Record #00020Culture & Entertainment archive
World's Best-Selling Album
Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller has an estimated worldwide sales total of about 67 million copies under the cited counting method, placing it first among best-selling albums.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
Current Record
67 millionunits
Current record value
- Holder
- Michael Jackson
- Location
- —
- Start date
- 2021-08-20
- Record status
- VerifiedView verification details ↗Report an issue
Overview
Archive NoteThriller was released on 30 November 1982 as Michael Jackson's sixth studio album, with nine tracks, seven of which reached the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.
Guinness World Records notes that sales figures vary widely between sources and uses an estimate of more than 67 million copies worldwide.
On 20 August 2021 the album was certified for shipments of 34 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Record history
1 Milestones- 67 million unitsMichael JacksonCurrent Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesVerification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
Only the editorial summary changes; original verification is retained.
- Verification assessment
- 2026-11-05
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-05
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