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BTS, Taylor Swift And Arashi: These Were The 10 Bestselling Albums In The World In 2019

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The IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), the organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, has once again compiled sales data from around the globe and has now revealed the 10 bestselling albums of the past year in its annual report. While there are plenty of well-known pop stars and rock outfits on the list, as is typically the case, the No. 1 title is sure to shock most who wait patiently for this ranking to be shared.

Japanese band Arashi snagged the highest rung on the list this time around with their release 5X20 All the BEST!! 1999-2019, a compilation featuring all of their most beloved singles. While the group hasn’t made it big in most territories, their fan base is so rabid in their home country, the set was able to move 3.3 million copies, which is enough to secure them the No. 1 spot.

Behind the multi-genre band comes country-turned-pop icon Taylor Swift, who narrowly missed landing atop the ranking. Her new set Lover sold 3.2 million copies, enough to make it the second-bestselling album of 2019.

After the “You Need to Calm Down” singer comes BTS, another group hailing from an Asian country (there seems to be a trend happening here). The septet’s Map of the Soul: Persona sold an impressive 2.5 million copies in 2019 alone, and it is still going strong to this day in a number of places. 

Amazingly, two of the biggest titles of last year come from rock bands that haven’t released any new material in decades. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack, which essentially acts as another greatest hits compilation (as if their actual release titled Greatest Hits isn’t performing well enough) comes in at No. 6 and The Beatles’ Abbey Road rounds out the top 10.

While both collections are composed of songs the public has been listening to for quite some time, interest was renewed thanks to special events. The 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic with which the Queen album shares its name was a massive hit, while Abbey Road was re-released to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, and a huge number of fans rushed to pick up a new copy.

The list the IFPI published includes only pure sales, either physical or digital, and does not take into account streaming data. Had plays on sites like Spotify and Apple Music also been thrown in, the ranking likely would have looked very different.

These were the 10 bestselling albums in the world in 2019.

1. Arashi - 5x20 All the BEST!! 1999-2019 - 3.3 million

2. Taylor Swift - Lover 3.2 million

3. BTS - Map of the Soul: Persona - 2.5 million

4. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born soundtrack - 1.2 million

5. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - 1.2 million

6. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack - 1.2 million

7. Ed Sheeran - No.6 Collaborations Project - 1.1 million

8. Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next - 1.0 million

9. Rammstein - Rammstein - 900,000

10. The Beatles - Abbey Road - 800,000