Billboards Top 25 Selling Albums in the the last Ten Years-with Norah Jones, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Taylor Swift netting the top Sales

Neilson Soundscan brings you the top 25 albums of the last year.  The list is below, but some commentary on the cultural relevance of this list.


I forgot how popular Norah Jones first album was, and just how much of an impact she had.  Selling 11 million albums is pretty impressive, and she is also more an adult contemporary artist as opposed to the typical machine churned out Rihanna or Britney Spears.


Eminem has two albums on this list 2002's The Eminem Show which is at number 2 and 2004's Encore which comes in at 22.  Eminem is a great rapper, artist, and has helped to define this genre this decade.
Combining the two albums proves that out of this list Eminem is the highest selling artist of the decade.  Eminem is one of three artists who appears on this list twice.  The other two artists are 50 Cent, and Taylor Swift. 


Usher's Confessions takes the number 3 spot.  This album churned out hit after hit, and was one of the most fun/best albums of the decade.  Usher did a lot vocally and performance wise to set himself apart with this album.  This album may be his pinnacle, but what an achievement!


2011's Best Album winner 21 by Adele is already is in the number four spot.  Like Jones Adele breaks the mold with amazing vocals that transcend what is typically popular.  Adele's beautifully written and sung album is one of the best of the decade.  Adele's album is one of four Best Album Grammy winners on this list the other two albums that won are Norah Jones Come Away with Me,Taylor Swifts Fearless, and Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.


The fifth spot on the list goes to 50 Cent's first major studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin'.  50 Cent has seen a lull in his music career lately, but this album was truly a great, and was a made us want to sip Bacardi like it was our birthday.  50's second major studio album The Massacre surpassed one of his mentor's Eminem's albums on this list, dropping at the number 21 spot.  50 has sold about 13 million albums this decade.




Some more fun facts:


-Two of the artists from the list are from American Idol.  Carrie Underwood is at the number 8 spot with her first album Some Hearts, and Kelly Clarkson is at the number 12 spot with her sophomore album Breakaway.


-10 of the 25 albums are Album of the Year nominees at the Grammy Awards.


-6 of the 25 albums would be considered in the Country Genre.6 would be considered rap/hip hop.  This is about half of the list.


1. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me, 10,797,000. Top 200 rank: #11.
2. Eminem, The Eminem Show, 10,049,000. Top 200 rank: #18.
3. Usher, Confessions, 9,968,000. Top 200 rank: #19.
4. Adele, 21, 8,090,000. Top 200 rank: #39.
5. 50 Cent, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 8,086,000. Top 200 rank: #41.
6. Evanescence, Fallen, 7,619,000. Top 200 rank: #51.
7. Nickelback, All The Right Reasons, 7,582,000. Top 200 rank: #53.
8. Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts, 7,177,000. Top 200 rank: #62.
9. Avril Lavigne, Let Go, 6,782,000. Top 200 rank: #71.
10. Taylor Swift, Fearless, 6,514,000. Top 200 rank: #76.
11. Nelly, Nellyville, 6,488,000. Top 200 rank: #78.
12. Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway, 6,219,000. Top 200 rank: #85.
13. Green Day, American Idiot, 6,056,000. Top 200 rank: #93.
14. Dixie Chicks, Home, 6,041,000. Top 200 rank: #94.
15. Mariah Carey, The Emancipation Of Mimi, 5,964,000. Top 200 rank: #101.
16. Josh Groban, Closer, 5,960,000. Top 200 rank: #102.
17. Linkin Park, Meteora, 5,913,000. Top 200 rank: #103.
18. OutKast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, 5,702,000. Top 200 rank: #110.
19. Josh Groban, Noel, 5,446,000. Top 200 rank: #127.
20. Shania Twain, Up!, 5,409,000. Top 200 rank: #129.
21. 50 Cent, The Massacre, 5,286,000. Top 200 rank: #136.
22. Eminem, Encore, 5,282,000. Top 200 rank: #137.
23. Rascal Flatts, Feels Like Today, 5,230,000. Top 200 rank: #140.
24. Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, 5,175,000. Top 200 rank: #143.
25. Guns N' Roses, Greatest Hits, 5,161,000. Top 200 rank: #144.