, videos) and not "albums". However, if all available sources for an artist or band say "albums", such sources are only used if the certified album units of the said artist meet the required percentage amount. This list uses claimed figures that are closest to artists' available certified units: inflated claimed figures that meet the required certified units amount but are unrealistically high, are not used.

text: The claimed figures are upgraded only when there is a significant progress in artists' certified sales. In other words, the available certified sales for each artist should get relatively closer to already listed claimed figure in order for higher figures to replace the listed ones.

text: The certified sales of the newer artists may sometimes be higher than their listed claimed figures. This is because Recording Industry Association of America and almost all other certifying bodies count streaming towards Gold and Platinum thresholds required for Digital Single Award certification.[3][4][5] For this reason, some singles and even albums get over certified by hundreds of thousands of units. The over certified figures, however, are often in millions of units for RIAA certifications, one such example is Rihanna's single "We Found Love", which is certified at nine times Platinum by the RIAA, yet during the time of the certification, it had sold 5.4 million downloads.[6][7]

text: The certified sales for some artists/bands who have multi-disc albums can be higher than their listed claimed figures due to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) counting each unit within set as one unit toward certification.

text: Artists by reputed sales

text: 250 million or more records

text:
The Beatles

Elvis Presley

Michael Jackson

Madonna

Elton John

Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd

tag: ul

text:
To ensure the highest level of fact checking and editorial control, this list sources sales figures to news organizations and highly regarded music industry related organizations such as MTV, VH1, Billboard and Rolling Stone.
The figures of total certified units within the table below are based on certified units of albums, singles (including digital downloads) and videos.
Markets' order within the table is based on Retail Value: each market generates respectively, the largest market at the top and smallest at the bottom.[8][9]

text:
Artist
Country / Market
Period active
Release year of first charted record
Genre
Total certified units
(from available markets)[b]
Claimed sales

The Beatles
United Kingdom
1960–1970[10]
1962[10]
Rock / Pop[10]
7002270800000000000♠

Total available certified units: 270.8 million [show]

US: 212.250 million[11]
JPN: 4.950 million[b][12]
UK: 17.845 million[b][13]
GER: 8 million[b][14]
FRA: 3.890 million[b][15][16]
CAN: 14.455 million[b][17]
AUS: 3.060 million[b][18][19]
ITA: 305,000[b][20]
BRA: 550,000[b][21]
SWE 485,000[b][22]
SPA: 1.240 million[b][23][24]
SWI: 350,000[b][25]
BEL: 265,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 1.606 million[b][28][29]
DEN: 260,000[b][30][31]
AUT: 500,000[b][32]
POL: 175,000[b][33]
NZ: 660,000[b][34][35]

600 million[36][37]
500 million[38]

Elvis Presley
United States
1954–1977[39]
1954[39]
Rock and roll / Pop / Country[39]
7002211700000000000♠

Total available certified units: 211.7 million [show]

US: 188.650 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12]
UK: 12.445 million[b][13]
GER: 1.2 million[b][14]
FRA: 2.590 million[b][15][16]
CAN: 2.925 million[b][17]
AUS: 1.587 million[b][18]
ITA: 105,000[b][20]
BRA: 125,000[b][21]
SWE 380,000[b][22]
SPA: 300,000[b][23][40][41]
MEX: 105,000[b][42][43]
SWI: 185,000[b][25]
BEL: 115,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 110,000[b][28]
DEN: 120,000[b][44][45][46]
AUT: 205,000[b][32]
FIN: 213,945[b][47]
NZ: 117,500[b][34][35]

600 million[48][49]
500 million[50]

Michael Jackson
United States
1964–2009[51]
1971[51]
Pop / Rock / Dance / Soul / R&B[51]
7002184200000000000♠

Total available certified units: 184.2 million [show]

US: 104.5 million[11]
JPN: 4.650 million[b][12][52]
UK: 27.195 million[13]
GER: 11.275 million[14]
FRA: 11.375 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 4.670 million[17]
AUS: 6.6 million[b][18][19][54][55][56]
ITA: 1.170 million[b][20]
BRA: 280,000[b][21]
SWE: 1.230 million[b][22][57]
SPA: 1.995 million[b][23][24][40][41][58]
MEX: 3.670 million[b][42]
SWI: 910,000[b][25]
BEL: 365,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 124,000[b][28][29]
DEN: 1.179 million[b][59][60][61]
AUT: 1.197 million[b][32]
POL: 530,000[b][33]
FIN: 384,127[47]
NZ: 902,500[34][35]

350 million[62][63]
300 million[64][65]

Madonna
United States
1979–present[66]
1982[66]
Pop / Dance / Electronica[66]
7002170600000000000♠

Total available certified units: 170.6 million [show]

US: 85.675 million[11]
JPN: 6.450 million [b][12][52]
UK: 28.845 million[13]
GER: 12.4 million[14]
FRA: 12.795 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 6.030 million[17]
AUS: 4.717 million[b][18][67][68]
ITA: 465,000[b][20]
BRA: 3.440 million[b][21]
SWE: 1.070 million[b][22][57]
SPA: 2.815 million[23][24][40][41][58]
MEX: 510,000[b][42]
SWI: 1.080 million[b][25]
BEL: 690,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 1.098[28][29]
DEN: 407,000[b][59][60][69][70][71][72]
AUT: 602,500[b][32]
POL: 530,000[b][33]
FIN: 652,686[47]
NZ: 417,500[34][35]

300 million[73][74]
275 million[75]

Elton John
United Kingdom
1964–present[76]
1969[76]
Pop / Rock[76]
7002169000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 169 million [show]

US: 117.850 million[11]
JPN: 1.1 million [b][12]
UK: 22.295 million[b][13]
GER: 7.9 million[b][14]
FRA: 4.825 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 5.975 million[b][17]
AUS: 2.837 million[b][18]
BRA: 835,000[b][21]
SWE: 740,000[b][22]
SPA: 1.2 million[b][23][24][41][58]
MEX: 100,000[b][42]
SWI: 1.313 million[b][25]
BEL: 390,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 128,000[28][29]
DEN: 150,000[b][45][60][77]
AUT: 765,000[b][32]
POL: 150,000[b][33]
FIN: 163,481[47]
NZ: 255,000[b][34][35]

300 million[78][79]
250 million[80][81]

Led Zeppelin
United Kingdom
1968–1980[82]
1969[82]
Hard rock / Blues rock / Folk rock[82]
7002139500000000000♠

Total available certified units: 139.5 million [show]

US: 114.1 million[11]
JPN: 400,000 [b][12]
UK: 9.130 million[b][13]
GER: 3.775 million[b][14]
FRA: 2.310 million[b][15][16][83]
CAN: 4.710 million[17]
AUS: 2.8 million[b][18][84][85]
ITA: 345,000[b][20]
BRA: 820,000[b][21]
SPA: 450,000[b][24][41][58]
SWI: 211,000[b][25]
ARG: 360,000[b][28]
POL: 120,000[b][33]

300 million[86][87]
200 million[88][89]

Pink Floyd
United Kingdom
1965–1996, 2014[90][91]
1967[90]
Progressive rock / Psychedelic rock[90]
7002118900000000000♠

Total available certified units: 118.9 million [show]

US: 78 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[b][92]
UK: 11.320 million[b][13]
GER: 7.5 million[b][14]
FRA: 6.360 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 6.790 million[b][17]
AUS: 2.932 million[b][18][19]
ITA: 1.685 million[b][20]
BRA: 515,000[b][21]
SWE: 220,000[b][22][57]
SPA: 625,000[b][23][24][40][58]
SWI: 390,000[b][25]
BEL: 115,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 582,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 460,000[b][32]
POL: 590,000[b][33]
NZ: 787,500[b][34][35]

250 million[93][94]
200 million[95][96]

tag: table

text: The column for certified sales above includes markets, the databases of which contain certifications representing figures of 100,000 and more.

text: 200 million to 249 million records

text:
Rihanna

Mariah Carey

Celine Dion

AC/DC

Whitney Houston

Queen

The Rolling Stones

text:
To ensure the highest level of fact checking and editorial control, this list sources sales figures to news organizations and highly regarded music industry related organizations such as MTV, VH1, Billboard and Rolling Stone.
The figures of total certified units within the table below are based on certified units of albums, singles (including digital downloads) and videos.
Markets' order within the table is based on Retail Value each market generates respectively, the largest market at the top and the smallest at the bottom.[8][9]

text:
Artist
Country / Market
Period active
Release-year of first charted record
Genre
Total certified units
(from available markets)[b]
Claimed sales

Rihanna
Barbados
United States
2005–present[97]
2005[97]
R&B / Pop / Dance / Hip-hop[97]
7002225600000000000♠

Total available certified units: 225.6 million [show]

US: 167.05 million[11]
JPN: 1.4 million[12][52]
UK: 29.1 million[13]
GER: 4.475 million[14]
FRA: 1.425 million[16]
CAN: 2.840 million[17]
AUS: 9.115 million[18]
ITA: 1.425 million[b][20]
BRA: 555,000[21]
SWE: 2.480 million[22][57]
SPA: 1.430 million[23]
MEX: 380,000[42][98]
SWI: 840,000[25]
BEL: 660,000[27]
DEN: 1.072[59][60][61][69][77][99][100][101]
AUT: 120,000[32]
POL: 500,000[33]
IRE: 240,000[102]
NZ: 667,500[34][35]

230 million[103][104]

Mariah Carey
United States
1988–present[105]
1990[105]
R&B / Pop / Soul / Hip-hop[105]
7002136000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 136 million [show]

US: 92.6 million[11]
JPN: 14.5 million [b][12][52][106]
UK: 9.620 million[13]
GER: 3.250 million[14]
FRA: 4.690 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 4.1 million[17]
AUS: 3.445 million[b][18][107]
ITA: 200,000[b][20]
BRA: 835,000[21]
SWE: 425,000[22]
SPA: 1 million[23][24][41][58]
SWI: 515,000[25]
BEL: 150,000[b][26][27]
DEN: 130,000[61][108]
AUT: 200,000[32]
POL: 100,000[b][33]
NZ: 240,000[b][34]

200 million[109][110]
175 million[111][112]

Celine Dion
Canada
1981–present[113]
1981[113]
Pop[113]
7002125000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 125 million [show]

