Eminem: Best-Selling Artist Of The Decade

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Marshall has sold a combined 32.2 million albums in the 2000’s. Men lie, women lie— well, you know the rest. Read ’em in weep haters.

1. The Beatles, 1, 11,499,000 units sold
2. ‘NSYNC, No Strings Attached, 11,112,000 units sold
3. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me, 10, 546,000 units sold
4. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP, 10,204,000 units sold
5. Eminem, The Eminem Show, 9,799,000 units sold

6. Usher, Confessions, 9,712,000 units sold
7. Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory, 9,663,000 units sold
8. Creed, Human Clay, 9,491,000 units sold
9. Britney Spears, Oops! … I Did It Again, 9,185,000 units sold
10. Nelly, Country Grammar, 8,461,000 units sold

MTV

Previously: Billboard’s One-Hit Wonders Of The Decade | EW’s Top Albums Of The Decade

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  1. LOL. Where’s 50 Cent? I thought that nigga sold diamond on 2 of his albums? Nigga is a frawd. Bawse.

  2. jamie says:

    @ Boondock

    That Was Probs Worldwide Sales.

    This Is Only Sales In America.

    Coz eminem Has Sold over 80 Million Worldwidee

  3. Ocho Cinco says:

    list should say ‘USA Only’

    ahem…. there happens to be 6.3 Billion people who don’t live in the in the good ol US of A

    50/GUnit = 55,000,000 worldwide in 6 years….

    dig in u coons!

  4. Johan says:

    Am I seeing things or those that list say that The Beatles over 1 BILLION records???

  5. B.Dot says:

    ^
    YEAH! crazy right?!

  6. Police says:

    Man that N Sync CD = classic son. I’m one of those 11 million people dat bought dat shit

  7. POW says:

    eminem has sold over 95 millionen worldwide

  8. Police says:

    Yeah son. The Beatles and Elvis are the highest selling acts of all-time, I think. My moms is a big Beatles fan she even got dem shits on vinyl.

  9. Pain says:

    Like everyone else pointed out, this must just be American sales

  10. B.Dot says:

    @ Johan

    ^
    Correction, the Beatles arent a Billion sales…they had an album called “1”

  11. llll says:

    yeah…where jay at???hahahaha!!

    congrats em…men lie women lie, numbers don’t!!

  12. B.Dot says:

    ^
    Jay-Z isn’t a “BIG” album seller…he’s guranteed to do a million based off fan base alone tho. His highest selling was Vol.2 that did like 6 million +

  13. lovely says:

    What’s crazy is Marshall has been gone from solo projects for almost half the decade!!!

  14. Police says:

    lovely: which makes it even more impressive right

  15. jjc says:

    Pretty sure Beatles says 11million and not 11 billion. the “1” just means they number #1

  16. mikey says:

    em is the best rapper alive easily

  17. jus listen says:

    god.. the album cover of marshall mathers LP a masterpiece

  18. koa29 says:

    Em > Jay .. not only in sales, but in quality of work also. Dunno why people still talk about Jay-Z has being the “GOAT”… em can murder the guy.. when’s the last time you’ve heard a Jay freestyle? Em spits like no other, and comes up with the wittiest punchlines while also having the ability to write deep tracks like Sing For The Moment, Beautiful, The Way I am… list goes on

  19. kira says:

    crazy number. Em is the best seller this decade worldwide too, with over 70 millions this decade. And to think he’s only active in half decade since he took like 5 years off. Damn Marshall=LEGEND

  20. Police says:

    The damage is done so I guess I’ll be leaving.

  21. mmkayy says:

    lovely says:
    Wednesday, December 09 2009 at 9:05 AM EST
    What’s crazy is Marshall has been gone from solo projects for almost half the decade!!!

    ^ ahaha neva thought of that..

  22. Page says:

    Where is Michael Jackson this list??

  23. koa29 says:

    I forgot to add in their live performance comparisons.. Em raps like he raps over the tracks… Jay basically screams his raps when he’s live.. it’s really annoying actually.

  24. B.Dot says:

    Where is Michael Jackson this list??
    ^
    Mike only released that “Invincible” album this decade

  25. girlzluvme says:

    Jay also gets the biggest return per record. em not so much but 50 is on a label thats on a label that belongs to another label

  26. JayJay says:

    Damn AND the white boy been out the game for like 5 years….APPLAUD HIM!!

  27. Jessica says:

    EMINEM IS LEGEND.

    and LOL at the comment towards the top, “the beatles” havent sold 1 billion LOL, 365 million, the number “1” was there album title consisting of their number 1 singles.

