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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | June 7, 2005 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | February 21, 1976 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1990 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1984 Hard Rock, AOR, Pop Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | February 13, 1970 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 25, 1972 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | December 1, 1973 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 25, 1980 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Reunion [Live] October 20, 1998 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | May 1976 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Some Enchanted Evening [Live] September 1978 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | January 21, 1984 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | March 27, 1985 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 27, 1995 Hard Rock, Pop Rock, AOR | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 20, 2005 Pop Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 19, 2007 Country Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] November 1, 2010 Hard Rock, Pop Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 7, 1994 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 29, 2004 Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | August 8, 2006 Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 29, 2009 Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 11, 2006 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1977 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1978 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | October 1979 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1988 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | The Greatest Hits [Compilation] October 1, 1991 Hard Rock, Power Pop | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 2002 Alternative Metal, Progressive Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 20, 1990 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 1967 Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 1968 Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream [Compilation] February 1983 Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Crazy From the Heat [EP] January 28, 1985 Pop Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | July 7, 1986 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | January 21, 1988 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Made in Japan [Live] December 14, 1972 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Deepest Purple: The Very Best Of Deep Purple [Compilation] 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 12, 1984 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | March 14, 1980 Hard Rock, NWOBHM | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Retro Active [Compilation] October 5, 1993 Hard Rock, Pop Rock, Acoustic Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection [Compilation] May 17, 2005 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Pop Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | October 3, 1995 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | October 28, 1997 Alternative Metal, Nu Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 20, 2000 Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | May 23, 1983 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | August 29, 1984 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 3, 2008 Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | August 21, 2015 Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 13, 1984 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 5, 1985 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 27, 1987 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 5, 2001 Nu Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | August 9, 1988 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 20, 1989 Funk Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 22, 2009 Groove Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | October 11, 2011 Groove Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | July 30, 2013 Groove Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1987 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Complete Greatest Hits [Compilation] May 7, 2002 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 18, 1978 Hard Rock, Glam Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 8, 2003 Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | December 29, 1969 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 15, 1971 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 15, 1971 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | July 15, 1973 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | July 1987 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 23, 1993 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 25, 2008 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | March 1976 Pop Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 1978 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | The Essential Heart [Compilation] November 26, 2002 Melodic Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 2001 Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | March 22, 1982 Heavy Metal, NWOBHM | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | May 16, 1983 Heavy Metal, NWOBHM | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 3, 1984 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Live After Death [Live] October 14, 1985 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 26, 1986 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | August 23, 1988 Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Funk Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | March 5, 1971 Psychedelic Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Blues [Compilation] April 1994 Blues Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | October 15, 1987 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | October 22, 1996 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 3, 2008 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Unleashed in the East [Live] September 17, 1979 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 14, 1980 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | January 24, 1984 Heavy Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | April 14, 1986 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Two for the Show [Live] 1978 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | 1979 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 11, 1976 Hard Rock, Glam Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | July 1977 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Double Platinum [Compilation] April 2, 1978 Hard Rock, Glam Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | May 23, 1979 Hard Rock, Glam Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 18, 1983 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 13, 1984 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 18, 1987 Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | September 19, 1988 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | June 11, 2002 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | November 21, 2003 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
 | Greatest Hits Vol. 1 [Compilation] October 5, 2004 Nu Metal | Album | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