US: 56.550 million[11]
JPN: 7.150 million[b][12][114][115]
UK: 13.555 million[13]
GER: 8 million[14]
FRA: 15.685 million[15][16][53][83]
CAN: 12.245 million[17]
AUS: 3.302 million[b][18][19]
BRA: 505,000[b][21]
SWE: 1.105 million[b][22]
SPA: 1 million[41][58]
SWI: 1.685 million[b][25]
BEL: 1.885 million[b][26][27]
ARG: 340,000[28]
DEN: 370,000[b][45][116][117][118]
AUT: 440,000[b][32]
POL: 680,000[b][33]
FIN: 356,183[47]
NZ: 192,500[34][35]

200 million[119][120]
175 million[121][122]

AC/DC
Australia
1973–present[123]
1975[123]
Hard rock / Blues rock / Rock and roll[123]
7002113200000000000♠

Total available certified units: 113.2 million [show]

US: 79.7 million[11]
UK: 4.2 million[13]
GER: 10.3 million[b][14]
FRA: 4.180 million[15][16]
CAN: 2.490 million[b][17]
AUS: 7.330 million[b][18]
ITA: 750,000[b][20]
SWE: 350,000[b][22][57]
SPA: 1.355 million[b][23][24][40][41][58]
SWI: 894,000[b][25]
BEL: 100,000[b][27]
ARG: 594,000[b][28][29]
DEN: 135,000[60][61][124]
AUT: 380,000[b][32]
FIN: 321,169[47]
NZ: 140,000[b][34][35]

200 million[125][126]
150 million[127][128]

Whitney Houston
United States
1977–2012[129]
1984[129]
R&B / Soul / Pop[129]
7002112600000000000♠

Total available certified units: 112.6 million [show]

US: 75.275 million[11]
JPN: 4.3 million[b][12][130]
UK: 14.605 million[13]
GER: 5.6 million[b][14]
FRA: 2.275 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 3.430 million[17]
AUS: 1.580 million[b][18][19][131]
ITA: 140,000[b][20]
BRA: 1.025[b][21]
SWE: 1.035 million[b][22]
SPA: 1.260 million[23][24][40][41]
SWI: 845,000[b][25]
BEL: 215,000[b][26][27]
DEN: 140,000[60][61]
AUT: 535,000[b][32]
POL: 180,000[b][33]
FIN: 247,222[47]

200 million[132][133]
170 million[134][135]

Queen
United Kingdom
1971–present[136]
1973[136]
Rock[136]
7002114700000000000♠

Total available certified units: 114.7 million [show]

US: 55.1 million[11]
JPN: 2.850 million[b][12][52][137]
UK: 28.615 million[b][13]
GER: 11.525 million[b][14]
FRA: 4.495 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 1.870 million[b][17]
AUS: 2.167 million[b][18][19]
ITA: 505,000[b][20]
BRA: 970,000[b][21]
SWE: 190,000[b][22]
SPA: 1.720 million[b][23][24][40][41]
SWI: 1.256 million[b][25]
BEL: 100,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 1.080 million[b][28][29]
AUT: 900,000[b][32]
POL: 810,000[b][33]
FIN: 366,152[47]
NZ: 275,000[b][34][35]

200 million[138][139]
150 million[140]

The Rolling Stones
United Kingdom
1962–present[141]
1963[141]
Rock / Blues rock [141]
7001972000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 97.2 million [show]

US: 74.750 million[11]
JPN: 950,000[b][12]
UK: 8.510 million[b][13]
GER: 3.2 million[b][14]
FRA: 3.370 million[b][15][16][53]
AUS: 417,500[b][18]
CAN: 3.025 million[b][17]
ITA: 180,000[b][20]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]
SWE: 310,000[b][22]
SPA: 690,000[b][23][24][40][41][58]
SWI: 238,000[b][25]
BEL: 120,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 718,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 300,000[b][32]
POL: 140,000[b][33]
NZ: 190,000[b][34][35]

200 million[142][143]

ABBA
Sweden
1972–1982[144]
1972[144]
Pop / Disco[144]
7001607000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 60.7 million [show]

US: 12.7 million[11]
JPN: 1.5 million[b][52][145][146]
UK: 18.970 million[b][13]
GER: 10.450 million[b][14]
FRA: 2.750 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 2.785 million[b][17]
AUS: 6.127 million[b][18][147]
BRA: 275,000[b][21][57]
SWE: 800,000[b][22]
SPA: 1.005 million[b][23][40]
MEX: 260,000[b][42]
SWI: 600,000[b][25]
BEL: 380,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 238,000[b][28][29]
DEN: 600,000[b][148][149][150]
AUT: 175,000[b][32]
POL: 150,000[b][33]
FIN: 656,319[47]
NZ: 297,500[b][35][151][152]

200 million[153][154]
100 million[155][156]

text: 120 million to 199 million records

text:
Taylor Swift

Garth Brooks

Eminem

Eagles

U2

Bruno Mars

Kanye West

text:
Artist
Country / Market
Period active
Release-year of first charted record
Genre
Total certified units
(from available markets)[b]
Claimed sales

Taylor Swift
United States
2006–present[157]
2006[157]
Country / Country pop / Pop / Pop-rock[157]
7002158690000000000♠

Total available certified units: 158.7 million [show]

US: 135.5 million[11]
JPN: 2.850 million[12][52]
UK: 8.2 million[13]
GER: 750,000[14]
FRA: 150,000[16]
CAN: 4.460 million[17]
AUS: 5.425 million[18]
ITA: 235,000[b][20]
BRA: 170,000[21]
SWE: 180,000[57]
MEX: 450,000[42][43][98]
NZ: 367,500[34][35]

170 million[158]

Garth Brooks
United States
1989–present[159]
1989[159]
Country[159]
7002146000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 156 million [show]

US: 149.4 million[11]
UK: 520,000[13]
CAN: 5.730 million[17]
AUS: 280,000[b][18]
IRE: 120,000[b][102]

160 million[160]

Eminem
United States
1996–present[161]
1999[161]
Hip-hop[161]
7002132000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 132 million [show]

US: 86.1 million[11]
JPN: 2.9 million [12][52]
UK: 21.425 million[13]
GER: 3.450 million[14]
FRA: 3.170 million[16][83]
CAN: 3.770 million[17]
AUS: 5.702 million[18]
ITA: 450,000[b][20]
BRA: 200,000[21]
SWE: 810,000[22][57]
SPA: 290,000[23][58]
MEX: 365,000[42]
SWI: 805,000[25]
BEL: 475,000[26][27]
DEN: 556,000[b][59][162]
AUT: 325,000[32]
POL: 250,000[33]
FIN: 124,547[47]
IRE: 285,000[b][102]
NZ: 562,500[34][35]

155 million[163]

Eagles
United States
1971–1980, 1994–present[164]
1972[164]
Rock[164]
7002129190000099999♠

Total available certified units: 129.2 million [show]

US: 108.9 million[11]
JPN: 600,000[b][12]
UK: 7.635 million[b][13]
GER: 925,000[b][14]
FRA: 2.040 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 4.2 million[b][17]
AUS: 3.395 million[b][18][165]
SWE: 140,000[b][22]
SPA: 500,000[b][23][24]
SWI: 290,000[b][25]
DEN: 185,000[b][60]
FIN: 124,749[47]
NZ: 352,500[b][34][35]

150 million[166]

U2
Ireland
1976–present[167]
1980[167]
Rock[167]
7002106700000000000♠

Total available certified units: 106.7 million [show]

US: 53.1 million[11]
JPN: 1.450 million[b][12]
UK: 18.620 million[13]
GER: 5.125 million[14]
FRA: 5.025 million[15][16]
CAN: 7.115 million[17]
AUS: 4.412 million[b][18][19][168]
ITA: 765,000[b][20]
BRA: 2.675 million[b][21]
SWE: 515,000[b][22]
SPA: 2.275 million[23][24][40][41][58]
MEX: 835,000[b][42]
SWI: 696,000[b][25]
BEL: 725,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 806,000[28][29]
DEN: 473,000[b][59][60][61][77][169]
AUT: 515,000[b][32]
POL: 360,000[b][33]
FIN: 235,460[47]
IRE: 316,000[b][102]
NZ: 765,000[34][35]

150 million[170]

Billy Joel
United States
1964–present[171]
1971[171]
Pop / Rock[171]
7002102600000000000♠

Total available certified units: 102.6 million [show]

US: 87.950 million[11]
JPN: 2 million[b][12][172]
UK: 5.655 million[b][13]
GER: 1.250 million[b][14]
FRA: 925,000[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 3.275 million[b][17]
AUS: 1.267[b][18][19]
AUT: 125,000[b][32]
NZ: 162,500[b][34]

150 million[173]

Phil Collins
United Kingdom
1980–2011, 2015–present[174]
1981[174]
Rock / Progressive rock / Adult contemporary[174]
7001878000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 87.8 million [show]

US: 39.850 million[11]
JPN: 800,000[b][12]
UK: 15.250 million[13]
GER: 13.8 million[14]
FRA: 6.410 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 3.375 million[17]
AUS: 1.522[b][18][19]
BRA: 1.370 million[b][21]
SWE: 245,000[b][22]
SPA: 2.150 million[23][24][41][58]
SWI: 973,000[b][25]
BEL: 305,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 1.044 million[28][29]
AUT: 440,000[b][32]
FIN: 182,581[47]
NZ: 122,500[34][35]

150 million[175]

Aerosmith
United States
1970–present[176]
1973[176]
Hard rock[176]
7001847000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 84.7 million [show]

US: 70.250 million[11]
JPN: 2.7 million[b][12][52]
UK: 3.170 million[13]
GER: 2 million[b][14]
FRA: 225,000[15][16][53]
CAN: 3.950 million[b][17]
AUS: 225,000[b][18][177]
ITA: 100,000[b][20]
BRA: 600,000[b][21]
SWE: 260,000[b][22]
SPA: 200,000[b][23][41]
MEX: 230,000[b][42]
SWI: 145,000[b][25]
ARG: 338,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 125,000[b][32]
POL: 100,000[b][33]
FIN: 101,722[47]

150 million[178]

Frank Sinatra
United States
1935–1995[179]
1939[179]
Pop / Swing[179]
7001373009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 37.3 million [show]

