What is the criteria for an album to be included in the list of best-selling albums?
Q: What is the criteria for an album to be included in the list of best-selling albums?
A: The album must have sold at least 20 million copies worldwide and the figure must have been published by a reliable source.
Q: How are the albums grouped in the list?
A: The albums are grouped based on different sales benchmarks, with the highest benchmark being for claims of at least 100 million copies and the lowest for claims of 20-29 million copies.
Q: What types of albums are included in the list?
A: All types of albums, including studio, greatest hits, compilation, various artists, soundtrack and remix, are included in the list.
Q: What are some of the issues that make it difficult to calculate exact sales figures?
A: Historical data before the 1980s and from developing countries is incomplete, and fans, record companies and the media are prone to making the figures higher than they actually are to boost the image of the act.
Q: Does the list take into account the resale of used albums?
A: No, the list does not take into account the resale of used albums.
Q: What is the highest reported sales for an album on the list?
A: The highest reported sales for an album on the list is for Michael Jackson's Thriller, which is cited as selling as many as 110 million copies worldwide.
Q: Is the list affected by the emergence of illegal downloading of digital music?
A: Yes, the list is affected by the emergence of illegal downloading of digital music as it does not take this into account.
