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.
and reflects sales figures in the United States.
| Cover art | Artist name / Album title | Format | Certified Units | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | November 8, 1971 Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock | Album | 23,000,000 | 23x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 18, 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 22,000,000 | 22x Multi-Platinum |
 | July 21, 1987 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 18,000,000 | 18x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 1976 Hard Rock | Album | 17,000,000 | 17x Multi-Platinum |
 | February 24, 1975 Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock | Album | 16,000,000 | 16x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 13, 1991 Heavy Metal | Album | 16,000,000 | 16x Multi-Platinum |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] November 15, 1988 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 15,000,000 | 15x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 18, 1986 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 12,000,000 | 12x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 3, 1987 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 12,000,000 | 12x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 22, 1969 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 12,000,000 | 12x Multi-Platinum |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] August 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 11,000,000 | 11x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 28, 1973 Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock | Album | 11,000,000 | 11x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 24, 2000 Nu Metal, Rap Rock | Album | 11,000,000 | 11x Multi-Platinum |
 | January 20, 1983 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 10,000,000 | 10x Multi-Platinum |
 | Led Zeppelin [Boxed set] October 29, 1990 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 10,000,000 | 10x Multi-Platinum |
 | December 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 10,000,000 | 10x Multi-Platinum |
 | February 10, 1978 Hard Rock | Album | 10,000,000 | 10x Multi-Platinum |
 | January 9, 1984 Hard Rock | Album | 10,000,000 | 10x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1983 Hard Rock | Album | 10,000,000 | 10x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 1981 Melodic Hard Rock | Album | 9,000,000 | 9x Multi-Platinum |
 | April 1975 Hard Rock | Album | 8,000,000 | 8x Multi-Platinum |
 | January 12, 1969 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 8,000,000 | 8x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 25, 1988 Thrash Metal | Album | 8,000,000 | 8x Multi-Platinum |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] November 2, 1981 Hard Rock | Album | 8,000,000 | 8x Multi-Platinum |
![Whitesnake [aka 1987]](/thumb/album2/2018/02/6/345.jpg) | April 7, 1987 Hard Rock | Album | 8,000,000 | 8x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 1979 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 1989 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | April 1993 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 13, 1988 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 1978 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 4, 2003 Alternative Metal, Gothic Metal, Nu Metal | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1978 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | Records [Compilation] November 19, 1982 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 17, 1991 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 17, 1991 Hard Rock | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | June 22, 1999 Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Hip Hop | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 25, 2003 Nu Metal, Rap Rock, Hip Hop | Album | 7,000,000 | 7x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 1976 Hard Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1981 Melodic Hard Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | February 1983 Melodic Hard Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 5, 1970 Hard Rock, Folk Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 15, 1979 Hard Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 15, 2000 Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Rap Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | July 27, 1984 Thrash Metal | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | February 21, 1986 Thrash Metal | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | S&M [Live] November 23, 1999 Thrash Metal | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 1, 1989 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 11, 1983 Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 24, 1986 Hard Rock | Album | 6,000,000 | 6x Multi-Platinum |
 | Who Made Who [Compilation] May 19, 1986 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 1990 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 1987 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | June 15, 1974 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 7, 2000 Nu Metal | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1977 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1979 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | November 28, 1988 Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Acoustic Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] March 23, 2004 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | July 6, 1985 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 18, 1998 Nu Metal, Rap Metal | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | Skynyrd's Innyrds: Their Greatest Hits [Compilation] April 30, 1989 Southern Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | June 4, 1996 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | November 24, 1998 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 21, 1988 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | January 24, 1989 Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | April 8, 1994 Heavy Metal, Grunge | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 22, 2001 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-grunge | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | January 1990 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 12, 1967 Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Acid Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 23, 1979 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1985 Hard Rock | Album | 5,000,000 | 5x Multi-Platinum |
 | November 1981 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 1976 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | Big Ones [Compilation] November 1, 1994 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 29, 1992 Grunge, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 15, 1982 AOR, Progressive Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 18, 1970 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | Cross Road [Compilation] October 18, 1994 Hard Rock, Pop Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 1986 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits 1980-1995 [Compilation] October 13, 1995 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | August 25, 1998 Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | 1968 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 21, 1976 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 11, 1977 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | The Best of Kansas [Compilation] September 1984 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | The Song Remains the Same [Live] October 22, 1976 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 15, 2007 Alternative Rock, Pop Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 26, 1983 Heavy Metal, Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | June 21, 1985 Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 15, 1987 Heavy Metal, Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | March 8, 1994 Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | September 20, 1980 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | October 19, 1991 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | November 1, 1977 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | June 30, 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | The Hits [Compilation] 1988 Melodic Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | January 7, 1981 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | April 14, 1982 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | May 24, 1988 Hard Rock | Album | 4,000,000 | 4x Multi-Platinum |
 | High Voltage [Compilation] April 1976 Hard Rock | Album | 3,000,000 | 3x Multi-Platinum |
