With a career-spanning catalogue and a 55 million sales lead over his closest competition, Eminem secures the top spot in a global ranking of best-selling rappers.
Chartmasters.org just dropped a comprehensive list of the world’s best-selling rappers based on global equivalent album sales, and no surprise, Eminem comes out way ahead of the pack.
The list is based on a detailed system that weighs pure album sales together with digital and physical singles, audio/video streams, and compilation performances. That means every format, from CDs to Spotify, counts — and nobody plays the numbers game better than Em.
With 224.2 million equivalent album sales (EAS), Eminem holds a 55 million lead over No.2 Drake and actually outsells Kanye West and Jay-Z combined. His position at No.1 is so commanding it barely feels like a race.
Eminem’s lyrical dexterity, controversy-fueled fame, and crossover appeal helped him dominate CD sales, crush iTunes with 205 million digital sales, and rack up 67 million units from streaming alone. His catalogue includes some of the best-selling rap records ever, including:
– “The Eminem Show” – 41 million EAS (No.1 rap album of all time)
– “The Marshall Mathers LP” – 37 million EAS (No.2 rap album of all time)
– “Recovery” – 22 million EAS (No.5 rap album of all time)
– “Encore” – 20 million EAS (No.7 rap album of all time)
– “8 Mile” soundtrack – 20 million EAS (No.8 rap album of all time)
So, here are the Top 5 best selling rappers:
No.1 – Eminem – 224.2 million EAS
No.2 – Drake – 169.4 million EAS
No.3 – Kanye West – 120.6 million EAS
No.4 – Jay-Z – 101.5 million EAS
No.5 – 2Pac – 87.7 million EAS
50 Cent is ranked at No.12 with 55.1 million EAS.
The complete list features 35 rappers who have crossed the 30 million EAS mark. Notably, the list excludes artists whose major success lies outside of core hip hop — so you won’t see Post Malone or The Black Eyed Peas here. Artists like Gunna, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, Cardi B, and DaBaby did not make the list as they have yet to build a more extensive catalogue to reach a cut 30 million sales mark. Meanwhile, legends like Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Fugees and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, having had smashing success in the 1990s, did not extend their run into the new era and missed the ranking because of that.
While many rap careers burn bright for a short time, Eminem has shown staying power across multiple decades, technologies, and fanbases. From CD shelves to streaming playlists, he has remained an undeniable force in music across generations and geographical borders.
You can check out the full ranking of all 35 rappers at Chartmasters.org.
