Which Are Best Selling Music Artists of 21st Century In The US (2022)?

By Aarush Sharma On Jul 16, 2022

Nielsen Music also has the best-selling artist of the twenty-first century in the US in addition to the list of 2010s musicians with the most streams.

Since he dominated the previous two decades, they named Eminem the best-selling artist of the 21st century. In the last 20 years, he has sold over 72 million units.

Pop artist Taylor Swift, who has sold over 57 million units, is ranked second. The best-selling album of the decade was The Beatles’ greatest hits collection 1, which outperformed NSYNC’s No Strings Attached 11.1 million copies sold and Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me 10.5 million.

1. BTS

BTS is also known as Bangtan Boys. The group consists of seven lads from South Korea. Despite having started out as a hip-hop ensemble, their musical style has evolved to encompass a variety of genres.

Their songs primarily discuss mental health, challenges facing school-age youth, loss, the path to self-love, individualism, and personal and social commentary. Their most recent records, like the July 2021 release Butter, have topped the Billboard 200 chart. It generated 2,490,969 copies sold in its first month.

After making its debut more than eight years ago, BTS has maintained a strong global presence as one of the most popular groups in the world. They have broken so many records that they will be inducted into the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame in 2022.

2. Luis Fonsi

From Puerto Rico, Luis Alfonso Rodrguez López-Cepero is a singer, songwriter, and actor. He is well recognized for a number of songs, including “Despacito.” The well-known singer is worth $20 million.

Let’s look at his overall earnings and remuneration. His hourly rate is $211, which translates to a $1.7 million annual net worth.

The most well-known song by Luis Fonsi is “Despacito.” In essence, he made a song from Veda available. It is Luis Fonsi’s most well-known song in terms of popularity and commercial success. He made about $10 million only from his YouTube revenues. But Despacito has amassed more than $40 million in revenue overall.

3. Rihanna

Robyn Rihanna‘s full name is Rihanna Fenty. One of the most well-known vocalists is Rihanna. She is also well-known for experimenting with a variety of musical genres and changing her persona over the course of her career.

With a $1.7 billion net worth, Rihanna surpasses all other female musicians in the world. She is a self-made billionaire. The Grammy winner is now the richest female vocalist in the world, valued at $1.7 billion by Forbes.

The number one singles “Work,” “Umbrella,” and “We Found Love” as well as her parts in high-profile movies like “Ocean’s 8” are what have made Rihanna most famous. She is a renowned fashion designer as well. Her estimated net worth of $1.7 billion is primarily derived from cosmetics rather than singing.

4. Katy Perry

The American singer, songwriter, and television judge Katy Perry. 2008 marked the start of Katy Perry’s mainstream career. Her two biggest singles were Hot n Cold and I Kissed a Girl. She comes in first for women and second for artists overall, behind Michael Jackson.

She has certified six million albums and sold over 80 million digital singles in the US alone. By 2021, Katy Perry‘s net worth should be around $330 million. The songs “I Kissed a Girl,” “Last Friday Night,” and “Rise” by Katy Perry, a musical sensation, have all achieved success.

5. Chris Brown

Christopher Maurice Brown is an American musician, dancer, and vocalist. Chris Brown has 141 songs, nine mixtapes, and nine studio albums to his name. In addition, Brown has had 61 singles on the Hot 100 list since his debut in 2005.

Chris’ career has been long, perfect, and all about his music. Songs like “Go Crazy,” “No Guidance,” “Turn Up the Music,” “Loyal,” and “Forever” are just a few examples. Chris’ best-selling albums are Chris Brown and Exclusive.

6. Bruno Mars

American singer-songwriter-record producer-multi-instrumentalist-dancer Bruno Mars also performs a dance. He was well known for his theatrical antics, retro aesthetic, and versatility as a performer.

With the most records sold, Bruno Mars is one of the highest-paid singers in the world. After releasing his first song, “Just The Way You Are,” Mars gained notoriety. Over 130 million albums have been sold by him, setting a record globally.

Global singer Bruno Mars has collaborated with some of the top performers in the world, including Beyonce and Cardi B. Bruno Mars’ career highlights, including Grenade, Marry You, The Lost Planet, Just The Way You Are, and Earth to Mars.

7. Justin Bieber

A well-known Canadian singer and composer are Justin Bieber. Bieber made history by having seven tracks from his first album chart on the Billboard Hot 100. JUSTICE by Justin, released in 2021, has reached Platinum status, indicating that it has sold a million or more copies.

One of the richest musicians in the world is Justin Bieber. In addition, Bieber has sold more than 150 million CDs worldwide, ranking him among the greatest musicians of all time. Popular tracks include Love Yourself, Sorry, I Don’t Care, Lonely, and Stay.

8. Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham, better known by his stage name Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, businessman, and actor. He was created on October 24, 1986.

In Canada, Drake is most known for his work on the television series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and for his hit singles “Take Care,” “One Dance,” and “Hotline Bling.”

He climbs the Billboard charts from No. 21 to No. 1 thanks to his most recent album, Certified Lover Boy. On the Billboard 200, the album starts at No. 1 with 613,000 equivalent album sales.

Nine of Certified Lover Boy’s 21 songs rank among the top ten, a record. Way 2 Sexy, Girls Want Girls, Fair Trade, and Champagne Poetry all reached the top of the Hot 100 in a single week. Drake was able to boost his pretax income from $47 million the previous year to $75 million as a result.

9. Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher Sheeran is a British singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He was made on February 17, 1991. His first album is called Plus. When it was first made available in September 2011, it debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart.

However, he now has a £20 million rise in net worth. He is also among the most well-known musicians in the world, having earned $776 million (£596 million) in worldwide earnings.

Among the top 10 most well-known Ed Sheeran songs are Perfect, Give Me Love, Castle on the Hill, Lego House, Photograph, The A-Team, and Shape of You. The best-selling album in the country is Ed Sheeran’s.

10. Taylor Swift

The American singer Taylor Alison Swift. Popular songs about her personal life are written by her. “Lover,” Taylor Swift’s most recent album, was released in 2019. It led to a contract with Republic Records, a division of Universal.

Taylor Swift is predicted to have a net worth of $400 million by 2021, making her the richest singer in the world and the top earner among women in music according to Forbes.

Through her music and endorsement deals with businesses like Coca-Cola, Swift has earned millions of dollars over the course of her career. From that particular sponsorship deal, Taylor earned $26 million.