Best Selling Metal, Hard Rock Albums of All Time
The list below is based on RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) data
and reflects sales figures in the United States.
and reflects sales figures in the United States.
| Cover art | Artist name / Album title | Format | Certified Units | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | July 31, 2007 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 25, 1983 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1984 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 4, 1988 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 22, 1989 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 31, 2004 Groove Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Boxed Set 2 [Boxed set] September 21, 1993 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 3, 2001 Nu Metal, Rap Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 3, 2004 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 1976 Southern Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Legend [Compilation] December 1987 Southern Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Lynyrd Skynyrd [Boxed set] November 12, 1991 Southern Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Lyve From Steel Town [Live] April 28, 1998 Southern Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Extended Versions: The Encore Collection [Compilation] November 1998 Southern Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Icon [Compilation] August 31, 2010 Southern Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 19, 1994 Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal, Industrial Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 14, 2000 Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Lest We Forget: the Best Of [Compilation] September 28, 2004 Alternative Metal, Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 30, 1997 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 30, 1999 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 1988 Industrial Metal, Electironic Metal, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 14, 1989 Industrial Metal, Industrial Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] November 1990 Southern Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 30, 1994 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 12, 1997 Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] October 27, 1998 Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1970 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 1971 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Best of Mountain [Compilation] February 24, 1973 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 22, 2000 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 19, 2002 Alternative Metal, Nu Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 12, 2005 Alternative Metal, Nu Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 1987 Melodic Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Greatest Hits [Compilation] May 26, 1989 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Broken [EP] September 22, 1992 Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal | Short Form Album | 500,000 | Platinum |
 | June 1, 1995 Industrial Rock, Electronic, Post-Industrial, Industrial Metal, Electro-Industrial | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 3, 2005 Industrial Rock, Alternative Rock, Electronic | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Prince of Darkness [Compilation] March 22, 2005 Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 22, 2007 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 4, 2003 Alternative Metal, Christian Metal, Reggae Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Official Live: 101 Proof [Live] August 1, 1997 Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 27, 2000 Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 18, 2002 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Rap Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Swallow This Live [Live] November 12, 1991 Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 8, 1993 Hard Rock, Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock [Compilation] May 23, 2006 Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 6, 1995 Funk Rock, Alternative Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 25, 2003 Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 4, 1973 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 9, 1974 Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Art Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 12, 1974 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 8, 1980 Film Score, Hard Rock, Pop Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 25, 1982 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 28, 1984 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | January 3, 1986 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 5, 1991 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 7, 1995 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 7, 1984 Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 12, 1986 Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 21, 1990 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Ratt & Roll 8191 [Compilation] September 3, 1991 Glam Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 6, 2006 Hard Rock, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 1972 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 1979 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 1987 Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Second Decade of Rock and Roll 1981 to 1991 [Compilation] September 24, 1991 AOR, Pop Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Extended Versions: The Encore Collection [Compilation] April 1, 2001 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 10, 2004 Alternative Metal, Melodic Hardcore, Hardcore Punk | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 4, 2006 Melodic Hardcore, Punk Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 7, 2008 Melodic Hardcore, Punk Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 10, 2006 Industrial Metal, Groove Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | March 1, 1974 Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 15, 1975 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 8, 1987 Progressive Rock, Pop Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | A Show of Hands [Live] January 9, 1989 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 17, 1989 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 15, 1993 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 6, 1996 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Different Stages [Live] November 10, 1998 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 [Compilation] February 11, 2003 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Rush in Rio [Live] October 21, 2003 Progressive Rock, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 12, 2002 Nu Metal, Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | December 6, 1982 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | June 23, 1987 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | Unboxed [Compilation] March 15, 1994 Hard Rock, AOR | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 25, 1979 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 2, 1993 Groove Metal, Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | February 20, 1996 Groove Metal, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 15, 1997 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Groove Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | August 24, 1999 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | November 13, 2001 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 21, 1992 Glam Metal, Hard Rock | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 7, 1986 Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | July 5, 1988 Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 9, 1990 Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | September 27, 1994 Thrash Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | 9.0: Live [Live] November 1, 2006 Nu Metal, Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | October 21, 2014 Alternative Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | April 21, 1998 Nu Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
 | May 22, 2001 Industrial Metal, Nu Metal | Album | 500,000 | Gold |
