Sales in the last two decades, meaning sales since Metallica hade it's commercial big break through. You could choose current popularity as a metric too.

By that definition Metallica is bigger than U2 and Rolling Stones. Or at least on par with U2.

Last two decades? Celine Dion kicks the shit out of Metallica. Actually, so does AC/DC. And the Beatles. Then there's Aerosmith, the Backstreet Boys (really), all the teeny boppers like Spears and Aguilera, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode...

Don't get me started on U2, U2 is the Juggernaut to Metallica's Hulk Hogan.

Good debate! :)

 Celin Dion aint a band and even if she was she aint even close to Metallica. Celine dion is a parantheses in musical history.

Bon Jovi & Backstreet Boys, I hope you are kidding. No one likes them anymore.

Depeche Mode are big, but not as big as Metallica. Overall albums sales dont match Metallica's. Same can be said about Aersmith.

"Metallica has had five consecutive albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200, making Metallica the only band ever to do so.^"

"Metallica is the fourth highest-selling music artist since the SoundScan era began tracking sales on May 25, 1991" (id guess the other 3 are solo artists)

ACDC and U2 have bigger total album sales, but that's during a longer time span (a decade longer).

Metallica has a total album sales count of about 100 million, generously speaking.

AC/DC's are over 200 million.

Celine Dion's are also over 200 million.

U2's are 150 million.

Aerosmith is 150 million.

Metallica is not even close to the biggest, not even in the last twenty years.

 ACDC loses because over half of those sales are from pre-Metallica era (Back in Black, Highway to hell etc).

Celine Dion has a lot of casual people buying discount albums from Wal-Mart but she has not many hardcore fans, not very many go to concerts and stuff.

From Aerosmith's 150 mill a big proportion is from the 70s and early 80's albums. Metallica bigger sales in the last two decades, plus A LOT bigger in concert ticket sales.

U2 is 145 mill, but much of that is from Joshua Tree and WAR. Metallica has higher sales in the last two decades.

But Ill give you U2. U2 is slightly bigger than Metallica over all.

You just used the casual fallacy in a music discussion.

"Oh Celine Dion's listeners are casual, they don't count"

My head is going to EXPLODE

Do you want to guess how many albums the Beatles have sold since 1981? I don't know. I'm going to put down money it's more than 100 million.

Also: Guns 'n' Roses got started in '85, and they've sold just as many albums as Metallica.

Beatles of course is bigger, but they are deleted yes? As in not active.

Of course in the history of mankind Beatles is No 1.

Guns n roses has no chance against Metallica. Total sales 100 mill just like Metallica but their last album flopped, plus they dont have near as much hardcore fans and never nearly as much ticket sales.

So:

1. U2
2. Metallica
3. Rollin Stones
4. ACDC
5 the rest of the bands u mentioned ( DM, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith n stuff)