US: 28.2 million[b][11]
UK: 5.445 million[b][13]
GER: 1 million[b][14]
FRA: 600,000[b][15]
CAN: 650,000[b][17]
AUS: 245,000[b][18]
BRA: 350,000[b][21]
SWE: 130,000[b][22]
SPA: 500,000[b][24][41][58]
ARG: 188,000[b][28][29]

150 million[180]

Barbra Streisand
United States
1960–present[181]
1963[181]
Pop / Adult contemporary[181]
7001974000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 97.4 million [show]

US: 82.450 million[11]
UK: 5.765 million[b][13]
GER: 750,000[b][14]
FRA: 3.150 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 2.650 million[b][17]
AUS: 2.047 million[b][18]
SWE: 120,000[22][57]
SPA: 150,000[b][58]
FIN: 186,501[b][47]
NZ: 137,500[b][34]

145 million[182]

Bruno Mars
United States
2004–present[183]
2010[183]
Pop rock / R&B[183]
7002119400000000000♠

Total available certified units: 119.4 million [show]

US: 85.5 million[11]
JPN: 1.1 million[12][52]
UK: 13.3 million[13]
GER: 3.4 million[14]
FRA: 1.775 million[16]
CAN: 5.240 million[17]
AUS: 4.690 million[18]
ITA: 640,000[b][20]
SWE: 440,000[22][57]
SPA: 470,000[23]
MEX: 780,000[42][43]
SWI: 405,000[25]
BEL: 345,000[27]
DEN: 365,000[b][61][184]
AUT: 180,000[32]
NZ: 532,500[34]
PHL: 330,000[185]

130 million[186]

Kanye West
United States
1996–present[187]
2004[187]
Hip-hop / Electronic / Pop rock[187]
7002102400000000000♠

Total available certified units: 102.4 million [show]

US: 87.750 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[188]
UK: 10.280 million[13]
GER: 300,000[14]
CAN: 1.180 million[17]
AUS: 2.135 million[18]
ITA: 135,000[b][20]
SWE: 160,000[57]
DEN: 404,000[60][61][69][189]

121 million[190]

Bruce Springsteen
United States
1972–present[191]
1973[191]
Rock[191]
7002101500000000000♠

Total available certified units: 101.5 million [show]

US: 76.150 million[11]
JPN: 400,000[b][12]
UK: 7.145 million[13]
GER: 4.325 million[b][14]
FRA: 1.887 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 3.2 million[b][17]
AUS: 3.362 million[b][18]
ITA: 575,000[b][20]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]
SWE: 810,000[b][22][57]
SPA: 1.730 million[b][23][24][40][41][58]
SWI: 400,000[b][25]
DEN: 155,000[b][59][61][69][192]
AUT: 290,000[b][32]
FIN: 449,800[47]
IRE: 189,500[b][102]
NZ: 375,000[34][35]

120 million[193]

Bee Gees
United Kingdom
Australia[194][195]
1963–2003
2009–2012[196]
1963[196]
Pop / Disco[196]
7001673000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 67.3 million [show]

US: 41.5 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12][197][198]
UK: 9.065 million[b][13]
GER: 6.675 million[b][14]
FRA: 3.4 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 3.215 million[b][17]
AUS: 1.187 million[b][18]
BRA: 350,000[b][21]
SPA: 450,000[b][24][40][58]
SWI: 415,000[b][25]
ARG: 188,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 125,000[b][32]
POL: 100,000[b][33]
NZ: 380,000[b][34][35]

120 million[199]

text: 100 million to 119 million records

text:
Justin Bieber

Katy Perry

Adele

Lady Gaga

Metallica

Jay Z

Bon Jovi

text:
To ensure the high level of fact checking and editorial control, this list sources sales figures to news organizations and highly regarded music industry related organizations such as MTV, VH1, Billboard and Rolling Stone.
The figures of total certified units within the table below are based on certified units of albums, singles (including digital downloads) and videos.
Markets' order within the table is based on Retail Value each market generates respectively, the largest market at the top and the smallest at the bottom.[8][9]

text:
Artist
Country / Market
Period active
Release-year of first charted record
Genre
Total certified units
(from available markets)[b]
Claimed sales

Lady Gaga
United States
2005–present[200]
2008[200]
Pop / Dance / Electronic[200]
7001972000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 97.2 million [show]

US: 66.5 million[11]
JPN: 5.4 million[12][52]
UK: 10.985 million[13]
GER: 2.9 million[14]
FRA: 1.58 million[16]
CAN: 2.4 million[17]
AUS: 2.890 million[18]
ITA: 815,000[b][20]
BRA: 470,000[21]
SWE: 680,000[22][57]
SPA: 410,000[23]
MEX: 390,000[42][98]
SWI: 445,000[25]
BEL: 270,000[27]
DEN: 340,000[60][61][101]
AUT: 182,500[32]
POL: 130,000[33]
IRE: 165,000[102]
NZ: 277,500[34][35]

114 million[201]

Metallica
United States
1981–present[202]
1983[202]
Heavy metal / Thrash metal[202]
7001942000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 94.2 million [show]

US: 73.3 million[11]
JPN: 900,000[b][12]
UK: 3.335 million[13]
GER: 3.425 million[14]
FRA: 940,000[15][16]
CAN: 3.805 million[17]
AUS: 2.637 million[b][18][19][203]
ITA: 180,000[b][20]
BRA: 380,000[b][21]
SWE: 675,000[b][22]
SPA: 420,000[23][41][58]
MEX: 430,000[b][42][98]
SWI: 560,000[b][25]
BEL: 335,000[b][26][27]
DEN: 180,000[61][60]
ARG: 874,000[28][29]
AUT: 340,000[b][32]
POL: 735,000[b][33]
FIN: 530,676[47]
NZ: 315,000[34][35]

110 million[204]

Justin Bieber
Canada
United States
2008–present[205]
2009[205]
Pop / Teen pop, Dance pop[205]
7002128190000099999♠

Total available certified units: 128.2 million [show]

US: 86.5 million[11]
JPN: 750,000 [12][52]
UK: 16.085 million[13]
GER: 3.1 million[14]
FRA: 1.2[16]
CAN: 4.780 million[17]
AUS: 4.340 million[18]
ITA: 1.595 million[20]
BRA: 810,000[21]
SWE: 1.820 million[22][57]
SPA: 860,000[23]
MEX: 2.910 million[42][43][98]
BEL: 435,000[27]
DEN: 1.985 million[61]
POL: 370,000[33]
AUT: 110,000[32]
NZ: 615,000[34]

100 million[206]

Katy Perry
United States
2001–present[207]
2008[207]
Pop[207]
7002127200000000000♠

Total available certified units: 127.2 million [show]

US: 96.5 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[12][52]
UK: 11.950 million[13]
GER: 2.750 million[14]
FRA: 775,000[16]
CAN: 5.8 million[17]
AUS: 5.090 million[18]
ITA: 680,000[b][20]
BRA: 625,000[21]
SWE: 520,000[22][57]
SPA: 180,000[23]
MEX: 900,000[42][98]
SWI: 160,000[25]
BEL: 135,000[27]
DEN: 235,000[59][61]
AUT: 247,500[32]
NZ: 360,000[34][35]

100 million[208]

Adele
United Kingdom
2006–present[209]
2008[209]
Pop, soul[209]
7002104500000000000♠

Total available certified units: 104.5 million [show]

US: 61 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[12]
UK: 20.550 million[13]
GER: 4.7 million[14]
CAN: 6.040 million[17]
AUS: 3.955 million[18]
ITA: 1.545 million[b][20]
BRA: 1.310 million[21]
SWE: 240,000[22][57]
SPA: 800,000[23]
MEX: 1.490 million[42][43]
SWI: 510,000[25]
BEL: 795,000[27]
DEN: 522,500[59][61]
POL: 300,000[b][33]
FIN: 151,639[47]
NZ: 577,500[34]

100 million[210]

Jay Z
United States
1996–present[211]
1996[211]
Hip-hop[211]
7001961000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 96.1 million [show]

US: 80.7 million[11]
JPN: 1.050 million[52]
UK: 9.320 million[13]
GER: 1.550 million[14]
FRA: 400,000[16]
CAN: 1.6 million[17]
AUS: 1.260[18]
ITA: 180,000[b][20]
SWE: 130,000[22][57]

100 million[212]

Bon Jovi
United States
1983–present[213]
1983[213]
Hard rock / Glam metal[213]
7001838000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 83.8 million [show]

US: 49.9 million[11]
JPN: 4.400 million[b][12][52]
UK: 9.290 million[13]
GER: 5.650 million[14]
FRA: 825,000[15][16][53]
CAN: 4.735 million[17]
AUS: 3.030 million[b][18][214][215]
ITA: 110,000[b][20]
BRA: 435,000[b][21]
SWE: 365,000[b][22][57]
SPA: 1.620 million[23][24][40][41][58]
MEX: 250,000[b][42]
SWI: 1.275 million[b][25]
AUT: 725,000[b][32]
BEL: 165,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 358,000[28][29]
POL: 110,000[b][33]
FIN: 422,500[47]
NZ: 210,000[34][35]

100 million[216]

Lil Wayne
United States
1996–present[217]
1999[217]
Hip-hop[217]
7001799000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 79.9 million [show]

US: 77.7 million[11]
UK: 1.460 million[13]
CAN: 280,000[17]
AUS: 525,000[18]

100 million[218]

Linkin Park
United States
1996–present[219]
2000[219]
Alternative rock / Nu metal / Rap rock[219]
7001789000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 78.9 million [show]

US: 58.6 million[11]
JPN: 1.550 million[12][52]
UK: 6.005 million[13]
GER: 5.850 million[14]
FRA: 1.025[16]
CAN: 1.330 million[17]
AUS: 1.450 million[18]
ITA: 430,000[b][20]
BRA: 595,000[21]
SWE: 165,000[22][57]
SPA: 175,000[23]
MEX: 225,000[42]
SWI: 425,000[25]
BEL: 140,000[27]
DEN: 150,000[59][61]
AUT: 252,500[32]
POL: 220,000[33]
FIN: 120,469[47]
NZ: 252,500[34][35]

100 million[220]

Britney Spears
United States
1998–present[221]
1998[221]
Pop / Dance / Dance-pop[221]
7001785000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 78.5 million [show]

