Eminem is US's best-selling artist of the decade

(AFP/Timothy A. CLARY)

On December 8, Nielsen SoundScan -- the company that provides statistics for the Billboard charts -- released its lists of the best-selling albums and digital songs of the 2000s. Eminem collectively sold more than 32.2 million albums during that time, making him the top-selling artist of the decade.

On December 8, Nielsen SoundScan - the company that provides statistics for the Billboard charts - released its lists of the best-selling albums and digital songs of the 2000s. Eminem collectively sold more than 32.2 million albums during that time, making him the top-selling artist of the decade.

The Beatles' greatest hits compilation 1 was the decade's best-selling album, followed by 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached and Norah Jones' Come Away With Me. Eminem was the only artist to make the list with two different albums: The Marshall Mathers LP came in fourth and Eminem Show in fifth.

The growing popularity of internet downloads is reflected in both lists, with top-selling albums all coming from the early part of the decade and top-selling digital songs dating from the last few years. Flo Rida's "Low" (2007) was the decade's top-selling digital song, followed by Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" (2008) and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" (2008).

US top-selling albums of the decade, with release date and units sold:

1. The Beatles, 1 (2000) - 11,499,000
2. 'NSYNC, No Strings Attached (2000) - 11,112,000
3. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me (2002) - 10, 546,000
4. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) - 10,204,000
5. Eminem, The Eminem Show (2002) - 9,799,000
6. Usher, Confessions (2004) - 9,712,000
7. Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory (2000) - 9,663,000
8. Creed, Human Clay (1999) - 9,491,000
9. Britney Spears, Oops! ... I Did It Again (2000) - 9,185,000
10. Nelly, Country Grammar  (2000) - 8,461,000

US top-selling digital songs of the decade, with release date and units sold:

1. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, "Low" (2007) - 5,214,000
2. Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis, "Just Dance" (2008) - 4,690,000
3. Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" (2008) - 4,619,000
4. Timbaland feat. OneRepublic, "Apologize" (2007) - 4,439,000
5. The Black Eyed Peas, "Boom Boom Pow"(2009)  - 4,349,000
6. Soulja Boy Tell'em, "Crank That" (2007) - 4,315,000
7. Lady Gaga, "Poker Face" (2008) - 4,200,000
8. Coldplay, "Viva la Vida" (2008) - 4,140,000
9. Taylor Swift, "Love Story" (2007) - 4,005,000
10. Katy Perry, "Hot N Cold" (2008) - 3,945,000

Nielsen SoundScan created the lists using data collected from January 1, 2000 to November 1, 2009, and will not change rankings based on sales through December 31.