List of best-selling albums in Germany

Last updated

Germany is the third largest music market in the world, and the largest in Europe. [1] This is a list of the best-selling albums in Germany that have been certified by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). Since January 1, 2003, BVMI certifies an album platinum for the shipment of 200,000 copies across Germany. [2] All albums in this list must have sold more than a million copies.

Contents

Certifications for albums released in Germany depend upon their release date.

Certification levels

Certificationtill 24 September 1999till 31. December 2002till 31 December 2012since 1 January 2013
Gold 250,000150,000100,000100,000
Platinum 500,000300,000200,000200,000
3× Gold 750,000450,000300,000300,000
2× Platinum 1,000,000600,000400,000400,000
...............
Diamond –––750,000

Source: [3]

By units

Sortable table
YearTitleArtistCertification [4] [5] Shipments
1987 Dirty Dancing O.S.T. - Various13× Gold ‡ 3.25 million
2002 Mensch Herbert Grönemeyer 21× Gold3.15 million
1989 ...But Seriously Phil Collins 6× Platinum3 million
1994 Over the Hump The Kelly Family 9× Gold3 million [6]
1984 4630 Bochum Herbert Grönemeyer11× Gold2.75

million

2013 Farbenspiel Helene Fischer 13× Platinum ‡ 2.6 million
1991 We Can't Dance Genesis 5× Platinum2.5 million
1992 Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 5× Platinum2.5 million
1995Rock Super StarsVarious artists—2.5 million [7]
2001Best Of Andrea Berg 8× Platinum2.4 million
1988 Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 9× Gold2.25 million
1991 Greatest Hits II Queen 9× Gold2.25 million
1979 The Wall Pink Floyd 4× Platinum2.1 million [8]
1973 1962–1966 The Beatles 4× Platinum2 million
1987 Bad Michael Jackson 4× Platinum2 million
1991 Metallica Metallica 4× Platinum ‡ 2 million
1991 Dangerous Michael Jackson4× Platinum2 million
1995Abenteuerland Pur 4× Platinum2 million
1995 Bocelli Andrea Bocelli 4× Platinum2 million
1996Alles Wolfgang Petry 4× Platinum2 million
2010Best OfHelene Fischer10× Platinum2 million
2010 Große Freiheit Unheilig 9× Platinum ‡ 1.8 million
1978 Grease O.S.T. - Various5× Gold1.75 million [9]
1978 Saturday Night Fever O.S.T. - Various3× Platinum1.75 million [9]
1981 Face Value Phil Collins7× Gold1.75 million
1981 Greatest Hits Queen7× Gold1.75 million
1988ÖHerbert Grönemeyer7× Gold1.75 million
1991 Joyride Roxette 7× Gold1.75 million
1994Affentheater Marius Müller-Westernhagen 7× Gold1.75 million
1992 The Bodyguard Whitney Houston 3× Platinum1.7 million [10]
2000 1 The Beatles11× Gold1.65 million
2011 21 Adele 8× Platinum1.6 million
1972 Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits Simon & Garfunkel 2× Platinum1.5 million [11]
1973 The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd 3× Platinum ‡ 1.5 million
1973 1967–1970 The Beatles3× Platinum1.5 million
1975 Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd Platinum1.5 million [12]
1980Revanche Peter Maffay 2× Platinum1.5 million [13]
1982 Thriller Michael Jackson3× Platinum1.5 million
1985 Movin Jennifer Rush 3× Platinum1.5 million
1985 No Jacket Required Phil Collins3× Platinum1.5 million
1987Winterkinder Rolf Zuckowski 3× Platinum1.5 million
1990 Serious Hits... Live! Phil Collins3× Platinum1.5 million
1993 Both Sides Phil Collins3× Platinum1.5 million
1993 Happy Nation Ace of Base 3× Platinum1.5 million
1993SeiltänzertraumPur3× Platinum1.5 million
1995 The Lion King (Audio Book) Diverse3× Platinum1.5 million
1995 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson3× Platinum1.5 million
1995 Made in Heaven Queen3× Platinum1.5 million
1996 Dove c'è musica Eros Ramazzotti 3× Platinum1.5 million [14]
1997 Eros Eros Ramazzotti 3× Platinum1.5 million
1997 Let's Talk About Love Celine Dion 3× Platinum1.5 million
1998 Ray of Light Madonna 3× Platinum1.5 million
1998Westernhagen - LiveMarius Müller-Westernhagen3× Platinum1.5 million
2001 Swing When You're Winning Robbie Williams 5× Platinum1.5 million
2008 Stadtaffe Peter Fox 15x gold1.5 million
1993 Music Box Mariah Carey 2× Platinum1.4 million [15]
2013 Die Eiskönigin - Völlig Unverfroren (Audio Book)Various7× Platinum1.4 million
2010 Rapunzel: Neu verföhnt (Audio Book)Various13× Gold1.3 million
2012Bis ans Ende der Welt Santiano 13× Gold1.3 million
1992 1492: Conquest of Paradise Vangelis 5× Gold1.3 million [16]
1968Heintje Heintje 9× Gold, Platinum [17] 1.25 million [18]
1977Benjamin Blümchen als Wetterelefant (Audio Book) Benjamin Blümchen 5× Gold1.25 million
1977 Rumours Fleetwood Mac 5× Gold1.25 million
1979Weihnachten mit Andrea Jürgens - Meine 20 schönsten Weihnachtslieder Andrea Jürgens 5× Gold1.25 million
1979Benjamin Blümchen und die Schule (Audio Book)Benjamin Blümchen5× Gold1.25 million
1980Benjamin Blümchen hat Geburtstag (Audio Book)Benjamin Blümchen5× Gold1.25 million
1982Benjamin Blümchen als Weihnachtsmann (Audio Book)Benjamin Blümchen5× Gold1.25 million
1983Benjamin Blümchen als Feuerwehrmann (Audio Book)Benjamin Blümchen5× Gold1.25 million
1983Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Bauernhof (Audio Book)Benjamin Blümchen5× Gold1.25 million
1984 Private Dancer Tina Turner 5× Gold1.25 million
1997 Titanic James Horner 5× Gold1.25 million
1991 Out of Time R.E.M. 5× Gold1.25 million
1991 Stars Simply Red 5× Gold1.25 million
1991 Use Your Illusion II Guns N' Roses 5× Gold1.25 million
1992 Automatic for the People R.E.M.5× Gold1.25 million
1992 Unplugged Eric Clapton 5× Gold1.25 million
1996 Falling into You Celine Dion5× Gold1.25 million
1997 Reload Metallica5× Gold1.25 million
1997 Sehnsucht Rammstein 5× Gold ‡ 1.25 million
1998Radio MariaMarius Müller-Westernhagen5× Gold1.25 million
1998 Back for Good Modern Talking 5× Gold1.25 million
1979Steppenwolf Peter Maffay Platinum1.2 million [13]
1989 Foreign Affair Tina Turner 2× Platinum1.2 million [19]
2002 Escapology Robbie Williams4× Platinum1.2 million
2006 Back to Black Amy Winehouse 6× Platinum1.2 million
2007Vom selben Stern Ich + Ich 6× Platinum1.2 million
2013Mit den GezeitenSantiano6× Platinum1.2 million
2015 25 Adele6× Platinum1.2 million
2015 Weihnachten Helene Fischer6× Platinum1.2 million
2003United Deutschland sucht den Superstar 11× Gold1.1 million
2005 Intensive Care Robbie Williams11× Gold1.1 million
2006 Das große Leben Rosenstolz 11× Gold1.1 million
2011MTV Unplugged - Live aus dem Hotel Atlantik Udo Lindenberg 11× Gold1.1 million
2015Muttersprache Sarah Connor 11× Gold1.1 million
1999 All the Way... A Decade of Song Celine Dion7× Gold1.05 million
2000So far ... - Best Of Marius Müller-Westernhagen 7× Gold1.05 million
2001 Das Dschungelbuch (audio book) Various7× Gold1.05 million
2001 Elle'ments No Angels 7× Gold1.05 million