US: 44.2 million[11]
JPN: 2.1 million[12][130]
UK: 10.150 million[13]
GER: 5.050 million[14]
FRA: 3.732 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 3.680 million[17]
AUS: 3.130 million[18]
ITA: 175,000[b][20]
BRA: 380,000[21]
SWE: 1.010 million[22][57]
SPA: 990,000[23][41][58]
MEX: 1.175 million[b][42]
SWI: 485,000[25]
AUT: 365,000[32]
BEL: 935,000[26][27]
ARG: 248,000[28][29]
DEN: 187,500[b][59][60][222][223]
POL: 210,000[33]
FIN: 143,627[47]
NZ: 240,000[34][35]

100 million[224]

Beyoncé
United States
1997–present[225]
2002[225][226]
R&B / Pop[225]
7001781009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 78.1 million [show]

US: 53.650 million[11]
JPN: 1.7 million [12][52]
UK: 13.685 million[13]
GER: 1.550 million[14]
FRA: 560,000[16][83]
CAN: 1.395 million[17]
AUS: 2.905 million[18]
ITA: 260,000[b][20]
BRA: 390,000[21]
SPA: 1.010 million[b][23][227]
MEX: 110,000[42]
SWI: 165,000[25]
BEL: 115,000[27]
DEN: 312,500[60][61][69][101][228][229]
POL: 100,000[33]
NZ: 210,000[34][35]

100 million[230]

Rod Stewart
United Kingdom
1964–present[231]
1969[231]
Rock / Pop[231]
7001778000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 77.8 million [show]

US: 43.650 million[11]
JPN: 450,000[b][12]
UK: 18.330 million[b][13]
GER: 3.8 million[b][14]
FRA: 1.8 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 4.055 million[b][17]
AUS: 2.610 million[b][18][19]
BRA: 980,000[b][21]
SWE: 440,000[b][22]
SPA: 290,000[b][23][24][40]
SWI: 100,000[b][25]
ARG: 524,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 100,000[b][32]
POL: 220,000[b][33]
IRE: 195,000[b][102]
NZ: 280,000[b][34][35]

100 million[232]

Fleetwood Mac
United Kingdom
United States
1967–present[233]
1968[233]
Rock / Pop[233]
7001761009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 76.1 million [show]

US: 51.250 million[11]
UK: 13.585 million[b][13]
GER: 3.5 million[b][14]
FRA: 800,000[b][15][16]
AUS: 2.767 million[b][18][19]
CAN: 2.950 million[b][17]
SPA: 300,000[b][41][58]
SWI: 100,000[b][25]
BEL: 100,000[b][27]
NZ: 572,500[b][35][234][235]

100 million[236]

Guns N' Roses
United States
1985–present[237]
1987[237]
Hard rock / Heavy metal[237]
7001738000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 73.8 million [show]

US: 48.5 million[11]
JPN: 1.7 million[b][12]
UK: 5.850 million[13]
GER: 4.1 million[14]
FRA: 1 million[16]
CAN: 3.520 million[17]
AUS: 2.410[b][18][19][165]
ITA: 685,000[b][20]
BRA: 1.9 million[b][21]
SWE: 485,000[22]
SPA: 450,000[23][24][40]
MEX: 760,000[b][42]
SWI: 365,000[b][25]
BEL: 165,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 1.248 million[b][28][29]
AUT: 365,000[32]
IRE: 105,000[b][102]
NZ: 270,000[34][35]

100 million[238]

George Strait
United States
1981–present[239]
1984[239]
Country[239]
7001728000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 72.8 million [show]

US: 72.150 million[11]
CAN: 705,000[17]

100 million[240]

Backstreet Boys
United States
1993–present[241]
1995[241]
Pop[241]
7001720000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 72 million [show]

US: 41.5 million[11]
JPN: 5.4 million[12][52][242]
UK: 4.835 million[13]
GER: 7 million[14]
FRA: 325,000[15][16]
CAN: 3.430 million[17]
AUS: 1.4 million[b][18]
BRA: 1.625 million[21]
SWE: 655,000[22]
SPA: 1.850 million[41][58]
MEX: 1.475 million[b][42]
SWI: 415,000[25]
BEL: 425,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 740,000[28]
AUT: 325,000[32]
POL: 300,000[33]
FIN: 171,390[47]
NZ: 132,500[34]

100 million[243]

Neil Diamond
United States
1966–present[244]
1966[244]
Pop / Rock[244]
7001683000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 68.3 million [show]

US: 55.9 million[11]
UK: 7.130 million[b][13]
GER: 1 million[b][14]
FRA: 400,000[b][15]
CAN: 1.725 million[b][17]
AUS: 1.945 million[b][18]
SPA: 100,000[b][40]
NZ: 127,500[b][34][35]

100 million[245]

Prince
United States
1976–2016[246]
1978[246]
Funk / R&B / Pop / Soul / Rock[246]
7001642000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 64.2 million [show]

US: 48.950 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12]
UK: 7.045 million[13]
GER: 2.4 million[14]
FRA: 2.110 million[15][16]
CAN: 1 million[17]
AUS: 1.120[b][18][19]
SWE: 100,000[22]
SPA: 700,000[b][24][40][41][58]
SWI: 250,000[b][25]
AUT: 125,000[b][32]
NZ: 177,500[b][34]

100 million[247]

Paul McCartney
United Kingdom
1960–present[248]
1970[248]
Rock[248]
7001606000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 60.6 million [show]

US: 41.450 million[11]
JPN: 500,000[b][12]
UK: 12.365 million[b][13]
GER: 1.525 million[b][14]
FRA: 1.305 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 1.955 million[b][17]
AUS: 465,000[b][18][19]
SWE: 210,000[b][57][249]
SPA: 640,000[b][24][40]
DEN: 210,000[b][60][250]

100 million[251]

Kenny Rogers
United States
1958–present[252]
1975[252]
Country / Pop[252]
7001589000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 58.9 million [show]

US: 51.550 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[b][253]
UK: 2.520 million[13]
CAN: 4.6 million[17]
AUS: 100,000[b][254][255]
SPA: 100,000[b][40]

100 million[256]

Janet Jackson
United States
1982–present[257]
1982[257]
R&B / Pop[257]
7001521000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 52.1 million [show]

US: 39.750 million[11]
JPN: 1.6 million [b][12]
UK: 4.760 million[13]
GER: 1.4 million[14]
FRA: 1.475 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 1.460 million[17]
AUS: 1.155[b][18][19]
SWE: 105,000[b][22]
SPA: 150,000[41][58]
SWI: 170,000[b][25]
BEL: 125,000[b][26]

100 million[258]

Julio Iglesias
Spain
1968–present[259]
1968[259]
Latin[259]
7001510000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 51 million [show]

US: 11 million[11]
JPN: 800,000[b][260]
UK: 1.620 million[b][13][260]
GER: 250,000[b][14]
FRA: 6.1 million[15][16][53][260]
CAN: 1.5 million[17]
AUS: 540,000[b][18][260]
ITA: 400,000[b][20][260]
NLD:950,000[b][260]
BRA: 12.475 million[b][21][260]
SWE: 290,000[b][22][260]
SPA: 8.7 million[b][23][24][40][41][58][260]
MEX: 2.975 million[b][42][260]
BEL: 125,000[b][260]
ARG: 3.220 million[b][28][260]
FIN: 131,636[b][47]

100 million[261]

Chicago
United States
1967–present[262]
1969[262]
Rock / Pop[262]
7001483000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 48.3 million [show]

US: 44.150 million[11]
JPN: 400,000[b][12][263]
UK: 1.490 million[b][13]
GER: 250,000[b][14]
FRA: 100,000[b][15]
CAN: 1.865 million[17]
SPA: 100,000[b][24]

100 million[264]

The Carpenters
United States
1969–1983[265]
1969[265]
Pop[265]
7001460000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 46 million [show]

US: 34.6 million[11]
JPN: 2.9 million[b][12][115][266]
UK: 7.950 million[b][13]
GER: 250,000[b][14]
CAN: 275,000[b][17]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]

100 million[267]

Bob Dylan
United States
1959–present[268]
1963[268]
Folk / Rock[268]
7001451000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 45.1 million [show]

US: 35.6 million[11]
UK: 5.825 million[b][13]
GER: 625,000[b][14]
FRA: 800,000[b][15][16]
CAN: 1.5 million[b][17]
AUS: 480,000[b][18]
SWI: 175,000[b][25]
NZ: 105,000[b][34]

100 million[269]

Dire Straits
United Kingdom
1977–1995[270]
1978[270]
Rock [270]
7001447000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 44.7 million [show]

US: 15.5 million[11]
UK: 11.1 million[13]
GER: 3.750 million[14]
FRA: 5.3 million[15][16]
CAN: 2.575 million[17]
AUS: 2.190 million[b][18][19]
ITA: 385,000[b][20]
BRA: 175,000[b][21]
SWE: 360,000[b][22]
SPA: 1.380 million[b][23][24][40][41]
SWI: 1 million[b][25]
BEL: 100,000[b][26][27]
AUT: 300,000[b][32]
FIN: 471,530[47]
NZ: 155,000[b][35]

100 million[271]

Bryan Adams
Canada
1979–present[272]
1979[272]
Rock[272]
7001445000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 44.5 million [show]

US: 21 million[11]
JPN: 600,000[b][12]
UK: 8.675 million[13]
GER: 3.850 million[14]
FRA: 650,000[15][16][53]
CAN: 5.120 million[17]
AUS: 2.010 million[b][18][273]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]
SWE: 440,000[b][22]
SPA: 450,000 [b][24][41][58]
SWI: 805,000[b][25]
BEL: 250,000[b][26][27]
AUT: 375,000[b][32]
FIN: 183,444[47]

100 million[274]

Def Leppard
United Kingdom
1977–present[275]
1979[275]
Hard rock / Heavy metal[275]
7001418009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 41.8 million [show]

US: 35.650 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12]
UK: 1.960 million[13]
FRA: 200,000[15]
CAN: 2.995 million[17]
AUS: 385,000[19][276]
SWE: 150,000[b][22]
MEX: 200,000[b][42]
SWI: 125,000[b][25]

100 million[277]

Cher
United States
1964–present[278]
1965[278]
Pop / Rock / Dance / Folk[278]
7001405000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 40.5 million [show]

