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Best Selling Metal, Hard Rock Albums of All Time

The list below is based on RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) data
and reflects sales figures in the United States.
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Cover art Artist name / Album title Format Certified Units Certification
Led Zeppelin IV
November 8, 1971
Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock
Album23,000,00023x Multi-Platinum
Back in Black
August 18, 1980
Hard Rock
Album22,000,00022x Multi-Platinum
Appetite for Destruction
July 21, 1987
Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Album18,000,00018x Multi-Platinum
Boston
September 1976
Hard Rock
Album17,000,00017x Multi-Platinum
Physical Graffiti
February 24, 1975
Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock
Album16,000,00016x Multi-Platinum
Metallica
August 13, 1991
Heavy Metal
Album16,000,00016x Multi-Platinum
Greatest Hits
 [Compilation]
November 15, 1988
Hard Rock, AOR
Album15,000,00015x Multi-Platinum
Slippery When Wet
August 18, 1986
Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Album12,000,00012x Multi-Platinum
Hysteria
August 3, 1987
Hard Rock, AOR
Album12,000,00012x Multi-Platinum
Led Zeppelin II
October 22, 1969
Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Album12,000,00012x Multi-Platinum
Greatest Hits
 [Compilation]
August 1980
Hard Rock
Album11,000,00011x Multi-Platinum
Houses of the Holy
March 28, 1973
Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock
Album11,000,00011x Multi-Platinum
Hybrid Theory
October 24, 2000
Nu Metal, Rap Rock
Album11,000,00011x Multi-Platinum
Pyromania
January 20, 1983
Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Album10,000,00010x Multi-Platinum
Led Zeppelin
 [Boxed set]
October 29, 1990
Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Album10,000,00010x Multi-Platinum
Hi Infidelity
December 1980
Hard Rock
Album10,000,00010x Multi-Platinum
Van Halen
February 10, 1978
Hard Rock
Album10,000,00010x Multi-Platinum
1984
January 9, 1984
Hard Rock
Album10,000,00010x Multi-Platinum
Eliminator
1983
Hard Rock
Album10,000,00010x Multi-Platinum
Escape
August 1981
Melodic Hard Rock
Album9,000,0009x Multi-Platinum
Toys in the Attic
April 1975
Hard Rock
Album8,000,0008x Multi-Platinum
Led Zeppelin
January 12, 1969
Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Album8,000,0008x Multi-Platinum
...And Justice for All
August 25, 1988
Thrash Metal
Album8,000,0008x Multi-Platinum
Greatest Hits
 [Compilation]
November 2, 1981
Hard Rock
Album8,000,0008x Multi-Platinum
Whitesnake [aka 1987]
April 7, 1987
Hard Rock
Album8,000,0008x Multi-Platinum
Highway to Hell
August 1979
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Pump
September 1989
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Get a Grip
April 1993
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
New Jersey
September 13, 1988
Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Don't Look Back
August 1978
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Fallen
March 4, 2003
Alternative Metal, Gothic Metal, Nu Metal
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Double Vision
1978
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Records
 [Compilation]
November 19, 1982
Hard Rock, AOR
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Use Your Illusion I
September 17, 1991
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Use Your Illusion II
September 17, 1991
Hard Rock
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Significant Other
June 22, 1999
Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Hip Hop
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Meteora
March 25, 2003
Nu Metal, Rap Rock, Hip Hop
Album7,000,0007x Multi-Platinum
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
September 1976
Hard Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
4
1981
Melodic Hard Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Frontiers
February 1983
Melodic Hard Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Led Zeppelin III
October 5, 1970
Hard Rock, Folk Rock, Blues Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
In Through the Out Door
August 15, 1979
Hard Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water
October 15, 2000
Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Rap Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Ride the Lightning
July 27, 1984
Thrash Metal
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Master of Puppets
February 21, 1986
Thrash Metal
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
S&M
 [Live]
November 23, 1999
Thrash Metal
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Dr. Feelgood
September 1, 1989
Glam Metal, Hard Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Metal Health
March 11, 1983
Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
5150
March 24, 1986
Hard Rock
Album6,000,0006x Multi-Platinum
Who Made Who
 [Compilation]
May 19, 1986
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
The Razor's Edge
September 1990
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Permanent Vacation
August 1987
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Bad Company
June 15, 1974
Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
The Sickness
March 7, 2000
Nu Metal
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Foreigner
1977
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Head Games
1979
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
G N' R Lies
November 28, 1988
Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Acoustic Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Greatest Hits
 [Compilation]
March 23, 2004
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Heart
July 6, 1985
Hard Rock, AOR
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Follow the Leader
August 18, 1998
Nu Metal, Rap Metal
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Skynyrd's Innyrds: Their Greatest Hits
April 30, 1989
Southern Rock, Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Load
June 4, 1996
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Garage Inc.
November 24, 1998
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Open Up and Say...Ahh!
May 21, 1988
Glam Metal, Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Skid Row
January 24, 1989
Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Superunknown
April 8, 1994
Heavy Metal, Grunge
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Break the Cycle
May 22, 2001
Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-grunge
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Shake Your Money Maker
January 1990
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Are You Experienced?
May 12, 1967
Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Acid Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Van Halen II
March 23, 1979
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
Afterburner
1985
Hard Rock
Album5,000,0005x Multi-Platinum
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
November 1981
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Rocks
May 1976
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Big Ones
 [Compilation]
November 1, 1994
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Dirt
September 29, 1992
Grunge, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Asia
March 15, 1982
AOR, Progressive Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Paranoid
September 18, 1970
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Cross Road
 [Compilation]
October 18, 1994
Hard Rock, Pop Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Third Stage
October 1986
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits 1980-1995
October 13, 1995
Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Godsmack
August 25, 1998
Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
1968
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Leftoverture
October 21, 1976
Progressive Rock, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Point of Know Return
October 11, 1977
Progressive Rock, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
The Best of Kansas
 [Compilation]
September 1984
Progressive Rock, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
The Song Remains the Same
October 22, 1976
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Minutes to Midnight
May 15, 2007
Alternative Rock, Pop Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Shout at the Devil
September 26, 1983
Heavy Metal, Glam Metal, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Theatre of Pain
June 21, 1985
Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Girls, Girls, Girls
May 15, 1987
Heavy Metal, Glam Metal, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
The Downward Spiral
March 8, 1994
Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Blizzard of Ozz
September 20, 1980
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
No More Tears
October 19, 1991
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
News of the World
November 1, 1977
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
The Game
June 30, 1980
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
The Hits
 [Compilation]
1988
Melodic Metal, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Moving Pictures
January 7, 1981
Progressive Rock, Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
Diver Down
April 14, 1982
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
OU812
May 24, 1988
Hard Rock
Album4,000,0004x Multi-Platinum
High Voltage
 [Compilation]
April 1976
Hard Rock
Album3,000,0003x Multi-Platinum
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Info / Statistics
Artists : 47,723
Reviews : 10,474
Albums : 172,086
Lyrics : 218,435