The All Time Bestsellers
Books that Have Sold the Most Copies Overall
We love bestseller lists because they keep score: We can see at a glance the books that are popular, and we can know one thing about all the other books—they’re not selling as much. This doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with quality or literary merit, of course; but it’s useful to know what the vast world out there agrees is worth reading today.
Getting on a bestseller list isn’t as hard as you might imagine; to become a certified trade or mass-market paperback bestseller you can sell fewer than 7,000 copies to be a top-ten bestselling book. Now, 7,000 copies is quite a lot to sell in a week, so it’s an achievement, but that also means that a book can hit the bestseller lists for a week and yet sell under 10,000 copies overall. Considering a book like Go Set a Watchman has already sold more than 1 million copies, it puts it all into perspective.
Also putting things into perspective: The all time bestselling books. Not counting the Bible or similar religious texts, or books like Dianetics which have dubious and sketchy sales records, these ten individual books (not a series—for example, Fifty Shades of Grey is counted as a single book, not counting sales of the other books in the series) have sold at least 80 million copies since their initial release.
A Tale Of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens.1. A Tale Of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, 1859; 200 million copies.
Opening with what is likely the most-recognizable first line in literary history, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Charles Dickens’ most famous novel is also—hands down—the best-selling novel of all time. If you somehow managed to sneak through school without reading it, it’s time to fix that; you have no idea how many references to it you see every day.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien.
2. The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937,140.6 million copies.
The first novel Tolkien set in Middle Earth is actually a children’s novel, and was revised over the years as Tolkien’s work on the sequel, The Lord of the Rings, changed his concept of the universe and history behind Bilbo Baggins’ adventure with the dragon Smaug. An instant critical hit and bestseller when released in 1937, it has never been out of print.
2. The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937,140.6 million copies.
The first novel Tolkien set in Middle Earth is actually a children’s novel, and was revised over the years as Tolkien’s work on the sequel, The Lord of the Rings, changed his concept of the universe and history behind Bilbo Baggins’ adventure with the dragon Smaug. An instant critical hit and bestseller when released in 1937, it has never been out of print.
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
3. The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943; 140 million copies.
This charming and emotionally deep story of an alien boy encountered in the desert still sells millions of copies every year. Although frequently described as a children’s book, its simple surface hides a deep contemplation of life, loneliness, creativity, and innocence. It remains popular because it inspires everyone who reads it (of any age) to think more deeply about the world around them.
3. The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943; 140 million copies.
This charming and emotionally deep story of an alien boy encountered in the desert still sells millions of copies every year. Although frequently described as a children’s book, its simple surface hides a deep contemplation of life, loneliness, creativity, and innocence. It remains popular because it inspires everyone who reads it (of any age) to think more deeply about the world around them.
Fifty Shades of Grey, by EL James.
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by EL James, 2011; 125 million copies.
That number is for the first book in James’ sexy series alone, and reflects the mania that surrounded the book for a while in 2011 and 2012, as people read it for a wide variety of reasons: For titillation, our of curiosity, to hate-read, or simply because it was the subject of cocktail chatter. Whatever the reasons, it will likely remain on the list of best-selling books of all time for some time to come.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling.
5. Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, J. K. Rowling, 1997; 107 million.
The first Harry Potter book was difficult for Rowling to sell to a publisher; she wound up at relatively small Bloomsbury in London (Scholastic published it in the U.S. with the tweaked title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone because they didn’t think Americans would get the reference in the original title). It was an instant hit in the U.K., and as we know now would be a worldwide phenomenon within a year. The sales figures continue to grow, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the first Harry Potter book is at the top of this list someday.
And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie.
6. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, 1939; 100 million copies.
Agatha Christie was once arguably the most famous writer in the world, and And Then There Were Noneis considered to be her masterpiece (originally published under a title that would be considered wildly politically incorrect today). This story of ten people guilty of crimes who are lured to a remote island and murdered one by one remains one of the greatest mystery stories of all time.
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by EL James, 2011; 125 million copies.