US: 21.9 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[b][12]
UK: 6.450 million[b][13]
GER: 4.175 million[b][14]
FRA: 1.525 million[b][16][53]
CAN: 1.340 million[b][17]
AUS: 1.530 million[b][18][279]
ITA: 300,000[b][280]
BRA: 125,000[b][21]
SWE: 850,000[b][22][57]
SPA: 600,000[b][41][58][280]
MEX: 200,000[b][42]
SWI: 295,000[b][25]
BEL: 275,000[b][26]
ARG: 106,000[b][28][260]
DEN: 300,000[b][280][281]
AUT: 250,000[b][32]
POL: 100,000[b][33]
NZ: 150,000[34][282]

100 million[283]

Lionel Richie
United States
1968–present[284]
1981[284]
Pop / R&B[284]
7001402000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 40.2 million [show]

US: 28.650 million[11]
UK: 6.155 million[b][13]
GER: 1.050 million[b][14]
FRA: 1.4 million[b][15][16]
CAN: 2.380 million[b][17]
AUS: 260,000[b][18][285]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]
SPA: 150,000[24][40]
SWI: 145,000[b][25]

100 million[286]

Genesis
United Kingdom
1967–1999
2006–present[287]
1969[287]
Progressive rock / Pop rock[287]
7001399000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 39.9 million [show]

US: 21.650 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[b][12]
UK: 7.325 million[b][13]
GER: 5.875 million[b][14]
FRA: 3.460 million[b][15][16]
CAN: 805,000[b][17]
SWE: 100,000[b][22]
SPA: 250,000[b][23][24][40]
SWI: 400,000[b][25]

100 million[288]

James Taylor
United States
1968–present[289]
1970[289]
Rock / Pop[289]
7001355000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 35.5 million [show]

US: 34.650 million[11]
UK: 655,000[b][13]
CAN: 100,000[b][17]
AUS: 100,000[b][18]

100 million[290]

Olivia Newton-John
Australia
1966–present[291]
1966[291]
Pop[291]
7001346000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 34.6 million [show]

US: 27 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[b][12]
UK: 3.950 million[b][13]
GER: 250,000[b][14]
CAN: 3.025 million[b][17]
AUS: 310,000[b][18][19]

100 million[292]

Stevie Wonder
United States
1961–present[293]
1962[293]
Funk / R&B / Soul[293]
7001346000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 34.6 million [show]

US: 21.650 million[11]
JPN: 1.050 million[b][12]
UK: 8.285 million[b][13]
GER: 500,000[b][14]
FRA: 1.4 million[b][15][53]
CAN: 1.550 million[17]
SPA: 250,000[b][40]

100 million[294]

Tina Turner
United States
1955–present[295]
1975[295]
Rock / Pop[295]
7001328009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 32.8 million [show]

US: 12.7 million[11]
UK: 8.145 million[13]
GER: 6.050 million[14]
FRA: 1.135 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 1.560 million[17]
AUS: 480,000[b][18][19]
SWE: 330,000[b][22]
SPA: 700,000[b][23][24][40][41]
SWI: 565,000[b][25]
BEL: 190,000[b][26][27]
AUT: 630,000[b][32]
POL: 120,000[b][33]
FIN: 241,954[47]

100 million[296]

Linda Ronstadt
United States
1967–present[297]
1968[297]
Rock / Folk / Country[297]
7001325000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 32.5 million [show]

US: 31.5 million[11]
UK: 435,000[b][13]
FRA: 100,000[b][15]
CAN: 500,000[b][17]

100 million[298]

Donna Summer
United States
1968–2012[299]
1974[299]
Pop / Disco / R&B[299]
7001308000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 30.8 million [show]

US: 24.5 million[11]
UK: 3.735 million[b][13]
FRA: 900,000[b][15][16]
CAN: 1.550 million[b][17]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]
SPA: 100,000[b][41]

100 million[300]

The Beach Boys
United States
1961–present[301]
1962[301]
Rock / Pop / Surf Rock[301]
7001305000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 30.5 million [show]

US: 25.6 million[11]
UK: 3.410 million[b][13]
GER: 250,000[b][14]
FRA: 400,000[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 100,000[b][17]
AUS: 492,500[b][18][19]
SPA: 250,000[b][40][41]

100 million[302]

David Bowie
United Kingdom
1962–2016[303]
1967[303]
Art rock / Glam rock / Pop[303]
7001299000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 29.9 million [show]

US: 11.7 million[11]
JPN: 200,000[b][12]
UK: 11.745 million[b][13]
GER: 525,000[b][14]
FRA: 2.380 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 2.215 million[b][17]
AUS: 565,000[b][18]
ITA: 320,000[b][20]
SPA: 170,000[b][23][24][40]
NZ: 142,500[b][34]

100 million[304]

The Who
United Kingdom
1964–present[305]
1965[305]
Rock / Hard rock[305]
7001269000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 26.9 million [show]

US: 22.150 million[11]
UK: 3.905 million[b][13]
FRA: 300,000[b][15]
CAN: 425,000[b][17]
ITA: 125,000[b][20]

100 million[306]

Barry White
United States
1972–2003[307]
1973[307]
R&B / Soul[307]
7001217000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 21.7 million [show]

US: 16.5 million[11]
UK: 3.665 million[b][13]
FRA: 1.1 million[b][15][16]
CAN: 150,000[b][17]
SPA: 200,000[b][58]
BEL: 150,000[b][27]

100 million[308]

text: 80 million to 99 million records

text:
B'z

Shania Twain

Coldplay

Flo Rida

Nicki Minaj

Ayumi Hamasaki

Van Halen

text:
Artist
Country / Market
Period active
Release-year of first charted record
Genre
Total certified units
(from available markets)[b]
Claimed sales

Shania Twain
Canada
1993–present[309]
1993[309]
Country pop[309]
7001756009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 75.6 million [show]

US: 54.5 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12]
UK: 6.795 million[13]
GER: 1.750 million[14]
FRA: 975,000[16][53]
CAN: 6.8 million[17]
AUS: 2.360 million[b][18]
BRA: 475,000[21]
SWE: 330,000[22]
SPA: 100,000[58]
MEX: 100,000[b][42]
SWI: 310,000[25]
BEL: 250,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 120,000[28]
AUT: 115,000[32]
NZ: 402,500[34][35]

90 million[310]

Coldplay
United Kingdom
1996–present[311]
1999[311]
Alternative rock, Pop rock, Pop[311]
7001741009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 74.1 million [show]

US: 26.6 million[11]
JPN: 750,000[12][52]
UK: 23.085 million[13]
GER: 4.150 million[14]
FRA: 2.930[16]
CAN: 3.205 million[17]
AUS: 3.655 million[18]
ITA: 2.570 million[b][20]
BRA: 340,000[21]
SWE: 590,000[22][57]
SPA: 1.030 million[23]
MEX: 1.890 million[42][43][98]
SWI: 510,000[25]
BEL: 735,000[27]
ARG: 528,000[28][29]
DEN: 619,000[59][61]
AUT: 197,500[32]
POL: 220,000[b][33]
IRE: 210,000[b][102]
NZ: 345,000[34]

90 million[312]

Santana
United States
1966–present[313]
1969[313]
Rock[313]
7001618000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 61.8 million [show]

US: 47.475 million[11]
JPN: 400,000[b][12]
UK: 2.980 million[b][13]
GER: 2.4 million[b][14]
FRA: 3.510 million[b][15][16][53]
CAN: 1.660 million[b][17]
AUS: 855,000[b][18]
BRA: 375,000[b][21]
SWE: 125,000[b][22]
SPA: 450,000[b][41][58]
MEX: 405,000[b][42]
SWI: 375,000[b][25]
BEL: 190,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 158,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 145,000[b][32]
POL: 205,000[b][33]
NZ: 135,000[b][34][35]

90 million[314]

Earth, Wind & Fire
United States
1969–present[315]
1971[315]
Funk / R&B / Soul[315]
7001356000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 35.6 million [show]

US: 31.8 million[11]
JPN: 500,000[b][12][316][317]
UK: 2.525 million[13]
FRA: 500,000[15][16]
CAN: 360,000[17]

90 million[318]

Johnny Cash
United States
1954–2003[319]
1956[319]
Country/ Rock and roll/ Gospel[319]
7001307000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 30.7 million [show]

US: 25.7 million[11]
UK: 3.660 million[b][13]
GER: 400,000[b][14]
CAN: 490,000[b][17]
AUS: 522,500[b][18]

90 million[320]

B'z
Japan
1988–present[321]
1988[321]
Rock / Pop rock / Hard rock[321]
7001855000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 85.5 million [show]

JPN: 85.5 million[b][12][52][106]

86 million[322]

Nicki Minaj
United States
2008–present[323]
2010[323]
Hip hop, Pop[323]
7001672000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 67.2 million [show]

US: 54.5 million[11]
JPN: 350,000[52]
UK: 6.3 million[13]
GER: 800,000[14]
FRA: 225,000[16]
CAN: 480,000[17]
AUS: 2.835 million[18]
ITA: 350,000[20]
BRA: 250,000[21]
SWE: 400,000[22][57]
SPA: 100,000[23]
MEX: 150,000[42][98]
SWI: 180,000[25]
DEN: 130,000[61]
NZ: 187,500[34]

85 million[324]

R.E.M.
United States
1980–2011[325]
1983[325]
Alternative rock[325]
7001425000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 42.5 million [show]

US: 21.150 million[11]
UK: 8.705 million[13]
GER: 4.275 million[14]
FRA: 1.450 million[15][16]
CAN: 2.650 million[17]
AUS: 1.030[b][18][19]
ITA: 175,000[b][20]
BRA: 100,000[b][21]
SWE: 500,000[b][22]
SPA: 1.1 million[23][24][41][58]
SWI: 450,000[b][25]
BEL: 108,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 158,000[b][28][29]
DEN: 155,000[b][59][60]
AUT: 350,000[b][32]
IRE: 127,500[b][102]
NZ: 105,000[34]

85 million[326]

Flo Rida
United States
2007–present[327]
2007[327]
Hip-hop, Hip house, EDM[327]
7001698000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 69.8 million [show]

US: 49 million[11]
JPN: 650,000[b][12][52]
UK: 7.960 million[13]
GER: 3 million[14]
FRA: 225,000[16]
CAN: 2.810 million[17]
AUS: 3.535 million[b][18]
ITA: 330,000[b][20]
SWE: 780,000[22]
SPA: 140,000[58]
MEX: 330,000[b][42]
SWI: 420,000[25]
DEN: 205,000[b][61]
AUT: 180,000[32]
NZ: 247,500[34][35]

