Chartmasters
Who are the best-selling female artists of all time? Bette Midler Did Not Make The List! Why?
Staff
April 18, 2025
Who are the best-selling female artists of all time? Plenty of lists are available online. They often share two problems: they are highly inaccurate and grossly incomplete. It’s time to fix that!
In fact, through the years many divas reached millions of listeners all over the world. Looking at the biggest names from the main markets like the US and the UK only provides partial results. On top of that, different music formats are rarely weighted consistently, which gives an unfair advantage to artists whose labels emphasize singles sales equivalents in their reporting. It creates pointless lists like the infamous best-selling artists’ page from Wikipedia.
This list ranks the 46 female artists who have sold over 50 million equivalent album sales (EAS), factoring in physical formats, digital downloads, and streaming. The diversity of eras and styles in this ranking spans pop icons, rock pioneers, R&B legends, and international superstars, giving a broad commercial view of female success in music history.
Reaching this threshold is an extraordinary achievement. Some huge names didn’t make the cut. Artists like Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez, Toni Braxton, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Sia, Kelly Clarkson, and Cardi B, despite chart-topping hits and awards, haven’t crossed the 50 million mark in total EAS. Even widely celebrated vocalists like Carole King, Bette Midler, Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, and Cyndi Lauper fall short, often due to shorter solo catalogs or limited streaming traction. Various local legends also miss the list despite amazing sales in their home countries, including Mina (Italy), Namie Amuro (Japan), or Xuxa (Brazil).
This underscores just how high the bar is for inclusion: sustained success across formats, markets, and decades is essential to break into this elite list. From legends of the vinyl age to streaming-age powerhouses, here is the bottom-to-top countdown based on their total EAS (Estimated Album Sales) figures!
- Best-selling female artists ranking
- #46 Mary J. Blige – 50.3 million EAS
- #45 Janis Joplin – 50.4 million EAS
- #44 Yumi Matsutoya – 50.4 million EAS
- #43 Avril Lavigne – 51.0 million EAS
- #42 Hikaru Utada – 51.1 million EAS
- #41 Tracy Chapman – 53.7 million EAS
- #40 Norah Jones – 54.9 million EAS
- #39 Nana Mouskouri – 55.2 million EAS
- #38 Alla Pugacheva – 55.3 million EAS
- #37 Lana Del Rey – 56.5 million EAS
- #36 Alicia Keys – 57.6 million EAS
- #35 Alanis Morissette – 59.2 million EAS
- #34 Christina Aguilera – 59.9 million EAS
- #33 Nicki Minaj – 60.1 million EAS
- #32 Reba McEntire – 62.3 million EAS
- #31 Ayumi Hamasaki – 62.6 million EAS
- #30 Diana Ross – 63.4 million EAS
- #29 Dolly Parton – 63.7 million EAS
- #28 Billie Eilish – 64.2 million EAS
- #27 Donna Summer – 65.3 million EAS
- #26 Olivia Newton-John – 65.9 million EAS
- #25 Miley Cyrus – 67.2 million EAS
- #24 Ella Fitzgerald – 67.9 million EAS
- #23 Linda Ronstadt – 68.8 million EAS
- #22 Gloria Estefan – 68.9 million EAS
- #21 Katy Perry – 74.9 million EAS
- #20 Cher – 75.1 million EAS
- #19 Tina Turner – 75.4 million EAS
- #18 Janet Jackson – 79.2 million EAS
- #17 Aretha Franklin – 82.9 million EAS
- #16 Shania Twain – 84.9 million EAS
- #15 P!nk – 85.3 million EAS
- #14 Ariana Grande – 87.2 million EAS
- #13 Shakira – 88.9 million EAS
- #12 Enya – 91.0 million EAS
- #11 Lady Gaga – 95.7 million EAS
- #10 Beyoncé – 109.0 million EAS
- #9 Adele – 116.2 million EAS
- #8 Britney Spears – 122.5 million EAS
- #7 Rihanna – 127.7 million EAS
- #6 Barbra Streisand – 154.0 million EAS
- #5 Whitney Houston – 161.3 million EAS
- #4 Mariah Carey – 196.5 million EAS
- #3 Céline Dion – 201.9 million EAS
- #2 Taylor Swift – 237.9 million EAS
- #1 Madonna – 252.0 million EAS
- The best-selling artists list, updated
Because I’ve been right all this time. Bette has always been this mix of independent artist who is so talented that eventually works in the mainstream…
Also, I hate lists LOL