The 50 best-selling albums of all time

(Getty Images)

The King of Pop reigns atop the all-time list of best-selling albums.

Released in 1982, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" currently boasts a sales mark that no album is likely to touch anytime in the near or distant future.

We compiled the RIAA's data for the best-selling albums in U.S. history (measured in "certified units" sold), and it's fascinating to see some of the names that appear in the top 50 -- including a recent entry from Adele's "21."

Check out the best-selling albums of all time:

50. Phil Collins -- "No Jacket Required"

Certified units: 12 million

49. Matchbox Twenty -- "Yourself or Someone Like You"

Certified units: 12 million

48. Led Zeppelin -- "Led Zeppelin II"

Certified units: 12 million

47. Kenny Rogers -- "Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits"

Certified units: 12 million

46. Kenny G -- "Breathless"

Certified units: 12 million

45. Jewel -- "Pieces of You"

Certified units: 12 million

44. Dixie Chicks -- "Wide Open Spaces"

Certified units: 12 million

43. Def Leppard -- "Hysteria"

(Mercury (Mercury)

Certified units: 12 million

42. Boyz II Men -- "II"

Certified units: 12 million

41. Bon Jovi -- "Slippery When Wet"

Certified units: 12 million

40. Whitney Houston -- "Whitney Houston"

Certified units: 13 million

39. Prince & The Revolution -- "Purple Rain"

Certified units: 13 million

38. Pearl Jam -- "Ten"

Certified units: 13 million

37. Bruce Springsteen -- "Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band Live 1975-'85"

Certified units: 13 million

36. Backstreet Boys -- "Millennium"

Certified units: 13 million

35. Steve Miller Band -- "Greatest Hits 1974-1978"

Certified units: 13 million

34. Simon & Garfunkel -- "Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits"

Certified units: 14 million

33. Meat Loaf -- "Bat Out of Hell"

(Cleveland International (Cleveland International)

Certified units: 14 million

32. Garth Brooks -- "Ropin' The Wind"

Certified units: 14 million

31. Britney Spears -- "...Baby One More Time"

Certified units: 14 million

30. Adele -- "21"

Certified units: 14 million

29. Backstreet Boys -- "Backstreet Boys"

Certified units: 14 million

28. The Beatles -- "The Beatles 1962-1966"

Certified units: 15 million

27. Santana -- "Supernatural"

(Arista (Arista)

Certified units: 15 million

26. Pink Floyd -- "Dark Side of the Moon"

Certified units: 15 million

25. Journey -- "Greatest Hits"

Certified units: 15 million

24. Bruce Springsteen -- "Born In The U.S.A."

Certified units: 15 million

23. Bob Marley & The Wailers -- "Legend"

Certified units: 15 million

22. Bee Gees -- "Saturday Night Fever" (Soundtrack)

Certified units: 15 million

21. Metallica -- "Metallica"

Certified units: 16 million

20. Led Zeppelin -- "Physical Graffiti"

Certified units: 16 million

19. Hootie & The Blowfish -- "Cracked Rear View"

Certified units: 16 million

18. Eagles -- "Hotel California"

Certified units: 16 million

17. Alanis Morisette -- "Jagged Little Pill"

Certified units: 16 million

16. Whitney Houston -- "The Bodyguard" (Soundtrack)

Certified units: 17 million

15. The Beatles -- "The Beatles 1967-1970"

Certified units: 17 million

14. Garth Brooks -- "No Fences"

Certified units: 17 million

13. Elton John -- "Greatest Hits"

Certified units: 17 million

12. Boston -- "Boston"

Certified units: 17 million

11. Guns N' Roses -- "Appetite for Destruction"

(Geffen (Geffen)

Certified units: 18 million

10. The Beatles -- "The Beatles" ("The White Album")

Certified units: 19 million

9. Shania Twain -- "Come On Over"

Certified units: 20 million

8. Fleetwood Mac -- "Rumours"

Certified units: 20 million

7. Garth Brooks -- "Double Live"

Certified units: 21 million

6. AC/DC -- "Back In Black"

Certified units: 22 million

5. Pink Floyd -- "The Wall"

Certified units: 23 million

4. Led Zeppelin -- "Led Zeppelin IV"

Certified units: 23 million

3. Billy Joel -- "Greatest Hits Volume 1 & Volume 2"

Certified units: 23 million

2. Eagles -- "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)"

Certified units: 29 million

1. Michael Jackson -- "Thriller"

(Epic (Epic)

Certified units: 32 million

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