    Best Sellers Worldwide 00’s:

    1.Eminem: 75.9m
    2.Britney: 49.8m

    http://fanofmusic.free.fr/BestSellersWorldActs

  28. girlzluvme says:

    And Jay also buys his own records

  29. mmkayy says:

    girlzluvme says:
    Wednesday, December 09 2009 at 9:45 AM EST
    Jay also gets the biggest return per record. em not so much but 50 is on a label thats on a label that belongs to another label

    ^ lets not forget the 5 milli Jay had to give up now…

    Refill will surely push that 76 million up lol

  30. yaboitone says:

    LMFAO. Niggaz step ya music game up? Gotta know the past before u can fully appreciate and give credit in the future. How the FUCK did niggaz not know THE NUMBER ONE SELLING MUSIC GROUP OF ALL TIME had an album called “ONE?” lol. But niggaz always wanna act like they know some shit. and read 48laws if u try to clown a nigga cuz he knows the beatles catalog. just means u don’t have any fu***n sense.

    props to the boi Em. Probably the greatest “rap technician” alive.

  31. yaboitone says:

    i take that back…DEFINATELY the greatest “rap technician” alive.

  32. girlzluvme says:

    EVERYONE likes the Beatles, no shame in that

  33. mac DIESEL says:

    DAMN, THAT’S ALOT OF FUCKIN’ RECORDS!!! U GOTTA GIVE EM HIS PROPS!!! I DON’T CARE FOR RECORD SALES BUT THAT’S A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!!

    DON’T HATE ON MY OPINION!!!!!

  34. NIRUS XHONDA says:

    OKAY THAT GOTS TO BE AMERICAN SALES ONLY CAUSE I KNOW FOR A FAN NORAH JONES SOLD 20 MILL WORLDWIDE…GOOD TO SEE NELLY ON THAT JOINT BUT EMINEM RUNS THAT LIST TWO ALBUMS WELL DAMN LOL

  35. Interscope Employee says:

    I love Eminem…real talk!! I’ve seen this nigga grow as an artist and as an individual

    BEST SELLIN ARTIST OF THE DECADE…!!! INTERSCOPE WE DOING IT BIGGG AS USUAL

  36. whoaaaaa says:

    wow nice thats alot of albums….and Eminem has been gone for 5 years…….just think that number could have been doubled……..possibly 50 million albums if he dropped albums like jayz every other year

  37. Black Power says:

    My brothaz!!! You are supporting the White Devil!!! You should be supporting the likes of Jay-Z. We shouldn’t let a white chickenshit take over!

    It’s easy to sell if you are white, take Ace Hood and paint him white and look at him sell bazillions. We should not support the white man. Black Power Forever!

  38. generalses says:

    THE WHOLE POINT HERE IS THAT HIPHOP WON !
    PEOPLE WE WENT FROM BEING OBSOLETE AS A CULTURE TO BEING A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
    SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE WAY SHOWERS PAC,EM,JAY,B.I.G,ETC
    RAP RULES HAIL HIPHOP!

  39. The Editor says:

    The people who bought Em records may have never bought a rap record before or sense, not to say it is racial or anything in that manner but it is cultural; different strokes for different folks, always.

    And if it was not for bootlegs in certain communities, 50, Jay, Nas, etc would have sold a boatload more albums, tell me every Jay album you did not see the bootleg first, same with 50, Nas, whoever, now tell me you ever saw a bootleg Em album, ever

  40. KingPoetic says:

    Wait, how is 50 not on this list?

  41. Roy says:

    Yo, I don’t care if Em’s white or not. That’s an accomplishment. I mean think about it, this isn’t just rap here. We’re not talking about just hip hop. This guy has sold more than the Beatles this decade, Britney, etc. He beat EVERYONE. And most of them are white. Don’t bring up the race card. That’s another way to take away what he’s done. I’ve been done with this white black shit. Props to Em. He goes hard. His new album may not be amazing, but yo in the hip hop community that album is underrated. Minus the stans, that shit gets mad hate. It’s a solid album. Yea, I’m not into that incest shit either, but that’s one song. Whoever called him white devil should shut his mouth. I think Em has done more than enough to gain hip hop’s respect. Everyone in here should respect him. You may not like his music, but yo, numbers don’t lie. People shouldn’t even view him as a white rapper anymore. Simplify it. Em is a rapper. Just like anyone else. Props to you homie. Good job.