80 million[328]

Ayumi Hamasaki
Japan
1998–present[329]
1998[329]
J-pop / Pop / dance / electronic[329]
7001643000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 64.3 million [show]

JPN: 64.3 million[12][52][106]

80 million[330][331]

Van Halen
United States
1978–present[332]
1978[332]
Hard rock / Heavy metal[332]
7001643000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 64.3 million [show]

US: 57.8 million[11]
JPN: 1.3 million[b][12][130]
UK: 740,000[13]
GER: 1.5 million[14]
FRA: 400,000[15]
CAN: 2.450 million[17]
BRA: 200,000[b][21]

80 million[333]

Red Hot Chili Peppers
United States
1983–present[334]
1987[334]
Funk rock / Alternative rock[334]
7001574000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 57.4 million [show]

US: 32.250 million[11]
JPN: 2.6 million[b][12][52]
UK: 9.595 million[13]
GER: 2.650 million[14]
FRA: 1.420 million[16]
CAN: 2.020 million[17]
AUS: 2.590 million[b][18][19]
ITA: 445,000[b][20]
BRA: 515,000[b][21]
SWE: 390,000[b][22]
SPA: 640,000[23][41][58]
MEX: 150,000[b][42]
SWI: 405,000[b][25]
BEL: 170,000[b][27]
ARG: 406,000[28][29]
DEN: 227,000[b][59][60][69][335]
AUT: 247,500[b][32]
POL: 245,000[b][33]
FIN: 171,951[47]
NZ: 285,000[34][35]

80 million[336]

Foreigner
United States
United Kingdom
1976–present[337]
1977[337]
Rock / Hard Rock[337]
7001496000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 49.6 million [show]

US: 45.1 million[11]
UK: 1.300 million[13]
GER: 1.5 million[14]
FRA: 400,000[15][16]
CAN: 700,000[17]
AUS: 105,000[b][18]
SWI: 125,000[b][25]

80 million[338]

The Doors
United States
1965–1973[339]
1967[339]
Psychedelic rock[339]
7001469000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 46.9 million [show]

US: 36.6 million[11]
UK: 2.040 million[b][13]
GER: 1.750 million[b][14]
FRA: 1.9 million[b][15][16]
CAN: 2.780 million[b][17]
AUS: 1.022 million[b][18]
ITA: 130,000[b][20]
BRA: 100,000[21]
SPA: 300,000[b][40][58]
SWI: 125,000[b][25]
ARG: 150,000[b][28]
AUT: 100,000[b][32]

80 million[340]

George Michael
United Kingdom
1981–2016[341]
1984[341]
Pop[341]
7001457000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 45.7 million [show]

US: 19.8 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12]
UK: 12.850 million[13]
GER: 2.4 million[14]
FRA: 3.217 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 1.770 million[17]
AUS: 2.205 million[b][18][19]
BRA: 350,000[b][21]
SWE: 310,000[b][22]
SPA: 850,000[23][24][40][41][58]
SWI: 335,000[b][25]
BEL: 215,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 118,000[28][29]
DEN: 380,000[59][61][69][342]
AUT: 140,000[b][32]
POL: 340,000[b][33]
NZ: 140,000[34][35]

80 million[343]

Reba McEntire
United States
1975–present[344]
1987[344]
Country / Country Pop[344]
7001427000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 42.7 million [show]

US: 41.9 million[11]
CAN: 850,000[17]

80 million[345]

Meat Loaf
United States
1968–present[346]
1977[346]
Rock / Hard rock[346]
7001415000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 41.5 million [show]

US: 23.6 million[11]
UK: 9.665 million[13]
GER: 2.350 million[14]
CAN: 3.260 million[17]
AUS: 2.382 million[b][18][19]
SWE: 100,000[b][22]
SWI: 115,000[b][25]
AUT: 100,000[b][32]

80 million[347]

Barry Manilow
United States
1973–present[348]
1973[348]
Pop / Soft rock[348]
7001365000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 36.5 million [show]

US: 33.3 million[11]
UK: 2.825 million[13]
CAN: 400,000[b][17]

80 million[349]

Tom Petty
United States
1976–2017[350]
1977[350]
Rock[350]
7001346000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 34.6 million [show]

US: 31.250 million[11]
UK: 1 million[13]
GER: 500,000[14]
CAN: 1.7 million[17]
SWE: 200,000[b][22]

80 million[351]

Johnny Hallyday
France
1957–present[352]
1960[352]
Rock / Pop[352]
7001247000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 24.7 million [show]

FRA: 24.035 million[b][15][16][53][83][353]
SWI: 268,000[b][25]
BEL: 430,000[b][26][27]

80 million[354]

text: 75 million to 79 million records

text:
Journey

The Black Eyed Peas

Kenny G

Usher

Tupac Shakur

Robbie Williams

Enya

text:
Artist
Country / Market
Period active
Release-year of first charted record
Genre
Total certified units
(from available markets)[b]
Claimed sales

The Black Eyed Peas
United States
1995–present[355]
1998[355]
Hip-hop / R&B / Dance[355]
7001556000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 55.6 million [show]

US: 29.4 million[11]
JPN: 1.250 million[12][52]
UK: 10.8 million[13]
GER: 2.250 million[14]
FRA: 2.650 million[16]
CAN: 2.7 million[17]
AUS: 3.270 million[18]
ITA: 365,000[b][20]
BRA: 255,000[21]
SWE: 300,000[22][57]
SPA: 460,000[b][23]
MEX: 390,000[b][42]
SWI: 460,000[25]
BEL: 460,000[27]
DEN: 161,000[b][61][69][101][356][356][357]
IRE: 135,000[b][102]
NZ: 340,000[34][35]

76 million[358]

Journey
United States
1973–present[359]
1975[359]
Rock / Soft rock[359]
7001620000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 62 million [show]

US: 59.7 million[11]
JPN: 300,000[b][12][360]
UK: 1.360 million[13]
CAN: 725,000[17]

75 million[361]

Kenny G
United States
1982–present[362]
1984[362]
Smooth jazz[362]
7001519000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 51.9 million [show]

US: 48.1 million[11]
JPN: 700,000[b][12]
UK: 360,000[13]
CAN: 950,000[17]
BRA: 1.350 million[b][21]
SPA: 450,000[24][41]

75 million[363]

Usher
United States
1991–present[364]
1994[364]
R&B / Pop[364]
7001512000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 51.2 million [show]

US: 37.435 million[11]
JPN: 750,000 [12][52]
UK: 7.925 million[13]
GER: 1.150[14]
FRA: 210,000[16]
CAN: 1.190 million[17]
AUS: 2.112 million[18]
SWE: 105,000[22][57]
SWI: 170,000[25]
DEN: 117,500[b][61][60]
NZ: 150,000[34]

75 million[365]

Tupac Shakur
United States
1991–1996[366]
1991[366]
Hip hop[366]
7001509000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 50.9 million [show]

US: 46.2 million[11]
UK: 3.015 million[13]
GER: 500,000[14]
CAN: 820,000[17]
AUS: 395,000[18]

75 million[367]

Robbie Williams
United Kingdom
1990–present[368]
1996[368]
Pop rock[368]
7001502000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 50.2 million [show]

US: 500,000[11]
UK: 27.350 million[13]
GER: 9.475 million[14]
FRA: 2.695 million[16][53]
CAN: 250,000[17]
AUS: 2.905 million[18]
ITA: 360,000[b][20]
SWE: 445,000[22][57]
SPA: 440,000[b][23][58]
MEX: 1.595 million[b][42]
SWI: 983,000[25]
BEL: 600,000[26][27]
ARG: 462,000[28][29]
DEN: 631,500[b][59][60][61][69][77]
AUT: 917,500[32]
POL: 140,000[33]
FIN: 235,743[47]
IRE: 135,000[b][102]
NZ: 445,000[34]

75 million[369]

Enya
Ireland
1982–present[370]
1987[370]
New-age / Celtic[370]
7001500000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 50 million [show]

US: 26.5 million[11]
JPN: 4.6 million[b][12]
UK: 5.250 million[13]
GER: 4.2 million[14]
FRA: 775,000[15][16]
CAN: 1.540 million[17]
AUS: 1.505[b][18][19]
BRA: 1.650 million[b][21]
SWE: 390,000[22]
SPA: 1.760 million[23][41]
MEX: 125,000[b][42]
SWI: 370,000[b][25]
BEL: 460,000[b][27]
ARG: 390,000[28]
DEN: 100,000[b][30][371][372][373]
AUT: 185,000[b][32]
POL: 120,000[b][33]
NZ: 135,000[34]

75 million[374]

Alabama
United States
1972–present[375]
1980[375]
Country / Pop rock[375]
7001480000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 48 million [show]

US: 46.8 million[11]
CAN: 1.2 million[17]

75 million[376]

Nirvana
United States
1987–1994[377]
1989[377]
Grunge / Alternative rock[377]
7001455000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 45.5 million [show]

US: 26.5 million[11]
JPN: 1.3 million[b][12]
UK: 5.570 million[13]
GER: 1.250 million[14]
FRA: 2.5 million[15][16]
CAN: 2.970 million[17]
AUS: 1.257[b][18][203][378]
ITA: 375,000[b][20]
BRA: 725,000[b][21]
SWE: 380,000[22]
SPA: 450,000[23][24][41]
MEX: 475,000[b][42]
SWI: 190,000[25]
BEL: 350,000[b][26][27]
ARG: 522,000[28][29]
AUT: 230,000[b][32]
POL: 300,000[b][33]
NZ: 215,000[34][35]

75 million[379]

The Police
United Kingdom
1977–1986
2007–2008[380]
1978[380]
Pop / Rock[380]
7001388009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 38.8 million [show]

US: 23.150 million[11]
JPN: 100,000[b][12]
UK: 8.160 million[13]
GER: 1.775 million[14]
FRA: 3.340 million[15][16][53]
CAN: 875,000[17]
AUS: 407,500[b][18]
ITA: 100,000[b][20]
BRA: 140,000[b][21]
SPA: 300,000[b][24][40]
MEX: 100,000[b][42]
BEL: 115,000[b][381][382][383]
ARG: 228,000[b][28][29]

75 million[384]

Bob Marley
Jamaica
1962–1981[385]
1975[385]
Reggae[385]
7001388009999900000♠

Total available certified units: 38.8 million [show]

