This is total album sales ever, so here's the biggest Rock acts ever. This would obviously not include Frank Sinatra, Babs, Mantovani and others of different genres.
Quite interesting that Bruce is not here, nor Prince or MJ, though I'm guessing Prince and MJ fall under R&B or something not Rock.

Rank, Artist, Certified Units (in millions)
1, the Beatles, 170
2, Led Zeppelin, 111.5
3, Eagles, 100
4, Pink Floyd, 74.5
5, AC/DC, 71
6, Aerosmith, 66.5
7, the Rolling Stones, 66
8, Metallica, 59
9, Van Halen, 56.5
10, U2, 51.5
11, Fleetwood Mac, 48.5
12, Journey, 47
13, Guns N' Roses, 43.5
14, Santana, 43
15, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, 41

I'm surprised the Who didn't make the list, and that the Stones are only 7th considering their amount of albums and how long they've been around. Can't picture AC/DC or Aeroshit outselling the Stones.

They are US sales only, if it were world sales, The Beach Boys would be on the list, as they have sold over 130 million worldwide. And the Beatles and Elvis over one billion each worldwide.

Surprised to see Aerosmith that high. Don't think they are that popular in Europe, but I may be wrong. I only know "Walk this Way" and "It's Amazing", or whatever it's called.

Santana at no.14, I'm really happy about that, and 43 million in the US!

I'm not sure if The Beach Boys would be on there-they might be, they might not-many artists have sold over 100 million worldwide. It's too vague to list "worldwide" sales as many countries do not have reliable charts. To claim sales of 1 billion is dubious at best. It's too tough to prove.
Plus, this list clearly states it's Billboard and the RIAA which obviously means the US, the largest territory for music in the world.

The Who didn't relase enough studio albums. Without their numerous greatest hits album sales, they'd be even further down a Rock list, but they've still done exceptionally well.
AC/DC have one of the Top 5 selling albums in music history so it's to see why they'd be ranked so high.
Aerosmith have so many multi-platinum albums it's nuts.
The Stones have some multi-platinum, but not as many as you'd think.

Relieved to not see Nickelback on this list. If sales were expressed as a percentage of the industry that year (since of course sales for ALL acts are in the toilet) then I'm sure they'd make the list. Ugh.

Welcome to Middle America, circa late '70s-early '80s...

Surprised that The Beatles have "only" sold 170 million albums in America. That seems low, considering.

That list is the artist roster for my local classic rock station, more or less.

The Who always had more of a cult following than a popular following, even during the Moon era, never really ruling the album charts saleswise. "I Can See For Miles" remains the only U.S. top-10 single they ever had.

Slightly off topic and not wanting to "fan the flame" of how dumb the Hall Of Fame is, but
47 million for Journey is a BIG number. Besides Guns N Roses, Journey is the only band on the list
not in the hall. Is GNR eligible in 2012?

From the list above, I collect quite a few:

Rank, Artist, Certified Units (in millions)
1, the Beatles, 170

3, Eagles, 100

7, the Rolling Stones, 66

9, Van Halen, 56.5

11, Fleetwood Mac, 48.5
12, Journey, 47

14, Santana, 43
15, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, 41

Journey, Van Halen, and Bob Seger I've only got one CD of, but I will get more. What other Van Halen album should I get, having already bought 1984?

Most of the Van Halen albums are rated highly on amazon.

All DLR-era albums. My God do they hold up musically and sonically. They are so great albeit painfully short. The WB 2000 HDCDs sound so sweet-shame the Sammy era did not get remastered-I still don't know why although I had read Sammy vetoed it feeling it was cheating the fans.
The Sammy albums are also good Goog, especially 5150 and OU812, but every Roth-era album kills, particularily VH II and Fair Warning.

I'll start with the first two and see how it goes. I'm in the mood for some more rock, lots for me to explore still.

A quick perusal of the RIAA Gold & Platinum database shows Springsteen (w/ and w/o the E-Street Band) at 50 million albums sold in the US. Dunno how he was left off this list.

Is it those pesky rules concerning multi-disc sets? Back in the day, "Live 75/85" sold something like three million copies, but Billboard counted it as something like fifteen million as it was a five-disc set...

