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Childhood Cartoons You Didn't Know Were Canadian
25. Backstreet Boys
- Claimed sales: 102 million
With 102 million sales, these kings of ’90s boy-band mania taught us all how to quit playing games with hearts. I Want It That Way is still the ultimate sing-along bop, whether you’re at karaoke or stuck in traffic. | © Backstreet Boys
24. Nirvana
- Claimed sales: 102 million
With 102 million sales, Nirvana torched the hair-metal ’80s. Smells Like Teen Spirit became the ultimate song for every flannel-clad rebel, while Kurt Cobain’s rasp turned Nevermind into a Gen X bible. | © Nirvana
23. Van Halen
- Claimed sales: 103 million
With 103 million sales, Van Halen turned rock into a circus of riffs and Roth’s mic spins. Even your dentist knows the solo to Beat It – thanks to Eddie’s guest shredding. | © Van Halen
22. Linkin Park
- Claimed sales: 105 million
Mixing rap and rock, 105 million sales by Linkin Park defined the early 2000s for every kid with a Discman and dyed-black hair. Even today, In the End remains a popular song, proving that nu-metal's impact transcends generations, though perhaps not quite ageing like fine wine. | © Linkin Park
21. Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Claimed sales: 107 million
With 107 million sales, Red Hot Chili Peppers are funk-punk legends who have been slapping basslines and shirtless since Reagan was president. Tracks like Under the Bridge and Californication turned California vibes into global therapy sessions. | © Red Hot Chili Peppers
20. Dire Straits
- Claimed sales: 114 million
Dire Straits, with 114 million records sold, was cooler than a midnight strut. Sultans of Swing turned pub rock into a smoky jazz club masterpiece, while Brothers in Arms dominated the first-gen CD era like a leather-jacketed professor. | © Dire Straits
19. Genesis
- Claimed sales: 115 million
With 115 million records sold, Genesis evolved from progressive rock pioneers to pop icons like nobody’s business. Gabriel's theatrical performances, most notably in Supper's Ready, defined their early, more experimental phase. | © Genesis
18. The Doors
- Claimed sales: 118 million
Selling 118 million albums, The Doors blended poetic lyrics with psychedelic sounds, capturing the rebellious spirit of the 1960s. Decades later, their music continues to resonate, providing the soundtrack for late-night drives and moments of introspection. | © The Doors
17. Coldplay
- Claimed sales: 129 million
With 129 million sales, these Brits turned melancholy songs into confetti-cannon euphoria. Whether you're a devoted fan or a casual observer, their vibrant live shows offer a cathartic experience, similar to group therapy for adults. | © Coldplay
16. Guns N' Roses
- Claimed sales: 130 million
With 130 million sales and enough chaos to fill a Welcome to the Jungle documentary, Guns N' Roses conquered the world with the best-selling debut album ever. Three decades later, their Not in This Lifetime tour proved even time can’t kill sleaze-rock – just add more pyro. | © Guns N' Roses
15. BTS
- Claimed sales: 132 million
Smashing 132 million sales and every K-pop stereotype, BTS rewired the global fandom. Tracks like Dynamite and Butter fused K-pop with retro swagger, while their ARMY fanbase turned streaming into a contact sport. | © BTS
14. Aerosmith
- Claimed sales: 136 million
With 136 million sales, Aerosmith has been the bad-boy soundtrack to every middle-school rebellion since Nixon was president. These days, they’re still touring – hip replacements optional, leopard pants mandatory. | © Aerosmith
13. The Beach Boys
- Claimed sales: 147 million
Sun-soaked harmonies and 147 million sales made these surf kings the official sound of California dreaming. The Beach Boys redefined pop with orchestral genius God Only Knows, while Good Vibrations turned psychedelic vibes into a surfboard-smooth hit. | © The Beach Boys
12. Fleetwood Mac
- Claimed sales: 158 million
Riding 158 million sales and enough romantic chaos to fuel a soap opera, Fleetwood Mac turned breakup drama into Rumours – the 8th best-selling album ever. Even Gen Z TikTokers are now vibing to their ’70s songs. | © Fleetwood Mac
11. Bee Gees
- Claimed sales: 164 million
With 164 million sales, the Bee Gees invented the heartbeat of disco songs. Before they had us strutting in polyester to Stayin's Alive, these Aussie-Brits were crafting ’60s tearjerkers like Massachusetts. | © Bee Gees
10. ABBA
- Claimed sales: 167 million
With 167 million sales, ABBA are Swedish pop masters who turned disco into high art, and secretly colonized every wedding playlist since 1974. Dancing Queen is the ultimate guilty pleasure that even your tough-guy uncle air-drums to. | © ABBA
9. Metallica
- Claimed sales: 172 million
With 172 million sales and enough raw energy to power a mosh pit, Metallica turned thrash metal into a global phenomenon. Master of Puppets rewrote the rules of heaviness, while Enter Sandman became the lullaby for rebellious teens and their dads in midlife crises. | © Metallica
8. Eagles
- Claimed sales: 178 million
Smooth as a desert breeze and twice as timeless, Eagles has 178 million album sales and 1976 Greatest Hits album that still holds the title as the best-selling U.S. album ever, proving that harmony-drenched soft rock never goes out of style. | © Eagles
7. U2
- Claimed sales: 202 million
With 202 million in sales, U2 turned the rock arena into a pulpit for heartache and hope. The Joshua Tree gave us desert-highway songs like With or Without You, while their live shows became spiritual revivals (sunglasses indoors mandatory). | © U2
6. AC/DC
- Claimed sales: 206 million
Cranking out 206 million sales with zero apologies, these Aussie rockers turned three chords into a religion. Highway to Hell became the global song for rebellion, while Back in Black slapped grief in the face with a Gibson SG. | © AC/DC
5. Led Zeppelin
- Claimed sales: 208 million
Clocking 208 million sales, Led Zeppelin are riff gods who invented heavy metal’s playbook – and then lit it on fire. Even their unreleased songs are treated like sacred relics, endlessly bootlegged by devoted fans. | © Led Zeppelin
4. Pink Floyd
- Claimed sales: 241 million
Pioneers of cosmic soundscapes and existential angst, 241 million sales by Pink Floyd prove tripping through space and time. The Dark Side of the Moon spent a ludicrous 972 weeks on the charts, while The Wall turned daddy issues into a laser-lit rock opera. | © Pink Floyd
3. The Rolling Stones
- Claimed sales: 247 million
With 247 million sales and a career longer than rock ‘n’ roll itself, Mick Jagger and crew are still the definition of sex, drugs, and rollin' stones. From the heavy rebellion of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction to the swampy swagger of Exile on Main St., these rebels perfected the art of ageing like a fine whiskey. | © The Rolling Stones
2. Queen
- Claimed sales: 286 million
Packing 286 million sales and stadium-shaking songs, Queen redefined rock with untouchable swagger. The incredible voice performances by Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You turned every track into a cultural reset. | © Queen
1. The Beatles
- Claimed sales: 519 million
With a mind-blowing 519 million albums sold, the Liverpool lads didn’t just dominate the ’60s, they have invented modern pop. Their music plays somewhere on Earth roughly every 1.4 seconds — talk about eternal airwaves. | © The Beatles