US: 21.850 million[11]
JPN: 200,000[b][12]
UK: 7.375 million[13]
GER: 1.750 million[14]
FRA: 4.735 million[16]
CAN: 600,000[17]
AUS: 350,000[386][387]
ITA: 225,000[b][20]
SWE: 120,000[b][22]
SPA: 450,000[b][24][40][41][58]
SWI: 303,000[b][25]
ARG: 376,000[b][28][29]
AUT: 125,000[b][32]
NZ: 427,500[b][34][35]

75 million[388]

Kiss
United States
1972–present[389]
1974[389]
Hard rock / Heavy metal[389]
7001278000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 27.8 million [show]

US: 26 million[11]
CAN: 1.495 million[b][17]
UK: 100,000[13]
AUS: 130,000[b][18]
ARG: 112,000[b][390]

75 million[391]

Aretha Franklin
United States
1956–present[392]
1961[392]
Soul / Jazz / Blues / R&B[392]
7001247000000000000♠

Total available certified units: 24.7 million [show]

US: 23.5 million[11]
UK: 840,000[b][13]
FRA: 275,000[b][15][16]
CAN: 150,000[b][17]

75 million[393]


document_title: Musical instrument classification

question_text: why can a piano be considered both a string and a percussion instrument

root

text: Musical instrument classification

text: Chinese classification[edit]

text: The oldest known scheme of classifying instruments is Chinese and dates from the 3rd millennium BC.[citation needed] It grouped instruments according to the materials they are made of. Instruments made of stone were in one group, those of wood in another, those of silk are in a third, and those of bamboo in a fourth, as recorded in the Yo Chi (record of ritual music and dance), compiled from sources of the Chou period (9th-5th centuries BC) and corresponding to the four seasons and four winds.[1][2]

tag: p

text: The eight-fold system of pa yin (八音 "eight sounds", "octave"), from the same source, occurred gradually, and in the legendary Emperor Zhun's time (3rd millennium BC) it is believed to have been presented in the following order: metal (chin), stone (shih), silk (ssu), bamboo (che), gourd (piao), clay (t'u), leather (hoes), and wood (mutt) classes, and it correlated to the eight seasons and eight winds of Chinese culture, autumn and west, autumn-winter and NW, summer and south, spring and east, winter-spring and NE, summer-autumn and SW, winter and north, and spring-summer and SE, respectively.[1]

text: However, the Chou-Li (Rites of Chou), an anonymous treatise compiled from earlier sources in about the 2nd century BC, had the following order: metal, stone, clay, leather, silk, wood, gourd, and bamboo. The same order was presented in the Tso Chuan (Commentary of Tso), attributed to Tso Chiu-Ming, probably compiled in the 4th century BC.[1]

text: Much later, Ming dynasty (14th-17th century) scholar Chu Tsai Yu recognized three groups: those instruments using muscle power or used for musical accompaniment, those that are blown, and those that are rhythmic, a scheme which was probably the first scholarly attempt, while the earlier ones were traditional, folk taxonomies.[3]

text: More usually, instruments are classified according to how the sound is initially produced (regardless of post-processing, i.e., an electric guitar is still a string-instrument regardless of what analog or digital/computational post-processing effects pedals may be used with it).

text: Western classification[edit]

text: The modern system divides instruments into wind, strings and percussion. It is of Greek origin (in the Hellenistic period, prominent proponents being Nicomachus and Porphyry). The scheme was later expanded by Martin Agricola, who distinguished plucked string instruments, such as guitars, from bowed string instruments, such as violins. Classical musicians today do not always maintain this division (although plucked strings are grouped separately from bowed strings in sheet music), but distinguish between wind instruments with a reed (woodwinds) and those where the air is set in motion directly by the lips (brass instruments).

text: Many instruments do not fit very neatly into this scheme. The serpent, for example, ought to be classified as a brass instrument, as a column of air is set in motion by the lips. However, it looks more like a woodwind instrument, and is closer to one in many ways, having finger-holes to control pitch, rather than valves.

text: Keyboard instruments do not fit easily into this scheme. For example, the piano has strings, but they are struck by hammers, so it is not clear whether it should be classified as a string instrument or a percussion instrument. For this reason, keyboard instruments are often regarded as inhabiting a category of their own, including all instruments played by a keyboard, whether they have struck strings (like the piano), plucked strings (like the harpsichord) or no strings at all (like the celesta).

text: It might be said that with these extra categories, the classical system of instrument classification focuses less on the fundamental way in which instruments produce sound, and more on the technique required to play them.

text: Various names have been assigned to these three traditional Western groupings:[1]:136–138, 157, notes for Chapter 10

text:
Boethius (5th and 6th centuries) labelled them intensione ut nervis, spiritu ut tibiis ("breath in the tube"), and percussione;
Cassiodorus, a younger contemporary of Boethius, used the names tensibilia, percussionalia, and inflatilia;
Roger Bacon (13th century) dubbed them tensilia, inflativa, and percussionalia;
Ugolino da Orvieto (14th and 15th centuries) called them intensione ut nervis, spiritu ut tibiis, and percussione;
Sebastien de Brossard (1703) referred to them as enchorda or entata (but only for instruments with several strings), pneumatica or empneousta, and krusta (from the Greek for hit or strike) or pulsatilia (for percussives);
Filippo Bonanni (1722) used vernacular names: sonori per il fiato, sonori per la tensione, and sonori per la percussione;
Joseph Majer (1732) called them pneumatica, pulsatilia (percussives including plucked instruments), and fidicina (from fidula, fiddle) (for bowed instruments);
Johann Eisel (1738) dubbed them pneumatica, pulsatilia, and fidicina;
Johannes de Muris (1784) used the terms chordalia, foraminalia (from foramina, "bore" in reference to the bored tubes), and vasalia (for "vessels");
Regino of Prum (1784) called them tensibile, inflatile, and percussionabile.
Ottoman encyclopedist Hadji Khalifa (17th century) also recognized the same three classes in his Kashf al-Zunun an Asami al-Kutub wa al-Funun ("Clarification and Conjecture About the Names of Books and Sciences"), a treatise on the origin and construction of musical instruments. but this was exceptional for Near Eastern writers as they mostly ignored the percussion group as did early Hellenistic Greeks, the Near Eastern culture traditionally and that period of Greek history having low regard for that group.[1]
The T'boli of Mindanao use the same three categories as well, but group the strings (t'duk) with the winds (nawa) together based on a gentleness-strength dichotomy (lemnoy-megel, respectively), regarding the percussion group (tembol) as strong and the winds-strings group as gentle. The division pervades T'boli thought about cosmology, social characters of men and women, and artistic styles.[1]

text: Mahillon and Hornbostel-Sachs systems[edit]

text: An ancient system of Indian origin, dating from the 4th or 3rd century BC, in the Natya Shastra, a theoretical treatise on music and dramaturgy, by Bharata Muni, divides instruments into four main classification groups: instruments where the sound is produced by vibrating strings (tata vadya, "stretched instruments"); instruments where the sound is produced by vibrating columns of air (susira vadya, "hollow instruments"); percussion instruments made of wood or metal (Ghana vadya, "solid instruments"); and percussion instruments with skin heads, or drums (avanaddha vadya, "covered instruments").

text: Victor-Charles Mahillon later adopted a system very similar to this. He was the curator of the musical instrument collection of the conservatoire in Brussels, and for the 1888 catalogue of the collection divided instruments into four groups: strings, winds, drums, and other percussion. This scheme was later taken up by Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs who published an extensive new scheme for classication in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie in 1914. Their scheme is widely used today, and is most often known as the Hornbostel-Sachs system (or the Sachs-Hornbostel system).

text: The original Sachs-Hornbostel system classified instruments into four main groups; the fifth group, electrophones, was added later by Sachs:

text:
idiophones, such as the xylophone, which produce sound by vibrating themselves;
membranophones, such as drums or kazoos, which produce sound by a vibrating membrane;
chordophones, such as the piano or cello, which produce sound by vibrating strings;
aerophones, such as the pipe organ or oboe, which produce sound by vibrating columns of air.
electrophones, such as the synthesizer or electric bass, which produce sound through electricity and is required to be plugged into an amplifier.

tag: ol

text: In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification of musical instruments, lamellophones are considered plucked idiophones, a category that includes various forms of jaw harp and the European mechanical music box, as well as the huge variety of African and Afro-Latin thumb pianos such as the mbira and marimbula.

text: Later Sachs added a fifth category, electrophones, such as theremins, which produce sound by electronic means.[4] Modern synthesizers and electronic instruments fall in this category. Within each category are many subgroups. The system has been criticised and revised over the years, but remains widely used by ethnomusicologists and organologists.

text: One notable example of this criticism is that there is care to be taken with electrophones, as some electronic instruments like the electric guitar (chordophone) and some electronic keyboards (sometimes idiophones or chordophones) can produce music without electricity or the use of an amplifier.

text: André Schaeffner[edit]

text: In 1932, comparative musicologist (ethnomusicologist) André Schaeffner developed a new classification scheme that was "exhaustive, potentially covering all real and conceivable instruments".[1]:176

text: Schaeffner's system has only two top-level categories which he denoted by Roman numerals:

text:
I: instruments that make sound from vibrating solids:
I.A: no tension (free solid, for example, xylophones, cymbals, or claves);
I.B: linguaphones (lamellophones) (solid fixed at only one end, such as a kalimba or thumb piano);
I.C: chordophones (solid fixed at both ends, i.e. strings such as piano or harp)); plus drums
II: instruments that make sound from vibrating air (such as clarinets, trumpets, or bull-roarers.)

text: The system agrees with Mahillon and Hornbostel-Sachs for chordophones, but groups percussion instruments differently.

