The 5 Best-Selling Artists In Rock History

Every few years, somebody proclaims that rock is dead. It isn't an accurate statement in the slightest, because even though the genre might not be hitting the great summits it once did in the past, it's far from rotting in the grave and needing a eulogy. As a matter of fact, the best-selling artist of all time remains a rock band — so, explain that!

According to ChartMasters, five rock 'n' roll acts feature among the top 10 best-sellers. ChartMasters uses equivalent album sales as the main measurement, which takes into consideration album and single sales, digital downloads, and streaming data. It isn't exactly rocket science to figure out the five names here, as they all achieved unprecedented levels of fame and success in their respective heydays. However, it's even more impressive when you consider they stand toe-to-toe against pop juggernauts like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Taylor Swift, who could go to No. 1 on the charts if they released a compilation of burps and armpit farts.

With that being said, this one is for all those who love to shake, rattle, and roll. Let's check out the five best-selling artists in rock history!

As experimental as they come, Pink Floyd brought an artsy side to rock that has become loved and adored by millions of fans across the globe. Asking someone to name their favorite album from the band is like asking a person to choose their favorite child. However, if you did ask, get used to hearing 1973's "The Dark Side of the Moon" or 1979's "The Wall."

In terms of the former, not only is "Dark Side of the Moon" considered one of the classic albums that define prog rock, but it is also estimated to have sold around 45 millions copies as of 2013 (according to Billboard). Look, this number shouldn't surprise anybody who has been paying attention to the chart side of music, especially since the album stayed on the Billboard 200 for almost 1,000 weeks — that's literally 19 years!

Thanks to the monumental successes of this album, alongside "The Wall" (which sold 30 million copies), Pink Floyd find themselves as the eighth best-selling artist of all time, with more than 252 million shifted in terms of equivalent album sales on the ChartMasters list. This puts them ahead of class musicians like Frank Sinatra and Eminem. One could say that all in all, Pink Floyd were never just another brick in the wall of rock history.

Mick Jagger claimed he couldn't get no satisfaction, but surely he and the Rolling Stones must be satisfied with being the fourth best-selling rock artist ever? Their inclusion on this list is no surprise, since they're widely regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time. They have also been around since the early '60s, so they were bound to have sold a couple of albums along the way.

According to ChartMasters, the Stones edge out Pink Floyd with over 253 million sales in equivalent album sales. Undoubtedly, this number was boosted by the performance of 1971's "Sticky Fingers," which is the band's best-selling album and sold over 22 million copies. It spent 69 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, only being bested by 1978's "Some Girls," which reached 88 weeks.

What's the secret to their endurance in a normally cruel and ruthless music industry that swaps out fads faster than common sense? "Well, I think the Stones are very lucky," Jagger told CNN. "You always need a lot of luck. And I think they were in the right place at the right time. And when we work, we work very hard. So I think you need all those things. You know, there's no good just being hard-working because lots of people are hard-working. But you've got to be hard-working, on your game and be lucky."

Queen promised that they would rock us, and that's exactly what they did. From "Bohemian Rhapsody" to "Another One Bites the Dust," the band built a dynasty of undisputed iconic songs that continues to be celebrated. Their reward for creating sensational and timeless music? The position of the third best-selling artist in rock history and fourth overall in music as a whole.

As per ChartMasters, Queen has over 293 million equivalent album sales. Taylor Swift is less than 20 million albums behind, though, so don't be surprised if she overtakes the classic British rock band at some point, thanks to her army of Swifties.

In terms of Queen's biggest single, "Bohemian Rhapsody" remains unmatched on the digital frontier, with the beloved singalong track being bought over 9 million times. "A Night at the Opera" — the 1975 album it's from — also happens to be the band's highest-selling record, with 44 million units sold. Incredibly, it wasn't even that much of a sensation on the Billboard 200, only peaking at No. 4 and sticking around for 57 weeks. Compared to other albums from the band, it wasn't that impressive of a feat. No matter, because Queen laughed all the way to the bank while doing the fandango.

You do know that Elvis Presley is called the King of Rock 'n' Roll for a reason, right? His name being among the best-selling artists in rock history should not just be the expectation — it's mandatory for the legitimacy of the genre.

Elvis had his biggest year in 1960, as well as countless hit songs, such as "All Shook Up" and "Hound Dog." Fans debate over which is the quintessential classic, but do you know which was his best-selling album? 1957's "Elvis' Christmas Album," which sold over 36 million units around the globe. Although, he might not be considered the King of Holidays, since that title belongs to Mariah Carey, whose "All I Want for Christmas Is You" song has pulled in billions of streams.

According to ChartMasters, Elvis has achieved the milestone of over 327 million in equivalent album sales. The King saw a lot of gold in his career, but it always felt surreal to him, as he revealed to the London Evening Standard (via Elvis Australia) in 1969. "Sometimes when I walk into a room at home and see all those gold records hanging around the walls I think they must belong to another person," he said. "Not me. I just can't believe it's me."

Beatlemania wasn't just about music — it was a pop culture movement. In the '60s, the Beatles achieved superstardom that nobody had ever achieved before. Unlike nowadays, where people maybe throw a "like" on a group's song on social media, fans bought (and continue to buy) anything that the band put out into the world. In fact, the Beatles had so many No. 1 songs that we forgot about, securing 20 top spots on the Billboard Hot 100 and 19 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.

In terms of records, 1969's "Abbey Road" is still their best-selling album, with over 61 million copies sold. In addition to this, it stuck around on the Billboard 200 for 507 weeks, which translates to nearly 10 years on the chart.

As a result of all this success, the Beatles stand tall as the best-selling artist in both rock and music history, with over 527 million in equivalent album sales listed on ChartMasters. The nearest musician to them is Michael Jackson, but he still lags far behind with 365 million. Will the Beatles ever be topped by any other artist? Never say never, but it's highly unlikely that any group will ever be able to come together to have the influence (and sales records) that the Beatles had.