Maybe Bruce is seperated by solo and E Street Band sales? Doesn't look like it-dumb. He sold 64 million, how the hell is he not in the Top 15 Rock acts? Do they know what the hell they're even talking about when they post this crap?
Also, why is Tom Petty listed and Tom Petty & Heartbreakers seperately, and by just 500,000? That makes NO sense at all.
Here's the actual (not just Rock) top 100 sellers ever. No Rap until #40-YAY! I had to number all these myself and it was not fun.
Googa-I don't even see The Beach Boys in the Top 100-how in the world did they sell 130 million albums worldwide without even selling at least 22 million here? I'd be highly doubtful of such figures, but who knows how that was arrived at? They weren't even known as an albums band to begin with, but they have sold slightly more than The Who, although The Who did not put out very many albums..

1. BEATLES, THE 170
2. BROOKS, GARTH 128
3. PRESLEY, ELVIS 120
4. LED ZEPPELIN 111.5
5. EAGLES 100
6. JOEL, BILLY 79.5
7. PINK FLOYD 74.5
8. STREISAND, BARBRA 71.5
9. AC/DC 71
10. JOHN, ELTON 70
11. JACKSON, MICHAEL 69.5
12. STRAIT, GEORGE 68.5
13. AEROSMITH 66.5
14. ROLLING STONES, THE 66
15. MADONNA 64
16. SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE 64
17. CAREY, MARIAH 63
18. METALLICA 59
19. VAN HALEN 56.5
20. HOUSTON, WHITNEY 55
21. U2 51.5
22. ROGERS, KENNY 51
23. DION, CELINE 50
24. FLEETWOOD MAC 48.5
25. DIAMOND, NEIL 48.5
26. KENNY G 48
27. TWAIN, SHANIA 48
28. JOURNEY 47
29. ALABAMA 46
30. GUNS 'N ROSES 43.5
31. JACKSON, ALAN 43
32. SANTANA 43
33. CLAPTON, ERIC 42.5
34. SEGER, BOB AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND 41
35. MC ENTIRE, REBA 40.5
36. PRINCE 39.5
37. CHICAGO 38.5
38. SIMON & GARFUNKEL 38.5
39. FOREIGNER 37.5
40. 2 PAC 37.5
41. DYLAN, BOB 37
42. BACKSTREET BOYS 37
43. STEWART, ROD 37
44. MC GRAW, TIM 35.5
45. NELSON, WILLIE 35
46. DEF LEPPARD 35
47. BON JOVI 34.5
48. COLLINS, PHIL 33.5
49. TAYLOR, JAMES 33
50. KELLY, R. 33
51. QUEEN 32.5
52. DOORS, THE 32.5
53. DENVER, JOHN 32.5
54. SPEARS, BRITNEY 32
55. MATTHEWS, DAVE BAND 32
56. PEARL JAM 31.5
57. BOSTON 31
58. DIXIE CHICKS 30.5
59. RONSTADT, LINDA 30
60. PETTY, TOM 29
61. OSBOURNE, OZZY 28.75
62. PETTY, TOM & THE HEARTBREAKERS 28.5
63. 'N SYNC 28
64. LYNYRD SKYNYRD 28
65. MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER 28
66. BOLTON, MICHAEL 28
67. MANILOW, BARRY 27.5
68. MELLENCAMP, JOHN 27.5
69. SINATRA, FRANK 27
70. EMINEM 27
71. JAY-Z 27
72. BOYZ II MEN 27
73. ENYA 26.5
74. BROOKS & DUNN 26.5
75. BEE GEES 26
76. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL 26
77. JACKSON, JANET 26
78. HILL, FAITH 25.5
79. RUSH 25
80. NIRVANA 25
81. ZZ TOP 25
82. CREED 25
83. VANDROSS, LUTHER 25
84. MILLER, STEVE BAND 24.5
85. CARPENTERS, THE 24.5
86. KEITH, TOBY 24
87. GILL, VINCE 24
88. MOTLEY CRUE 23.5
89. CARS, THE 23.5
90. EARTH, WIND & FIRE 23.5
91. BUFFETT, JIMMY 23
92. HENDRIX, JIMI 22.5
93. CHESNEY, KENNY 22.5
94. GREEN DAY 22.5
95. SADE 22.5
96. POLICE, THE 22.5
97. TLC 22
98. R.E.O. SPEEDWAGON 22
99. KID ROCK 22
100. DOOBIE BROTHERS 22
BEASTIE BOYS 22