  42. JaYSoN says:

    Thats what i’m talking about Eminem is dope as fuck fair play to him

  43. TheTruth says:

    @Roy

    Yo, I don’t care if Em’s white or not. That’s an accomplishment. I mean think about it, this isn’t just rap here. We’re not talking about just hip hop. This guy has sold more than the Beatles this decade, Britney, etc. He beat EVERYONE. And most of them are white. Don’t bring up the race card. That’s another way to take away what he’s done. I’ve been done with this white black shit. Props to Em. He goes hard. His new album may not be amazing, but yo in the hip hop community that album is underrated. Minus the stans, that shit gets mad hate. It’s a solid album. Yea, I’m not into that incest shit either, but that’s one song. Whoever called him white devil should shut his mouth. I think Em has done more than enough to gain hip hop’s respect. Everyone in here should respect him. You may not like his music, but yo, numbers don’t lie. People shouldn’t even view him as a white rapper anymore. Simplify it. Em is a rapper. Just like anyone else. Props to you homie. Good job.

    —————————————————————————————————————————-

    ROY SAYS IT ALL. Ever since I heard the news all I been hearing is “Em’s white”..or “whatever, 2pac sold more” and all this shit. But people need to forget that Eminem is raping our culture. This decade he’s filled his album with Dr Dre, Xzibit, G-unit, Nas, Jay-Z, Rakim, Gangstarr(this the soundtrack to 8 Mile), RBX, Sticky Fingaz, D12, and the list goes on. He’s sold 80 million records WORLDWIDE and the man STILL goes to rap city, tim westwood to freestyle. HE’S SOLD 80 MILLION and he still freestyles with Black Thought and Mos Def. HE’S SOLD 80 MILLION and ALL he does is make music. You rarely see pictures of Eminem at sports events, or on yachts, or buying teams, or this or that bullshit that takes away from your art…ALL HE DOES IS SUPPORT HIP HOP. He won an Oscar, FIRST rap artist to do so and then guess what? Next year Three 6ix Mafia did it..Em is holding it down for HIP HOP. And if you listen past his singles (and even if you listen to his singles) you can hear a man who is not in here to make a quick buck, rape a Black culture and get out..he’s making quality CLASSIC music.

    So we need to stop segregating hip hop on race and just applaud that one of our own, a man who’s done it the RIGHT way, through raw lyricism and skill has outsold ANY artist from ANY genre this decade. Hip Hop used to not be seen as an artform like Rock or any other musical artform. Now look at us..one of our own…who CLEARLY embodies what Hip Hop is rooted in, IS MORE SUCCESSFUL IN A DECADE THAN ANY OTHER ARTIST.

    CLAP FOR HIM.

  44. TheTruth says:

    ^^I meant people need to forget that Eminem is NOT raping our culture.

  45. Toya says:

    Yay, Em! I know I did my part in those numbers. I was listening to his stuff even when he was gone and I bought MMLP and TES twice (played MMLP so many times it got scratch and TES got stolen). People can say what they want but Eminem isn’t going anywhere.
    What’s funny is how this news shook up the hardcore Bible thumpers. Yesterday I received an email from my Sr. pastor telling us church members to “step up our praying and fasting” for this nation of ours because “Eminem has been voted the bestselling recording artist of the decade” thus proving that we are “living in wicked, wicked times”. lol I read that and thought “YAY!!”

  46. Edouard says:

    The first decade of the 21st century is not over yet for another year.

  47. SO ICY BOI! says:

    @yaboitone niggaz aint listenin to The Beatles lik ya bitch ass

  48. B Lambo says:

    @The Editor

    I agree, a lot of the people who bought those Em albums might not of ever bought a rap album before, mainly the lil white kids who were like oh shit this dude is tight and hes white? I bought those albums tho and I own every Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, DMX, Ludacris, TI album. The list goes on but I think everyone gets the picture, If I support your music I will buy your cd even if I bootleg it first. I have seen plenty of bootleg Em cd’s, I’m sure millions of people were like fuck that he isn’t getting my money but I’m gonna bootleg his shit. Same goes for every other artist, its just the way people are, they cheap as fuck and feel like it’s a waste of money to buy something when they can get it for free. Im not gonna lie tho, I’m the same way.. but If I support the artist.. I like having the actual cd case and artwork thats inside. That goes for movies also, I have plenty bootleg movies but If I really like it I buy it.

  49. SwiffMoney says:

    Damn man it felt like years ago when I used to listen to Marshall Mathers after school every day.

    Eminem is definitely a legend in hip hop, and this solidifies it.

  50. Roy says:

    Color don’t matter. Tip your cap, give him his props and move on. And hopefully get to hear some classic shit on R2.

  51. CaniBlog? says:

    generalses says:

    THE WHOLE POINT HERE IS THAT HIPHOP WON !
    PEOPLE WE WENT FROM BEING OBSOLETE AS A CULTURE TO BEING A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
    SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE WAY SHOWERS PAC,EM,JAY,B.I.G,ETC
    RAP RULES HAIL HIPHOP!

