The 90s was a decade with its own unique style. Perhaps one of the best places to find that is through music.
Listen to the best jams of the decade on Audacy's The 90s
Many genres and subgenres that we've grown to love today got their start in the 90s. Across all genres, there were a plethora of notable releases that have gone on to earn their rightful place on various "greatest of all time" lists.
With all the great releases that came out during the decade, it got us thinking… Who are the best-selling artists of the 90s? Using data gathered by ChartMasters, here's a list of the top 10 selling artists of the 1990s.
While you're perusing the list, be sure to turn up The 90s, Audacy's station to the best music from that memorable decade!
10.Shania Twain
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for dcp)Twain saw success with her first two records, her self-titled debut and The Woman in Me, but she became a superstar with her third album Come On Over. The album is the best-selling album by a solo female artist and one of the best-selling albums of all time.
9.Madonna
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS)Madonna was already a full blown star by the time the 90s arrived as she continued her success throughout the decade. She had three chart-topping albums in Erotica, Bedtime Stories, and Ray of Light, as well as the release of her first greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection, which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
8.Backstreet Boys
(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)The Backstreet Boys didn't make their entrance until the end of the decade, but they became a household name in no time. Their 1997 self-titled debut and 1999 follow up Millennium have sold nearly 25 million copies since they've been released.
7.Metallica
(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)Metallica released one of the great rock albums of all time as their 1991 self-titled record, also known as The Black Album, has sold more than 16 million copies since its release. While Metallica would release two more albums in the 90s, The Black Album was responsible for much of their success.
6.Michael Jackson
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)Michael Jackson was already labeled "The King of Pop" by the time the 90s arrived as his 1991 record Dangerous only reinforced that notion. The album has sold more than 32 copies worldwide and has been certified 8x platinum by the RIAA since its release.
5.Nirvana
(Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)Nirvana completely changed the game and brought grunge to the forefront with their 1991 album Nevermind. One of the great albums in the history of music, the record has been certified a stunning 10X platinum since it was released. Nirvana's final album In Utero also saw tremendous success and has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
4.Whitney Houston
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Whitney Houston had a pair of hit albums in the 90s as both I'm Your Baby Tonight and My Love Is Your Love have gone quadruple platinum. However, it was her soundtrack to the 1992 film The Bodyguard that landed Houston this high up the list. It's the best-selling soundtrack of all time and has astonishingly sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.
3.Garth Brooks
(Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images)Brooks was arguably the biggest artist in country music in the 90s as he became one of the best-selling artists of all time. During the decade, he released seven studio albums, two holiday albums, and one album where he took on a different persona. The RIAA named Brooks the best-selling solo artist of the 20th century.
2.Mariah Carey
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)Mariah Carey made her debut in 1990 and it was hit after hit after hit from there. With a total of seven studio albums released during the decade, she's sold tens of millions of records worldwide. The decade also saw Carey release one of the best-selling singles of all time in "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
1.Celine Dion
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)With over 200 million album sales to her name, Celine Dion got her breakthrough in the 90s as her albums Falling into You and Let's Talk About Love are among the best-selling albums of all time. Aside from the smash success of her album's, Dion released one of the best-selling singles of all time as "My Heart Will Go On" from the Titanic soundtrack has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide.
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