RICHIE, LIONEL 22
OUTKAST 22
HEART 21.5
GENESIS 21.5
USHER 21.5
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 21.5
BEACH BOYS, THE 21.5
MEAT LOAF 21
WHO, THE 21
CASH, JOHNNY 21
NELLY 21
MORISSETTE, ALANIS 20.5
NICKELBACK 20
HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH 20
R.E.M. 20
BRAXTON, TONI 19.5
WILLIAMS, HANK, JR. 19.5
WONDER, STEVIE 19.5
KISS 19
LINKIN PARK 19
SMASHING PUMPKINS 18.75
MC LACHLAN, SARAH 18.5
JEWEL 18.5
MATCHBOX TWENTY 18.5
BROWNE, JACKSON 18.5
STING 18.5
BLIGE, MARY J. 18
TRAVIS, RANDY 18
CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG 18
YOUNG, NEIL 17.5
GROBAN, JOSH 17.5
GRATEFUL DEAD 17.5
MONKEES, THE 17.5
DESTINY'S CHILD 17.5
STYX 17.5
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS 17.5
JONES, NORAH 17
RASCAL FLATTS 17
MATHIS, JOHNNY 17
GRANT, AMY 17
NOTORIOUS B.I.G. 17
ADAMS, BRYAN 17
RAITT, BONNIE 17
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 16.5
KORN 16.5
RIMES, LEANN 16.5
MARLEY, BOB & THE WAILERS 16.5
LIMP BIZKIT 16.5
CONNICK, HARRY, JR. 16
CROW, SHERYL 16
HAMMER 16
STEVENS, CAT 15.5
KANSAS 15.5
JOPLIN, JANIS 15.5
DIRE STRAITS 15.5
BAD COMPANY 15.5
MC CARTNEY, PAUL 15.5
ESTEFAN, GLORIA 15.5
ISLEY BROTHERS 15.5
NO DOUBT 15
KEYS, ALICIA 15
CLINE, PATSY 15
FOGELBERG, DAN 15
BLACK SABBATH 15
MICHAEL, GEORGE 15
INXS 15
POISON 14.5
AGUILERA, CHRISTINA 14.5
MURRAY, ANNE 14.5
KING, CAROLE 14.5
OFFSPRING 14.5
CRANBERRIES, THE 14.5
MONTGOMERY, JOHN MICHAEL 14
NUGENT, TED 14
DMX 14
NEWTON-JOHN, OLIVIA 14
BOCELLI, ANDREA 14
MC BRIDE, MARTINA 14
LENNON, JOHN 14
YES 13.5
TEMPTATIONS, THE 13.5
DANIELS, CHARLIE BAND 13.5
COLE, NATALIE 13.5
SIMON, PAUL 13.5
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE/STARSHIP 13.5
ETHERIDGE, MELISSA 13
CHAPMAN, TRACY 13
SWEAT, KEITH 13
HALL & OATES 13
YEARWOOD, TRISHA 12.5
WHITESNAKE 12.5
BLACK, CLINT 12.5
BENATAR, PAT 12.5
BONE THUGS 'N HARMONY 12.5
L.L. COOL J 12.5
CHER 12.5
SNOOP DOGG 12.5
SMITH, WILL 12
LIVE 12
COUNTING CROWS 12
COLE, NAT KING 12
DURAN DURAN 12
LUDACRIS 12
MIDLER, BETTE 12
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA 12
BAKER, ANITA 12
3 DOORS DOWN 12
LEWIS, HUEY & THE NEWS 12
WEBBER, ANDREW LLOYD 12
TRITT, TRAVIS 12
ALICE IN CHAINS 11.5
50 CENT 11.5
VAUGHAN, S.R. & DOUBLE TROUBLE 11.5
ABDUL, PAULA 11.5
COLDPLAY 11.5
JENNINGS, WAYLON 11.5
HENLEY, DON 11.5
LOPEZ, JENNIFER 11
SPICE GIRLS 11
LOVERBOY 11
YOAKAM, DWIGHT 11
UNDERWOOD, CARRIE 11
JETHRO TULL 11
STEELY DAN 11
YANNI 11
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD 11
WHITE, BARRY 11
MARTIN, RICKY 10.5
DEPECHE MODE 10.5
BUSH 10.5
JUDDS, THE 10.5
NICKS, STEVIE 10.5
BRANDY 10.5
SCORPIONS 10.5
CYRUS, BILLY RAY 10.5
NINE INCH NAILS 10.5
WILLIAMS, ANDY 10.5
HARRISON, GEORGE 10.5
ABBA 10.5
KRAVITZ, LENNY 10.5
LAVIGNE, AVRIL 10.25

IP, the Beach Boys were the second-best selling band of the sixties worldwide, 130 million is a low figure, it may have been more but makes sense when you realize just how popular they were in the sixties all over the world. In 1966, they were voted Favorite Band in both the UK and Denmark. And that's not even counting the solo albums.