The following is a list of the best-selling female music artists in the United Kingdom, based solely on sales units published by reliable music industry-related organizations, including the British Phonographic Industry, the Official Charts Company, Music Week and Record Mirror .
| Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rihanna | Barbados | 2005–present | Pop / R&B / Dance [1] | 61.3 million [2] | |
| Taylor Swift | United States | 2006–present | Pop / Country / Folk [3] | 58.6 million [4] | |
| Adele | United Kingdom | 2008–present | Pop / soul | 40.7 million [5] | |
| Beyoncé | United States | 1997–present | R&B / pop / dance | 39.53 million [6] | |
| Ariana Grande | United States | 2011–present | Pop / R&B | 36.76 million [7] | |
| Madonna | United States | 1982–present | Pop / dance / electronic | 32.42 million [8] | |
| Little Mix | United Kingdom | 2011–2022 | Pop / R&B / dance-pop | 30.00 million [9] |
| Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dua Lipa | United Kingdom | 2011–present | Pop / house / disco / R&B | 28.4 million [10] | |
| Katy Perry | United States | 2001–present | Pop | 27.8 million [11] | |
| P!nk | United States | 2000–present | Pop / pop rock / R&B | 26.5 million [12] | |
| Lady Gaga | United States | 2008–present | Pop / dance / electronic / jazz / pop rock | 25.36 million [13] | |
| Whitney Houston | United States | 1984–2012 | R&B / pop / dance / soul / gospel [14] | 25.145 million [15] | |
| Nicki Minaj | Trinidad and Tobago | 2004–present | Hip-hop / pop | 24.26 million [16] | |
| Mariah Carey | United States | 1990–present | R&B / Pop [17] | 20.36 million [18] | |
| Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celine Dion | Canada | 1981–present | Pop rock [19] | 19.865 million [20] | |
| Sia | Australia | 2013–present | Pop / electronica | 19.86 million [21] | |
| Britney Spears | United States | 1998–present | Pop / dance / electronic | 18.885 million [22] | |
| Billie Eilish | United States | 2015–present | Pop / alt-pop / electropop | 18.695 million [15] | |
| Jess Glynne | United Kingdom | 2013–present | Pop / R&B / dance | 17.9 million [23] | |
| Kylie Minogue | Australia | 1987–present | disco-pop | 15.61 million [24] | |
| Spice Girls | United Kingdom | 1994–2000 / 2007–2008 / 2012 / 2016 / 2018–present | Pop / dance-pop | 15.55 million [25] | |
| Ellie Goulding | United Kingdom | 2009–present | Electropop / synth-pop / indie / pop / folktronica | 14.7 million [26] | |
| Christina Aguilera | United States | 1999–present | R&B / pop / rock | 13.21 million [27] | |
| Miley Cyrus | United States | 2007–present | Pop | 13.02 million [28] | |
| Amy Winehouse | United Kingdom | 2002–2011 | Soul / blue-eyed soul / neo soul / rhythm and blues / jazz | 12.61 million [29] | |
| Rita Ora | United Kingdom | 2008–present | Pop / electropop / R&B | 12.6 million [30] | |
| Becky Hill | United Kingdom | 2012–present | Pop / R&B | 12.2 million [31] | |
| Cardi B | United States | 2015–present | Hip-hop | 11.7 million [32] | |
| Camila Cabello | Cuba | 2012–present | Pop / Latin | 11.6 million [33] | |
| Lana Del Rey | United States | 2005–present | Alternative pop / baroque pop / rock / dream pop | 11.52 million [34] | |
| Anne-Marie | United Kingdom | 2013–present | pop / grime / R&B | 11.2 million [35] | |
| Zara Larsson | Sweden | 2008–present | Pop / dance-pop / electropop | 11.1 million [36] | |
| Tina Turner | United States | 1964–2020 | Rock / Pop | 10.875 million [37] | |
| Emeli Sandé | United Kingdom | 2008–present | R&B / soul / gospel | 10.725 million [38] | |
| Destiny's Child | United States | 1990–2006 | R&B / Pop | 10.625 million [39] | |
| Halsey | United States | 2012–present | Pop / alternative pop / R&B | 10.5 million [40] | |
| Kelly Clarkson | United States | 2002–present | Pop | 10.26 million [41] |
| Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destiny's Child | United States | 1990–2006 | R&B / Pop | 10.625 million [42] | |
| Leona Lewis | United Kingdom | 2006–present | R&B / Pop / soul | 9.56 million [43] | |
| Demi Lovato | United States | 2002–present | Pop / pop rock / R&B | 9.26 million [44] | |
| Shakira | Colombia | 1991–present | Latin pop / pop / pop rock | 9.1 million [45] | |
| Alicia Keys | United States | 2001–present | Hip-hop / R&B / pop | 8.62 million [46] | |
| Jessie J | United Kingdom | 2006–present | Pop / pop rock / R&B / soul | 8.36 million [47] | |
| Shania Twain | Canada | 1993–present | Country pop | 8.22 million [48] | |
| Diana Ross [A] | United States | 1970–present | R&B / pop / disco | 8.02 million [B] |
| Artist | Country of origin | Period of activity | Genre(s) | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cher | United States | 1965–present | Pop / rock / dance / folk | 7.94 million [50] | |
| Girls Aloud | United Kingdom | 2002–2009 / 2012–2013 | Pop / electropop / dance-pop / dance-rock | 7.4 million [51] | |
| Barbra Streisand | United States | 1963–present | Pop / rock / dance / showtunes / standards | 7.097 million | |
| Avril Lavigne | Canada | 2002–present | Pop / rock | 6.885 million [52] | |
| Kate Bush | United Kingdom | 1975–present | Art pop / progressive pop / experimental pop / art rock | 6.61 million [53] | |
| Sugababes | United Kingdom | 1998–present | Pop / R&B | 6.56 million [54] | |
| All Saints | United Kingdom | 1993–2001 / 2006–2008 / 2013–present | Pop / electronic / R&B | 5.8 million [55] | |
| The Saturdays | United Kingdom | 2007–2014 | Pop / Dance / R&B | 5 million [56] | |
| Janet Jackson | United States | 1982-present | R&B / pop / new jack swing / soul / dance | 4.88 million [57] | |
| Kelly Rowland | United States | 1997–present | R&B / Pop / hip hop / soul / dance | 4.76 million [58] | |
| Eternal | United Kingdom | 1992–2000 / 2013–2014 | R&B / soul / gospel | 4.25 million [60] | |
| Kyla | United Kingdom | 2008–present | UK funky / house | 3.8 million [62] | |
| Duffy | United Kingdom | 2004–2011 / 2015 | Soul / blue-eyed soul / pop | 3.4 million [63] | |
| Missy Elliott | United States | 1991–present | Hip-hop / R&B / progressive rap | 3.32 million [64] | |
| Alexandra Burke | United Kingdom | 2008–present | R&B / Pop / soul / dance | 3.2 million [65] | |
| TLC | United States | 1991–PRESENT | R&B / soul / gospel | 3.9 million [76] | |
| Kelis | United States | 1997–present | R&B / pop / hip-hop / soul / electronica | 3.12 million [77] | |
| Aretha Franklin | United States | 1954–2017 | R&B / soul / gospel | 3.06 million [78] | |
| Mary J. Blige | United States | 1988–present | R&B / hip-hop / hip-hop soul | 3.02 million [79] | |
| Toni Braxton | United States | 1989–present | R&B | 2.9 million [80] | |
| The Supremes | United States | 1959–1977 | R&B / soul / pop / doo-wop / disco | 2.18 million [81] | 3.418 million
|
| Nina Simone | United States | 1954–2002 | Classical / folk / gospel / blues /jazz /R&B / soul | 2.06 million [86] | |
| Dusty Springfield | United Kingdom | 1958–1995 | Soul / blue-eyed soul / pop | 2.02 million [87] | |
| Macy Gray | United States | 1990–present | R&B / soul / jazz | 1.96 million [88] | |
| Shirley Bassey | United Kingdom | 1953–present | Pop | 1.6 million [89] | |
| Jennifer Hudson | United States | 2004–present | R&B / soul | 1.5 million [90] | |
| Dionne Warwick | United States | 1963–present | Pop / R&B / soul | 1.4 million [50] | |
| Jamelia | United Kingdom | 1999—2007 | R&B / pop | 1.2 million [91] | |
| Joan Armatrading | United Kingdom | 1972–present | Rock / pop / folk rock / blues | 1.14 million [92] | |
| Robyn | Sweden | 1989–present | Electropop / synth-pop / dance-pop / R&B | 1.1 million [93] | 1.502 million
|
| Aaliyah | United States | 1989–2001 | R&B | 1 million [99] |