Germany is the third largest music market in the world, and the largest in Europe. This is a list of the best-selling albums in Germany that have been certified by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). Since January 1, 2003, BVMI certifies an album platinum for the shipment of 200,000 copies across Germany. All albums in this list must have sold more than a million copies.
Certifications for albums released in Germany depend upon their release date.
Certification levels
| Certification | till 24 September 1999 | till 31. December 2002 | till 31 December 2012 | since 1 January 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 250,000 | 150,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Platinum | 500,000 | 300,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 |
| 3× Gold | 750,000 | 450,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
| 2× Platinum | 1,000,000 | 600,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Diamond | – | – | – | 750,000 |
Source:
By units
| Year | Title | Artist | Certification | Shipments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dirty Dancing | O.S.T. - Various | 13× Gold‡ | 3.25 million |
| 2002 | Mensch | Herbert Grönemeyer | 21× Gold | 3.15 million |
| 1989 | ...But Seriously | Phil Collins | 6× Platinum | 3 million |
| 1994 | Over the Hump | The Kelly Family | 9× Gold | 3 million |
| 1984 | 4630 Bochum | Herbert Grönemeyer | 11× Gold | 2.75 million |
| 2013 | Farbenspiel | Helene Fischer | 13× Platinum‡ | 2.6 million |
| 1991 | We Can't Dance | Genesis | 5× Platinum | 2.5 million |
| 1992 | Gold: Greatest Hits | ABBA | 5× Platinum | 2.5 million |
| 1995 | Rock Super Stars | Various artists | — | 2.5 million |
| 2001 | Best Of | Andrea Berg | 8× platinum | 2.4 million |
| 1988 | Tracy Chapman | Tracy Chapman | 9× Gold | 2.25 million |
| 1991 | Greatest Hits II | Queen | 9× Gold | 2.25 million |
| 1979 | The Wall | Pink Floyd | 4× Platinum | 2.1 million |
| 1973 | 1962–1966 | The Beatles | 4× Platinum | 2 million |
| 1987 | Bad | Michael Jackson | 4× Platinum | 2 million |
| 1991 | Metallica | Metallica | 4× Platinum‡ | 2 million |
| 1991 | Dangerous | Michael Jackson | 4× Platinum | 2 million |
| 1995 | Abenteuerland | Pur | 4× Platinum | 2 million |
| 1995 | Bocelli | Andrea Bocelli | 4× Platinum | 2 million |
| 1996 | Alles | Wolfgang Petry | 4× Platinum | 2 million |
| 2010 | Best Of | Helene Fischer | 10× Platinum | 2 million |
| 2010 | Große Freiheit | Unheilig | 9× Platinum‡ | 1.8 million |
| 1978 | Grease | O.S.T. - Various | 5× Gold | 1.75 million |
| 1978 | Saturday Night Fever | O.S.T. - Various | 3× Platinum | 1.75 million |
| 1981 | Face Value | Phil Collins | 7× Gold | 1.75 million |
| 1981 | Greatest Hits | Queen | 7× Gold | 1.75 million |
| 1988 | Ö | Herbert Grönemeyer | 7× Gold | 1.75 million |
| 1991 | Joyride | Roxette | 7× Gold | 1.75 million |
| 1994 | Affentheater | Marius Müller-Westernhagen | 7× Gold | 1.75 million |
| 1992 | The Bodyguard | Whitney Houston | 3× Platinum | 1.7 million |
| 2000 | 1 | The Beatles | 11× Gold | 1.65 million |
| 2011 | 21 | Adele | 8× Platinum | 1.6 million |
| 1972 | Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits | Simon & Garfunkel | 2× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1973 | The Dark Side of the Moon | Pink Floyd | 3× Platinum‡ | 1.5 million |
| 1973 | 1967–1970 | The Beatles | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1975 | Wish You Were Here | Pink Floyd | Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1980 | Revanche | Peter Maffay | 2× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1982 | Thriller | Michael Jackson | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1985 | Movin' | Jennifer Rush | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1985 | No Jacket Required | Phil Collins | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1987 | Winterkinder | Rolf Zuckowski | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1990 | Serious Hits... Live! | Phil Collins | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1993 | Both Sides | Phil Collins | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1993 | Happy Nation | Ace of Base | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1993 | Seiltänzertraum | Pur | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1995 | The Lion King (Audio Book) | Diverse | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1995 | HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I | Michael Jackson | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1995 | Made in Heaven | Queen | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1996 | Dove c'è musica | Eros Ramazzotti | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1997 | Eros | Eros Ramazzotti | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1997 | Let's Talk About Love | Celine Dion | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1998 | Ray of Light | Madonna | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 1998 | Westernhagen - Live | Marius Müller-Westernhagen | 3× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 2001 | Swing When You're Winning | Robbie Williams | 5× Platinum | 1.5 million |
