List of best-selling albums in Canada explained

This is a list of the best-selling albums in Canada that have been certified by Music Canada, formerly known as Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).

Album certifications

Music Canada provides "certifications" for album sales, similar to the RIAA's. The certification levels for albums released after May 1, 2008, are:

800,000 units (previously 1,000,000) [1]

Note: Multi-Platinum certification refers to albums that have sold 160,000 units or more (i.e. 160,000 is double Platinum) but have not yet sold 800,000 units (Diamond certification).

Best-selling albums in Canada

Highest Certifications (Listed by Date of Certification)! Date of Certification !! Year !! Title !! Artist !! Certification !! Shipments/certified sales[2]
May 11, 2022 1982 Thriller 3× Diamond 3,000,000
November 12, 1996 1995 Jagged Little Pill 2× Diamond 2,000,000
July 30, 1987 1976 Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 2× Diamond 2,000,000
June 27, 1995 1977 Rumours 2× Diamond 2,000,000
June 28, 1995 1971 Led Zeppelin IV 2× Diamond 2,000,000
August 31, 1995 1977 Bat Out of Hell 2× Diamond 2,000,000
August 31, 1995 1979 The Wall 2× Diamond 2,000,000
April 9, 19991995 The Woman in Me 2× Diamond 2,000,000
January 21, 2000 1997Come On Over Shania Twain 2× Diamond 2,000,000
March 14, 2003 1973 The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd 2× Diamond 2,000,000
December 21, 20042002 Up! Shania Twain 2× Diamond 2,000,000
September 20, 20182011 21 2× Diamond 1,600,000
Since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began (1995–Present)! Rank !! Year !! Title !! Artist !! Certification !! Unit sales
1 1997 Come On Over Shania Twain 2× Diamond 1,948,000[3]
2 1997 Let's Talk About Love Diamond 1,492,000
3 2011 21 2× Diamond 1,489,000
4 1997 Big Shiny Tunes 2 Various Artists Diamond 1,233,000
5 2000 1 Diamond 1,231,000
6 2002 Up! Shania Twain 2× Diamond 1,134,000
7 1997 Romanza Diamond 1,133,000
82015 25 Diamond 1,093,000[4]
8 1997 Aquarium Diamond 1,093,000
9 1997 Surfacing Diamond 1,078,000
10 1999 Millennium Diamond 1,075,000
11 1997 Backstreet's Back Diamond 1,048,000[5]
Claimed sales! Year !! Title !! Artist !! Certification !! Sales
1982 Thriller 3× Diamond 2,400,000[6]
1997 Let's Talk About Love Diamond 1,700,000[7]
1996 Falling into You Diamond 1,600,000[8]
1978 Breakfast in America Diamond 1,500,000[9]
1993 The Colour of My Love Diamond 1,500,000[10]
1985 No Jacket Required Diamond 1,300,000[11]
1978 Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack) Various artists Diamond 1,300,000[12]
1994 The Lion King (1994 soundtrack) Various artists Diamond 1,200,000[13]
1978 Various artists Diamond 1,115,000[14]