† Usually the BVMI does not give a 6× Gold certification, but a 3× Platinum instead. [22] The reason for this singular certification is unclear.

Notes

See also

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References

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  2. ↑ "Richtlinien für die Verleihung von Gold/Platin Schallplatten und Awards (Guidelines for Gold and Platinum awards)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindstie. Archived from the original on 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
  3. ↑ "Richtlinien für die Verleihung von Gold/Platin Auszeichnungen" (PDF) (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
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  6. ↑ "The Kelly Family" . Gorey Guardian . 23 July 1997. p. 68. Retrieved 18 May 2023. Their debut album, 'Over The Hump' sold over 4 million copies in Europe, 3 million of them in Germany alone.
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  8. ↑ "Phil Collins Seriously Breaks The Records" (PDF). Music & Media. 15 September 1990. p. 1. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  9. 1 2 "West Germany - The Year in Review - Bellaphon". Billboard . 8 December 1979. p. G-10. Retrieved 26 October 2022– via Google Books.
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  12. ↑ "Long Chart Life For Floyd, Styx". Billboard . 25 October 1980. p. 76. Retrieved 26 October 2022– via World Radio History.
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  15. ↑ Marlowe, Chris (October 14, 1995). "Carey's 'Daydream' Follows 'Fantasy' To The Top" (PDF). Music & Media . Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2022– via AmericanRadioHistory.com.
  16. ↑ Spahr, Wolfgang (20 January 1996). "Sporting Events And Personalities Giving A Big Boost TO Record Sales For Labels". Billboard . p. 41. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  17. ↑ Günter Ehnert (1994), Taurus Press (ed.), Hit Bilanz – Deutsche Chart LP's 1962–1986 (in German) (1 ed.), Hamburg: Verlag populärer Musik-Literatur, p. 291, ISBN   9783922542292
  18. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 263. ISBN   0668064595.
  19. ↑ Mooij, Thessa (April 6, 1996). "Soul Empress Keeps Rejuvenating" (PDF). Music & Media . p. 11. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Tracy Chapman')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  21. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Beatles; '1')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
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