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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Very Best of Cream [Compilation] May 9, 1995 Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1992 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 9, 1989 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 9, 1988 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 16, 1991 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 3, 1970 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 15, 1971 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 26, 1973 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 15, 1974 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 6, 1974 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 14, 1996 Hard Rock, Alternative Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 8, 1999 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Mirror Ball: Live & More [Live] June 6, 2011 Hard Rock, Pop Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 20, 2003 Alternative Metal, Post-Hardcore | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 7, 1985 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Very Beast of Dio [Compilation] October 3, 2000 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 27, 2010 Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Beast From the East [Live] 1988 Pop Metal, Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 9, 2006 Power Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 7, 1992 Progressive Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Anywhere but Home [Live] November 23, 2004 Alternative Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 22, 1992 Hard Rock, Funk Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 8, 1992 Alternative Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Funk Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 6, 1989 Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 17, 2003 Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 6, 2007 Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Post-Grunge | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 16, 1992 Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 31, 2007 Groove Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 19, 2013 Groove Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 4, 2015 Groove Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Hot Blooded and Other Hits [Compilation] April 6, 2004 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 26, 1990 Blues Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Other Side [EP] March 16, 2004 Acoustic Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 25, 2006 Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 4, 2010 Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 25, 1969 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Mark, Don & Mel 1969-71 [Compilation] April 1972 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 1972 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 1974 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 1974 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Capitol Collectors Series [Compilation] February 26, 1991 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 26, 1991 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Live Era '87-'93 [Live] November 23, 1999 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 28, 2009 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 9, 2012 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 14, 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 1993 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Road Home [Live] November 1995 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Greatest Hits 1985-1995 [Compilation] June 27, 2000 Melodic Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 23, 1992 Heavy Metal, Groove Metal, Alternative Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 2006 Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 14, 2012 Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1969 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 1, 1981 Heavy Metal, NWOBHM | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 11, 1988 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 1, 1990 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Kettle Whistle [Compilation] November 4, 1997 Alternative Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 22, 2003 Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 1971 Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Hendrix in the West [Live] January 1972 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 1975 Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Live at Woodstock [Live] July 6, 1999 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection [Compilation] May 8, 2001 Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Live at the Greek [Live] July 4, 2000 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 1989 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 21, 1992 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 26, 1993 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Time³ [Boxed set] December 1, 1992 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Greatest Hits Live [Live] March 24, 1998 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 8, 1977 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 10, 1978 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 1978 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 17, 1981 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Priest... Live! [Live] June 29, 1987 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 17, 1988 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 3, 1990 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 1974 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 1974 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 1975 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1980 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 2004 Metalcore | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 21, 2006 Melodic Metalcore | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1988 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 1974 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 1974 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 1975 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Alive! [Live] October 1975 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 1980 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 10, 1982 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 16, 1985 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 17, 1989 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 19, 1992 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Alive III [Live] May 18, 1993 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | MTV Unplugged [Live] March 12, 1996 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! [Compilation] June 25, 1996 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 22, 1998 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Box Set [Boxed set] November 20, 2001 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Very Best of Kiss [Compilation] August 27, 2002 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 5, 2003 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 11, 2000 Nu Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