Best-selling albums by year

2010s

YearPerforming artist(s)NationalityAlbumSalesclass=unsortableRef.
2010United States480,000[15]
2011United Kingdom850,000[16]
2012457,000[17]
2013United States242,000[18]
2014United States314,000[19]
2015United Kingdom860,000[20]
2016Canada196,000[21]
2017United Kingdom200,000[22]
2018Lady Gaga & Bradley CooperUnited States92,000[23]
2019Canada83,000[24]
2020United States62,000[25]
2021United Kingdom114,000[26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Certification Definitions. Music Canada. Music Canada. Music Canada. 2013-06-20. 2011-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20111115124252/http://www.musiccanada.com/certificationdefinitions.aspx. live.
  2. News: Music Canada Sales Certifications. Historica Canada. January 13, 2014. July 13, 2017. December 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151222104236/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-canada-sales-certifications/. live.
  3. News: 2014 Nielsen Music Canada Report. Nielsen SoundScan. January 15, 2015. July 13, 2017. February 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210041905/http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/public%20factsheets/Soundscan/year-end-2014-canada-music-report.pdf. live.
  4. Nielsen music: YEAR-END MUSIC REPORT. TOP 10 ALBUMS - ALBUM SALES. Billboard. 2020. 26 March 2021. 41.
  5. Web site: The Nielsen Company 2008 Canadian Music Industry Report. 7 January 2009. 23 October 2021. Reuters. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121114200459/https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/01/07/idUS228425%2B07-Jan-2009%2BBW20090107. 14 November 2012.
  6. Springsteen Big in Canada, Too. Billboard. 20 December 1986. 98. 51. 39. 0006-2510.
  7. Seagram, Dion Led Canadian Biz. Larry LeBlanc. Billboard. 61. 26 December 1998. 29 March 2023.
  8. Let's Talk About Sales. Billboard. 10 January 1998. 29 March 2023. 37.
  9. Anne Murray Nabs 4 Junos In Top Canada Competition. Billboard. World Radio History. David. Farrell. 62. 12 April 1980. 29 March 2023.
  10. 550's Celine Dion Takes Stardom to Next Level. Billboard. Chuck Taylor. Chuck Taylor (music journalist). 15. 9 November 1996. 29 March 2023.
  11. Web site: New Collins albums ships quarter million on rleease. RPM. 2. 2 December 1989. 5 May 2023.
  12. From The Music Capitals Of The World - Toronto. Billboard. David. Farrell. 64. 90. 33. 0006-2510. 19 August 1978. 29 March 2023.
  13. Disney Enjoys Success of Universal Canada Deal. Billboard. 8 April 2000. 29 March 2023. 51.
  14. Anne Murray Nabs 4 Junos In Top Canada Competition. Billboard. World Radio History. David. Farrell. 62. 12 April 1980. 29 March 2023.
  15. News: Eminem retakes No. 1 on charts. Toronto Sun. John. Williams. August 18, 2010. November 28, 2014. June 27, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150627170551/http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/music/2010/08/18/15062786.html. live.
  16. Web site: John Williams . CANOE - JAM! Music - Artists - Buble, Michael : Buble breaks own sales mark . Jam.canoe.ca . December 21, 2011 . November 28, 2014 . July 30, 2012 . https://archive.today/20120730025231/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/B/Buble_Michael/2011/12/21/19152716.html . usurped .
  17. Web site: Bliss. Karen. Adele, Gotye Top SoundScan Year-End Charts in Canada. Billboard.biz. November 28, 2014. February 19, 2013. https://archive.today/20130219182325/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/global/adele-gotye-top-soundscan-year-end-charts-1008085162.story. dead.
  18. Web site: Canada's Digital Music Sales Rise in 2013 Unlike the U.S.; Eminem, Robin Thicke Among Top Selling Artists. January 10, 2014. Billboard.biz. November 28, 2014. June 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150609051240/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/record-labels/5869529/canadas-digital-music-sales-rise-in-2013-unlike-the-us. live.
  19. Web site: Nielsen: Canada Loved Taylor Swift, Streaming Music and, Yep, Vinyl in 2014. Bliss, Karen. January 27, 2015. Billboard.com. June 7, 2015. January 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160130081816/http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6451045/nielsen-music-canada-report-2014-sales-streaming-data. live.
  20. Web site: Nielsen & Billboard's 2015 Canadian Music Industry Sales Report. January 8, 2016. FYIMusicNews. October 23, 2021. August 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811035921/https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2016/01/08/nielsen-billboard%E2%80%99s-2015-canadian-music-industry-sales-report. live.
  21. Drake Tops Canada's Year-End Charts. Billboard. 2021-10-23. 2021-01-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126224902/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7647679/drake-tops-canada-year-end-charts-nielsen-2016. live.
  22. Web site: Archived copy . 2019-07-29 . 2019-05-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190519155803/https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/sites/default/files/nielsen_music_2017_year-end_music_report_canada_final.pdf . live .
  23. Web site: Nielsen Music Canada's Year-End Insights & Trends. January 10, 2019. FYIMusicNews. July 29, 2019. February 7, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015444/https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2019/01/10/nielsen-music-canadas-year-end-insights-trends. live.
  24. Web site: Archived copy . 2020-07-07 . 2020-04-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200402131151/https://static.billboard.com/files/pdfs/NIELSEN_2019_YEARENDreportCANADA.pdf . live .
  25. Web site: Archived copy . 2021-01-13 . 2021-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210113205940/https://static.billboard.com/files/2021/01/MRC_Billboard_Year_End_2020_Canada-Final201.8.21-1610138843.pdf . live .
  26. Adele, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and the Weeknd Top MRC Data's 2021 Canadian Year-End Report . 2022-01-07 . .

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