Since 1996, the IFPI have awarded Platinum Europe Awards for albums that have sold at least one million copies in Europe.[ 1] Only albums released on or after 1 January 1994 are eligible for the award.[ 1] This is a list of the best-selling albums in Europe, having been certified Platinum five times or more.
List of best-selling albums in Europe of the IFPI Platinum Europe Awards
edit
Year
Artist
Album
Label
Sales
Certification [ 2] [ 1]
1995
Alanis Morissette
Jagged Little Pill
Maverick
7,000,000
7× Platinum
1997
Shania Twain
Come On Over
Mercury Nashville
7,000,000
7× Platinum
1998
Madonna
Ray of Light
Maverick /Warner
7,000,000
7× Platinum
1998
U2
The Best of 1980–1990
Island
7,000,000
7× Platinum
2002
Norah Jones
Come Away with Me
Blue Note
7,000,000
7× Platinum
Year
Artist
Album
Label
Sales
Certification [ 2] [ 1]
1997
Andrea Bocelli
Romanza
Island /Universal
6,000,000
6× Platinum
1997
The Corrs
Talk on Corners
Atlantic
6,000,000
6× Platinum
1996
Fugees
The Score
Ruffhouse /Columbia
6,000,000
6× Platinum
2000
Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP
Aftermath
6,000,000
6× Platinum
1998
George Michael
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
Sony
6,000,000
6× Platinum
2004
James Blunt
Back to Bedlam
Atlantic
6,000,000
6× Platinum
1995
Michael Jackson
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
Epic
6,000,000
6× Platinum
1995
Oasis
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Creation
6,000,000
6× Platinum
2004
Robbie Williams
Greatest Hits
EMI /Chrysalis
6,000,000
6× Platinum
2001
Robbie Williams
Swing When You're Winning
EMI /Chrysalis
6,000,000
6× Platinum
1999
Santana
Supernatural
Arista
6,000,000
6× Platinum
Year
Artist
Album
Label
Sales
Certification [ 2] [ 1]
1997
Spice Girls
Spiceworld
Virgin
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1999
Celine Dion
All the Way... A Decade of Song [ 3]
Epic
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1997
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet's Back
Jive
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2000
Barry White
The Ultimate Collection
Universal
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1995
Bruce Springsteen
Greatest Hits
Columbia
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2002
Coldplay
A Rush of Blood to the Head
Capitol /Parlophone
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2005
Coldplay
X&Y
Capitol /Parlophone
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2003
Dido
Life for Rent
Arista
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1999
Dido
No Angel
Arista
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1995
Elton John
Love Songs
Rocked
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2002
Eminem
The Eminem Show
Aftermath /Shady
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1997
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros
BMG
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1996
George Michael
Older
Virgin
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2000
Madonna
Music
Maverick /Warner
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1997
James Horner
Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture
Sony
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1995
Queen
Made in Heaven
Parlophone /EMI
5,000,000
5× Platinum
1998
Phil Collins
Hits
Atlantic
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2002
Robbie Williams
Escapology
EMI /Chrysalis
5,000,000
5× Platinum
2005
Robbie Williams
Intensive Care
EMI /Chrysalis
5,000,000
5× Platinum
Previously, IFPI, Music & Media awarded album sales in the Pan-European sphera like The Bodyguard soundtrack which earned 7× platinum, equivalent to 7 million copies. They also reported sales amount in the case of several album's artists in their regular articles.
*Positions based on claimed sales and release year.
Year
Artist
Album
Sales
Ref.
1982
Michael Jackson
Thriller
18,000,000
[ 4]
1992
Various artists/Whitney Houston
The Bodyguard
7,000,000
[ 5]
1987
Michael Jackson
Bad
6,700,000
[ 6]
1993
Mariah Carey
Music Box
6,000,000
[ 7]
1992
ABBA
ABBA Gold
5,600,000
[ 8]
1986
Madonna
True Blue
5,500,000
[ 9]
1988
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
5,000,000
[ 10]
1989
Madonna
Like a Prayer
5,000,000
[ 11]
1991
Michael Jackson
Dangerous
5,000,000
[ 12]
1993
Sheryl Crow
Tuesday Night Music Club
5,000,000
[ 13]
^ a b c d e f g h "Platinum Europe Awards - Terms and Conditions" (PDF) . IFPI . Retrieved 30 August 2014 .
^ a b c d e f "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards" . International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2013 .
^ a b c d Celine Dion's highest IFPI Platinum Europe Awards:
^ "Michael Jackson … continued" . Ebony . September 1987. p. 146. Retrieved December 18, 2022 – via Google Books.
^ "EUROPEAN TOP 100 ALBUMS Week 9/94" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 9. February 26, 1994. p. 13. Retrieved February 8, 2022 .
^ "Gold & Platinum Awards 1987" (PDF) . Music & Media . December 26, 1987. p. 16. Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ Tilli, Robert (December 22, 1994). "La Carey Picks The Right Song As Album Sales Point" (PDF) . Music & Media . p. 22. Retrieved May 13, 2022 .
^ Bakker, Machgiel (19 November 1993). "ABBA Is Still Thankful For The Music Via Boxed Set" (PDF) . Music & Media . p. 16. Retrieved 5 May 2022 .
^ Bakker, Machgiel (July 17, 1987). "Spotlight: Madonna Heads For 15th Triumph" (PDF) . Music & Media . p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021 .
^ "European Chart" (PDF) . Music & Media . February 3, 1990. p. 18. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^ "WEA Warnings On Madonna LP" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 19. May 4, 1990. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 19, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021 .
^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 43. October 23, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved December 6, 2021 .
^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF) . Music and Media . 17 June 1995: 25. Retrieved 14 March 2021 .