| 2008 | Stadtaffe | Peter Fox | 15× gold | 1.5 million |
| 1993 | Music Box | Mariah Carey | 2× Platinum | 1.4 million |
| 2013 | Die Eiskönigin - Völlig Unverfroren (Audio Book) | Various | 7× Platinum | 1.4 million |
| 2010 | Rapunzel: Neu verföhnt (Audio Book) | Various | 13× Gold | 1.3 million |
| 2012 | Bis ans Ende der Welt | Santiano | 13× Gold | 1.3 million |
| 1992 | 1492: Conquest of Paradise | Vangelis | 5× Gold | 1.3 million |
| 1968 | Heintje | Heintje | 9× Gold, Platinum | 1.25 million |
| 1977 | Benjamin Blümchen als Wetterelefant (Audio Book) | Benjamin Blümchen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1977 | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1979 | Weihnachten mit Andrea Jürgens - Meine 20 schönsten Weihnachtslieder | Andrea Jürgens | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1979 | Benjamin Blümchen und die Schule (Audio Book) | Benjamin Blümchen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1980 | Benjamin Blümchen hat Geburtstag (Audio Book) | Benjamin Blümchen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1982 | Benjamin Blümchen als Weihnachtsmann (Audio Book) | Benjamin Blümchen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1983 | Benjamin Blümchen als Feuerwehrmann (Audio Book) | Benjamin Blümchen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1983 | Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Bauernhof (Audio Book) | Benjamin Blümchen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1984 | Private Dancer | Tina Turner | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1997 | Titanic | James Horner | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1991 | Out of Time | R.E.M. | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1991 | Stars | Simply Red | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1991 | Use Your Illusion II | Guns N' Roses | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1992 | Automatic for the People | R.E.M. | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1992 | Unplugged | Eric Clapton | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1996 | Falling into You | Celine Dion | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1997 | Reload | Metallica | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1997 | Sehnsucht | Rammstein | 5× Gold‡ | 1.25 million |
| 1998 | Radio Maria | Marius Müller-Westernhagen | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1998 | Back for Good | Modern Talking | 5× Gold | 1.25 million |
| 1979 | Steppenwolf | Peter Maffay | Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 1989 | Foreign Affair | Tina Turner | 2× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2002 | Escapology | Robbie Williams | 4× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2006 | Back to Black | Amy Winehouse | 6× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2006 | Loose | Nelly Furtado | 6× Platinum‡ | 1.2 million |
| 2007 | Vom selben Stern | Ich + Ich | 6× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2008 | The Fame | Lady Gaga | 6× Platinum‡ | 1.2 million |
| 2013 | Mit den Gezeiten | Santiano | 6× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2015 | 25 | Adele | 6× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2015 | Weihnachten | Helene Fischer | 6× Platinum | 1.2 million |
| 2003 | United | Deutschland sucht den Superstar | 11× Gold | 1.1 million |
| 2005 | Intensive Care | Robbie Williams | 11× Gold | 1.1 million |
| 2006 | Das große Leben | Rosenstolz | 11× Gold | 1.1 million |
| 2011 | MTV Unplugged - Live aus dem Hotel Atlantik | Udo Lindenberg | 11× Gold | 1.1 million |
| 2015 | Muttersprache | Sarah Connor | 11× Gold | 1.1 million |
| 1999 | All the Way... A Decade of Song | Celine Dion | 7× Gold | 1.05 million |
| 2000 | So far ... - Best Of | Marius Müller-Westernhagen | 7× Gold | 1.05 million |
| 2001 | Das Dschungelbuch (audio book) | Various | 7× Gold | 1.05 million |
| 2001 | Elle'ments | No Angels | 7× Gold | 1.05 million |
- Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album was certified 9× Gold in 2010. Since this album was released prior to September 24, 1999, every Gold certification it receives denotes 250,000 copies shipped. Thus at 9× Gold, 2.25 million copies of the album have been shipped across Germany.
- 1 by The Beatles was certified 11× Gold in 2007. Since this album was released prior to January 1, 2003, every Gold certification it receives denotes 150,000 copies shipped. Thus at 11× Gold, 1.65 million copies of the album have been shipped across Germany.
† Usually the BVMI does not give a 6× Gold certification, but a 3× Platinum instead. The reason for this singular certification is unclear.
See also
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