Nirvana, “Nevermind” overtakes Ac/Dc's “Back In Black” and Pink Floyd to rank sixth: the best-selling albums of all time according to Chartmasters

35 years after its release, “Nevermind” by Nirvana is still making rock history. The 1991 masterpiece written by Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl has overtaken “Back In Black” by Ac/Dc, claiming sixth place in the ranking of best-selling albums of all time. A narrow overtake that sees the record symbolizing grunge also edge past another monument of contemporary music, “The Dark Side Of The Moon” by Pink Floyd.

Confirming the new result is the analysis firm Chartmasters, which uses the Equivalent Album Sales (EAS) metric to calculate an album's overall commercial success. The system doesn't just factor in physical copies sold, but also digital downloads, streaming, singles, and tracks featured on compilations and greatest hits releases.
According to these calculations, “Nevermind” has reached 66,832,000 equivalent units, just a thousand more than the 66,831,000 of “Back In Black”. The Ac/Dc album retains a lead in physical sales, with around 37 million copies against Nirvana's 30 million, but the weight of other forms of music consumption allowed the Seattle band to pull off the overtake. Further behind sits “The Dark Side Of The Moon”, stuck at 63,623,000 equivalent units.

Ahead of “Nevermind” stand only two other proper rock albums, “Hotel California” by the Eagles and “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac, while the absolute record remains firmly in the hands of Michael Jackson with “Thriller“, which tops 131 million equivalent units. The result takes on particular significance given the relationship between Kurt Cobain and Ac/Dc. The Nirvana frontman once said he took guitar lessons for just two days back in middle school, purely to learn how to play “Back In Black”. Manager Danny Goldberg later recalled that Cobain admired the Australian band's music, even if he felt uneasy about some of their lyrics.
The esteem, however, didn't seem entirely mutual. Interviewed in 1992 by journalist Mark Blake, Malcolm Young dismissed the Nirvana singer with a rather sharp quip: “The singer is that blond guy. A bit of a show-off.”

It should be noted that Chartmasters' ranking is based on estimates of equivalent consumption, not a chart of actual physical copies sold alone. Still, the achievement remains significant for an album that, released in September 1991, helped turn alternative rock into a mass phenomenon, profoundly reshaping the balance of power within the music industry.

The 10 best-selling albums of all time according to Chartmasters

10. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (60.696.000)
9. The Beatles – Abbey Road (61.075.000)
8. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon (63.623.000)
7. AC/DC – Back In Black (66.831.000)
6. Nirvana – Nevermind (66.832.000)
5. Michael Jackson – Bad (70.196.000)
4. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (73.108.000)
3. Bee Gees and various artists – Saturday Night Fever (73.267.000)
2. Eagles – Hotel California (74.695.000)
1. Michael Jackson – Thriller (131.253.000)

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