    ^ Real Talk

  52. ASID says:

    SHADY clearly deserved it..i cant stop laughing at the haters….they feel so bad to admit shady;s talents

  53. mikey says:

    where is outkasts album
    i though speakerboxx/LOVE BELOW sold 11 million??

  54. kingill89 says:

    speaker boxx and love below was counted as a double album so it sold 5.5 million altogether

    a everybody checc that boy nelly out at number 10 that Country Grammar Album was my shit it had some joints on there Neva Let Em C U Sweat,For my niggas with Wayne Greed Hate And Envy that album was a classic imo

  55. fuck the south says:

    @kingill89 u suck balls. Down south sucks balls nigga. It fucked up hip hop! What nigga!

  56. kingill89 says:

    a B.Dot ether LA Reid Got Damn give that nigga a break wtf LMAO Ludacris hyping an album with an artist who dont wanna be on his label And The fab Movie comment still till this day nobody has talked about that shit

  57. B.Dot says:

    ^
    That was Elliott…anytime i do sumfin, it’ll have “—B.Dot”

  58. Some Like It Hot says:

    SO ICY BOI! says:
    Wednesday, December 09 2009 at 12:39 PM EST
    @yaboitone niggaz aint listenin to The Beatles lik ya bitch ass
    ^
    The Beatles are classic sucka, you 11?

  59. rapist008 says:

    Marshall is the best!

  60. Evil-Genius says:

    The greatest MC to ever Breath on a Microphone.
    Slim Mothafuckin Shady .

  61. nonny says:

    yes congrats to eminem!

  62. MissGennyS says:

    Congrats to Em. Like it has been said previously, crazy that he made the top spot when he’s been gone for most of that time. He’s in a lane all his own. Looking forward to his second act!

  63. TheTruth says:

    @TheEditor

    When Get Rich or Die Trying AND The Massacre came out, they were two of the most bootlegged albums of the decade…yet both of those albums were able to sell over 7 million records. Explain that please.

  64. sofia says:

    I hate people who say “he only sells because he’s white”

    Obviously that helped him but the fact is if Eminem wasn’t white HE WOULDN’T BE EMINEM.

    Ya’ll act like any white guy can come along and rap and sell like that. No! Eminem sold like that because he was going through what so many inner-city WHITE kids, YES WHITE KIDS were going through. He delieverd there message using talent, skill and ability. He even reached black people with his shit because he was so passionate. I mean, i don’t relate to him at all but I love his music. Eminems being white is fucking irrelevant now anyway. Nobody gives a shit really, and if you still do. Move on.

  65. this is confusing.

    2 albums, 10.2 + 9.8 = 32 mil? that’s not right. i know i’ve seen on wikipedia that overall he’s sold about 70 mil albums, more than Jay-Z and maybe more than 2pac (can’t remember about ‘Pac).

    But I don’t know what the post ’90’s numbers are. probably 32 mil as stated. but the following list you show only accounts for a third of that total 2000’s number. so what’s up?

  66. Police says:

    Billy Rae Valentine, of course Em released 5 albums from 99-09. The ones that were highlighted are his highest selling.

    Slim Shady LP sold around 4 mill worldwide
    Encore sold around 5 mill worldwide
    Relapse sold around 2.5 mill worldwide

  67. Lupe says:

    Billy Rae… you have to add Encore and Relapse to that total as well. And those are only US numbers, not worldwide.

    The Marshall Mathers LP – 10.2 million
    The Eminem Show – 9.8 million
    Encore – 7.8 million
    Relapse – 1.5 million
    ——————-
    29.3 million

    and I believe the rest were from Slim Shady LP or it could be D-12 albums.

  68. Roy says:

    D12 doesn’t count. But Curtain Call does. You have to count Curtain Call’s sales.

  69. loLtalker says:

    Eminem Should Be First
    Cause No Doubt Hes The Best Rapper In The World
    And Hes White
    How Much Better Can He Get

    I Love Eminem
    Peace

  70. dajumpoff44 says:

    SIMPLY THE BEST!!!!! SHADY 4 LIFE!!!

  71. ASID says:

    http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments&v=0habxsuXW4g

    you’ll find a guy with the name of asid12345678 fighting for shady with some mariah carey fans….support him….mariah carey fans are almost killing him there….support him..support shady…..Eminem fo life!!!

  72. I am frequently searching for brand-new infos in the net about this subject. Thanks.

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  75. […] the close of 2009, Soundscan named Eminem artist of the decade. Combined, his albums have sold over 32 million units. Last week during his […]

  76. […] the close of 2009, Soundscan named Eminem artist of the decade. Domestically, his albums have sold over 32 million units.  Alongside him are: […]

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