text: 2nd-century Greek grammarian, sophist, and rhetoritician Julius Pollux, in the chapter called De Musica of his ten-volume Onomastikon, presented the two-class system, percussion (including strings) and winds, which persisted in medieval and postmedieval Europe. It was used by St. Augustine (4th and 5th centuries), in his De Ordine, applying the terms rhythmic (percussion and strings), organic (winds), and adding harmonic (the human voice); Isidore of Seville (6th to 7th centuries); Hugh of Saint Victor (12th century), also adding the voice; Magister Lambertus (13th century), adding the human voice as well; and Michael Praetorius (17th century).[1]:119–21,147

text: The Kpelle of West Africa also use this system. They distinguish the struck (yàle), including both beaten and plucked, and the blown (fêe).[1][5] The yàle group is subdivided into five categories: instruments possessing lamellas (the sanzas); those possessing strings; those possessing a membrane (various drums); hollow wooden, iron, or bottle containers; and various rattles and bells. The Hausa, also of West Africa, classify drummers into those who beat drums and those who beat (pluck) strings (the other four player classes are blowers, singers, acclaimers, and talkers),[6] Kartomi does not specify if these two classifications pre-date Schaeffner or Pollux. The concept, the way the person produces the sound, is human-centered, which is part of their traditional culture so presumably they at least pre-date Schaeffner.

text: The MSA (Multi-Dimensional Scalogram Analysis) of René Lysloff and Jim Matson,[7] using 37 variables, including characteristics of the sounding body, resonator, substructure, sympathetic vibrator, performance context, social context, and instrument tuning and construction, corroborated Schaeffner, producing two categories, aerophones and the chordophone-membranophone-idiophone combination.

text: Elementary organology[edit]

text: Another similar system is the five-class, physics-based organology that was presented by Steve Mann in 2007,[8] comprises Gaiaphones (Chordophones, Membranophones, and Idiophones), Hydraulophones, Aerophones, Plasmaphones, and Quintephones (electrically and optically produced music), the names referring to the five essences, earth, water, wind, fire and the quintessence, thus adding three new categories to the Schaeffner taxonomy.

text: Elementary organology, also known as physical organology, is a classification scheme based on the elements (i.e. states of matter) in which sound production takes place.[9][10] "Elementary" refers both to "element" (state of matter) and to something that is fundamental or innate (physical).[11][12] The elementary organology map can be traced to Kartomi, Schaeffner, Yamaguchi, and others,[11] as well as to the Greek and Roman concepts of elementary classification of all objects, not just musical instruments.[11]

text: Elementary organology categorizes musical instruments by their classical element, i.e.

text:
Element
State
Category

1
Earth
solids
gaiaphones
the first category proposed by Andre Schaeffner[13]

2
Water
liquids
hydraulophones

3
Air
gases
aerophones
the second category proposed by Andre Schaeffner[13]

4
Fire
plasmas
plasmaphones

5
Quintessence/Idea
informatics
quintephones

text: Range[edit]

text: Instruments can be classified by their musical range in comparison with other instruments in the same family. These terms are named after singing voice classifications:

text:
Soprano instruments: flute, clarinet, recorder, violin, trumpet, oboe, soprano saxophone
Alto instruments: alto flute, viola, French horn, natural horn, alto horn, alto saxophone, English horn
Tenor instruments: trombone, tenor saxophone
Baritone instruments: cello, baritone horn, bass clarinet, bassoon, baritone saxophone
Bass instruments: double bass, contrabassoon, tuba, bass saxophone

text: Some instruments fall into more than one category: for example, the cello may be considered either tenor or bass, depending on how its music fits into the ensemble, and the trombone may be alto, tenor, or bass and the French horn, bass, baritone, tenor, or alto, depending on which range it is played. In a typical concert band setting, the first alto saxophone covers soprano parts, while the second alto saxophone covers alto parts.

text: Many instruments include their range as part of their name: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, baritone horn, alto flute, bass flute, alto recorder, bass guitar, etc. Additional adjectives describe instruments above the soprano range or below the bass, for example: sopranino saxophone, contrabass clarinet.

text: When used in the name of an instrument, these terms are relative, describing the instrument's range in comparison to other instruments of its family and not in comparison to the human voice range or instruments of other families. For example, a bass flute's range is from C3 to F♯6, while a bass clarinet plays about one octave lower.

text: Other classifications[edit]

text: Instruments can be categorized according to a common use, such as signal instruments, a category that may include instruments in different Hornbostel-Sachs categories such as trumpets, drums, and gongs. An example based on this criterion is Bonanni (e.g., festive, military, and religious).[1] He separately classified them according to geography and era.

text: Jean-Benjamin de la Borde (1780) classified instruments according to ethnicity, his categories being black, Abyssinian, Chinese, Arabic, Turkisk, and Greek.[1]

text: Instruments can be classified according to the ensemble in which they play, or the role they play in the ensemble. For example, the horn section in popular music typically includes both brass instruments and woodwind instruments. The symphony orchestra typically has the strings in the front, the woodwinds in the middle, and the basses, brass, and percussion in the back.

text: Indonesian instruments[edit]

text: Classifications done for the Indonesian ensemble, the gamelan, were done by Jaap Kunst (1949), Martopangrawit, Poerbapangrawit, and Sumarsam (all in 1984).[1] Kunst described five categories: nuclear theme (cantus firmus in Latin and balungan ("skeletal ramework") in Indonesian); colotomic ( a word invented by Kunst) (interpunctuating), the gongs; countermelodic; paraphrasing (panerusan), subdivided as close to the nuclear theme and ornamental filling; agogic (tempo-regulating), drums.

text: R. Ng. Martopangrawit has two categories, irama (the rhythm instruments) and lagu (the melodic instruments), the former corresponds to Kunst's classes 2 and 5, and the latter to Kunst's 1, 3, and 4.

text: Kodrat Poerbapangrawit, similar to Kunst, derives six categories: balungan, the saron, demung, and slenthem; rerenggan (ornamental), the gendèr, gambang, and bonang); wiletan (variable formulaic melodic), rebab and male chorus (gerong); singgetan (interpunctuating); kembang (floral), flute and female voice; jejeging wirama (tempo regulating), drums.

text: Sumarsam's scheme comprises:

text:
an inner melodic group (lagu)(with a wide range), divided as
elaborating (rebab, gerong, gendèr (a metallophone), gambang (a xylophone), pesindhen (female voice), celempung (plucked strings), suling (flute));
mediating ( between the 1st and 3rd subdivisions (bonang (gong-chimes), saron panerus(a loud metallophone); and
abstracting (balungan, "melodic abstraction")( with a 1-octave range), loud and soft metallophones (saron barung, demung, and slenthem);
an outer circle, the structural group (gongs), which underlines the structure of the work;
and occupying the space outside the outer circle, the kendang, a tempo-regulating group (drums).

text: The gamelan is also divided into front, middle, and back, much like the symphony orchestra.

text: An orally-transmitted Javanese taxonomy has 8 groupings:[1]

text:
ricikan dijagur ("instruments beaten with a padded hammer," e.g., suspended gongs);
ricikan dithuthuk ("instruments knocked with a hard or semihard hammer," e.g., saron (similar to the glockenspiel) and gong-chimes);
ricikan dikebuk ("hand-beaten instruments", e.g., kendhang (drum);
ricikan dipethik ("plucked instruments");
ricikan disendal ("pulled instruments," e.g., trump harp with string mechanism);
ricikan dikosok ("bowed instruments");
ricikan disebul ("blown instruments");
ricikan dikocok ("shaken instruments").

text: A Javanese classification transmitted in literary form is as follows:[1]

text:
ricikan prunggu/wesi ("instruments made of bronze or iron");
ricikan kulit ("leather instruments", drums);
ricikan kayu ("wooden instruments");
ricikan kawat/tali ("string instruments");
ricikan bambu pring ("bamboo instruments", e.g., flutes).

text: This is much like the pa yin. It is suspected of being old but its age is unknown.

text: Minangkabau musicians (of West Sumatra) use the following taxonomy for bunyi-bunyian ("objects that sound"): dipukua ("beaten"), dipupuik ("blown), dipatiek ("plucked"), ditariek ("pulled"), digesek ("bowed"), dipusiang ("swung"). The last one is for the bull-roarer. They also distinguish instruments on the basis of origin because of sociohistorical contacts, and recognize three categories: Mindangkabau (Minangkabau asli), Arabic (asal Arab), and Western (asal Barat), each of these divided up according to the five categories. Classifying musical instruments on the basis sociohistorical factors as well as mode of sound production is common in Indonesia.[1]

text: The Batak of North Sumatra recognize the following classes: beaten (alat pukul or alat palu), blown (alat tiup), bowed (alat gesek), and plucked (alat petik) instruments, but their primary classification is of ensembles.[1]

text: West African instruments[edit]

text: In West Africa, tribes such as the Dan, Gio, Kpelle, Hausa, Akan, and Dogon, use a human-centered system. It derives from 4 myth-based parameters: the musical instrument's nonhuman owner (spirit, mask, sorcerer, or animal), the mode of transmission to the human realm (by gift, exchange, contract, or removal), the making of the instrument by a human (according to instructions from a nonhuman, for instance), and the first human owner. Most instruments are said to have a nonhuman origin, but some are believed invented by humans, e.g., the xylophone and the lamellophone.[1]

text: Kurt Reinhard[edit]

text: In 1960, German musicologist Kurt Reinhard presented a stylistic taxonomy, as opposed to a morphological one, with two divisions determined by either single or multiple voiced playing.[1] Each of these two divisions was subdivided according to pitch changeability (not changeable, freely changeable, and changeable by fixed intervals), and also by tonal continuity (discontinuous (as the marimba and drums) and continuous (the friction instruments (including bowed) and the winds), making 12 categories. He also proposed classification according to whether or not they had dynamic tonal variability, a characteristic that separates whole eras (e.g., the baroque from the classical) as in the transition from the terraced dynamics of the harpsichord to the crescendo of the piano, grading by degree of absolute loudness, timbral spectra, tunability, and degree of resonance.

text: Persia[edit]

text: Al-Farabi, Persian scholar of the 10th century, also distinguished tonal duration. In one of his four schemes, in his two-volume Kitab al-Musiki al-Kabir (Great Book of Music) he identified five classes, in order of ranking, as follows: the human voice, the bowed strings (the rebab) and winds, plucked strings, percussion, and dance, the first three pointed out as having continuous tone.

text: Ibn Sina, Persian scholar of the 11th century, presented a scheme in his Kitab al-Najat (Book of the Delivery), made the same distinction. He used two classes. In his Kitab al-Shifa (Book of Soul Healing), he proposed another taxonomy, of five classes: fretted instruments, unfretted (open) stringed, lyres and harps, bowed stringed, wind (reeds and some other woodwinds, such as the flute and bagpipe), other wind instruments such as the organ, and the stick-struck santur (a board zither). The distinction between fretted and open was in classic Persian fashion.