It's 3rd worldwide

Most likely 4th or 5th. Kinda depends on the lists you find.

Just a few sources:

http://www.nme.com/photos/the-50-bes...5120#/photo/46

http://mentalfloss.com/article/62536...albums-history (This one has the Eagles on #1)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...selling_albums

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lijst_...ums_wereldwijd

http://www.rankings.com/music-albums-worldwide/ (Bat at #4)

http://www.gigwise.com/photos/101122...test-hits-abba (#4 again)

http://www.rankings.com/music-albums-worldwide/ (#4)

There doesn't seem to be a definitive list.

There doesn't need to be a definite list

When you're a god you don't need one

Amazon uk need to restock vinyl BTWA and double cd BTWA. So a fair amount of pre orders

yeah well I'm assuming that nikox1's list comes right from a record company, so it's probably accurate enough. Not sure where those websites get their rankings but I would hazard a guess that insider information is probably more accurate than stuff that's on a web article.

Also, Rankings.com shows it as 4th but it lookslike it's actually a tie, with both selling 43 million records. They can't be exactly tied, but for all intents and purposes, it shows them as tied.

But perhaps if you get down to the nitty gritty bat is actually 3rd

Prepare to be bored lol!!!
Albums from the 60,s and 70,s are very near impossible to define sales for.
A lot of older albums are estimated by shipments, shipments won't always be declared by labels cough cough:D, for obvious reasons.
Only last year in the UK they began automatically certifying albums and singles when they hit a given sales mark. Before labels would have to apply for them.
Bat out of hell received its extra 3 platinum awards only this year, it had 7 for years. Now it has 10. In fact another 85,000 sales and it will get its 11th.
It's sold 3,215,000 copies in the UK to date.
Since soundscan sales systems began in the early 90,s it's made sales easier to track. Since 91 Bat has sold 11.5 million worldwide, it really is a freak of nature

No way Bat is #19 and way lower than Simply Red on the all-time best sellers list. That has to be based on Bat having a high chart position of 9 and the number of weeks. It is all in the criteria used.

There is not going to be much chart movement based on sales in this day and time except for when a Michael Jackson level performer dies.

After all though Meat has never defined success by numbers although he easily could do so since he has the numbers. What Meat and Jim have literally can never be duplicated. The ability of artist and songwriter/producer to have such a synergy and flow with each other is a once in a lifetime match. Only really Elton John/Bernie Taupin even rate close IMO.

Meat and Jim's legacy is literally the magic, not to be seen again.

Bat was a very slow burner in the UK , it didn't hit its chart peak until 1981
Over time it has sold very well. Positions 14 - 20 are separated by little more than 200,000

According to Guinness book of Records (aren't they the most official?) Bat is #6

That said, who really cares. No matter if it's 3 or 10, the album has reached an incredible achievement. The only real consistent album is Thriller. In practically every list it has the #1 spot

Something I didn't know but was very amused to read is that in 2015, in the UK, Elvis Presley had the 4th biggest album of the year with If I can Dream. :shock:

True dude, yeah elvis had a whopper hit over a million sales in the end

Steering away from topic but wow. Rock and roll trully never dies :shock::D

All I'm saying is I pulled out a cracking For Cryin' Out Loud when I was drunk on Karaoke.

Such reviews of "Are all your songs tonight as long as that?" "It wasn't as bad as some of the songs you've done".

Yeah I'd say Guiness is pretty official ;)

Exactly, who caaares exactly where, top 10 records in the entire world is not too shabby :cool:

5 revers to ever in the world. Not just the UK