Top selling International Female Artists

Adele

Total claimed sales: 100 million

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins released her debut album 19 in 2008, receiving mass critical acclaim and commercial success, as did singles Hometown Glory and Chasing Pavements. She took home the Best New Artist award at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Four years later, Adele would put out 21, an album inspired by a painful breakup. Third single Set Fire to the Rain became her third number one single in the Billboard Hot 100 as she became the first artist to have a number one album hold the top spot concurrently with three number one singles.

Taylor Swift

Total claimed sales: 175 million

Taylor Swift began her musical journey in 2006 with her self-titled album that peaked at number 5 in the Billboard 200. Two years later, her album Fearless would make her a star across the world, due to singles Love Story and You Belong with Me. It would be her fourth album, Red, that certified her superstar status, moving away from her country image to an edgier sound. It gave us single like I Knew You Were Trouble and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. The follow up, 1989, was named Album of the Year at the Grammys, making Swift the first woman to win the accolade twice.

Céline Dion

Total claimed sales: 200 million

Canadian songstress Céline Dion first gained attention as a French-speaking artist. With the help of her husband, producer René Angélil, Dion became a huge name across the world, thanks in part to her success English spoken albums. In recent years, she has opted for the bright lights of Las Vegas for residency shows, set to run until 2019. Céline is the highest paid resident performer, picking up a cool $500,000 per show.

Madonna

Total claimed sales: 300 million

Madonna Louise Ciccone (or simply Madonna to you and I) is the only female artist to have sold more than 250 million units in claimed sales. She sits among some elite acts like Elvis Presley and The Beatles; which is fitting, given how she has paved the way for other ladies. Madonna broke out into the music scene in 1982 and has remained there ever since, continually changing her image and perfecting her sound. The Queen of Pop confirmed in early 2018 that she is working on her 14th studio album.

Alicia Keys

Total claimed sales: 100 million

In addition to her successful music career, the "Girl on Fire" artist has also been acting since a young age. She appeared on The Cosby Show in 1985 and since then has been featured on several other television shows over the years including Charmed, American Dreams, The Backyardigans, and Empire. 

Keys has also been a judge on the reality singing competition The Voice and was reportedly paid $8 million per season for that gig. Today, she has a net worth of around $100 million