That number is for the first book in James’ sexy series alone, and reflects the mania that surrounded the book for a while in 2011 and 2012, as people read it for a wide variety of reasons: For titillation, our of curiosity, to hate-read, or simply because it was the subject of cocktail chatter. Whatever the reasons, it will likely remain on the list of best-selling books of all time for some time to come.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling.5. Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, J. K. Rowling, 1997; 107 million.
The first Harry Potter book was difficult for Rowling to sell to a publisher; she wound up at relatively small Bloomsbury in London (Scholastic published it in the U.S. with the tweaked title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone because they didn’t think Americans would get the reference in the original title). It was an instant hit in the U.K., and as we know now would be a worldwide phenomenon within a year. The sales figures continue to grow, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the first Harry Potter book is at the top of this list someday.
And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie.6. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, 1939; 100 million copies.
Agatha Christie was once arguably the most famous writer in the world, and And Then There Were Noneis considered to be her masterpiece (originally published under a title that would be considered wildly politically incorrect today). This story of ten people guilty of crimes who are lured to a remote island and murdered one by one remains one of the greatest mystery stories of all time.
Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin.
7. Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin, 1754–1791; 100 million copies.
The most famous classic Chinese novel, the story serves as both the tale of a family in decline as well as a metaphor for the Qing Dynasty, also in decline during the novel’s composition. It also serves as a time capsule for Chinese society in the 18th century, and its use of poetic and metaphoric language has made it perhaps the most difficult novel in the world to translate into English.
7. Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin, 1754–1791; 100 million copies.
The most famous classic Chinese novel, the story serves as both the tale of a family in decline as well as a metaphor for the Qing Dynasty, also in decline during the novel’s composition. It also serves as a time capsule for Chinese society in the 18th century, and its use of poetic and metaphoric language has made it perhaps the most difficult novel in the world to translate into English.
She: A History of Adventure, by H. Rider Haggard.
8. She: A History of Adventure, by H. Rider Haggard, 1887; 100 million copies.
One of the most famous adventure stories in history,She was a sensation when first published and is considered to be one of the earliest fantasy novels. To date the novel has been adapted to film ten times, most recently in 2001, and remains a must-read for anyone who wants an exciting and imaginative story—or anyone who wants to recognize when modern authors are borrowing from this classic.
8. She: A History of Adventure, by H. Rider Haggard, 1887; 100 million copies.
One of the most famous adventure stories in history,She was a sensation when first published and is considered to be one of the earliest fantasy novels. To date the novel has been adapted to film ten times, most recently in 2001, and remains a must-read for anyone who wants an exciting and imaginative story—or anyone who wants to recognize when modern authors are borrowing from this classic.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis.
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis, 1950; 85 million copies.
Lewis’ most famous work has been an evergreen part of personal libraries for decades, and is often one of the first books given to children. With its richly imagined universe, exciting story, and appealing concept of a fantasy universe that can be traveled to via mysterious, random portals (such as a dusty old wardrobe in an old country house) every new generation of children seems to discover this one on their own and easily ignore the dated portions.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
10. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, 2003; 80 million copies.
Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code now seem to belong to a bygone era, but it was only slightly more than a decade ago that this book ruled the world. Brown may never recapture the giddy heights of Da Vinci-mania, but the novel remains a steady seller and the generic term for a blockbuster book, especially one that doesn’t enjoy tremendous critical praise.
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis, 1950; 85 million copies.
Lewis’ most famous work has been an evergreen part of personal libraries for decades, and is often one of the first books given to children. With its richly imagined universe, exciting story, and appealing concept of a fantasy universe that can be traveled to via mysterious, random portals (such as a dusty old wardrobe in an old country house) every new generation of children seems to discover this one on their own and easily ignore the dated portions.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
10. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, 2003; 80 million copies.
Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code now seem to belong to a bygone era, but it was only slightly more than a decade ago that this book ruled the world. Brown may never recapture the giddy heights of Da Vinci-mania, but the novel remains a steady seller and the generic term for a blockbuster book, especially one that doesn’t enjoy tremendous critical praise.
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