Here are some of the music artists who continue to hold Guinness World Records, even though some of them have long since passed away.
ELVIS PRESLEY: BEST-SELLING SOLO ARTIST
While some modern artists have surpassed Elvis Presley’s achievements on global charts, the King of Rock and Roll is still recognized by Guinness as the Best-Selling Solo Artist of All Time, with 1 billion units sold globally.
MICHAEL JACKSON: MOST SUCCESSFUL ENTERTAINER
The King of Pop has achieved 39 Guinness World Records, including Most Successful Entertainer of All Time (2006) and the Lifetime Achievement Award (1993). Michael Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album in global history, with 67 million copies sold.
WHITE CHRISTMAS: BEST-SELLING SINGLE OF ALL TIME
“White Christmas,” popularized by Bing Crosby in 1942, is the Best-Selling Single of All Time, with an estimated 50 million physical copies sold worldwide. According to Guinness, “no modern artist has ever come close to it, even Taylor Swift.”
YESTERDAY: MOST COVERED SONG
“Yesterday,” composed and performed solo by Paul McCartney of The Beatles in 1965, holds the record for the Most Covered Pop Song in history, with more than 3,000 recorded versions by various artists.
EMINEM: FASTEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME
Eminem holds the world record for the Most Words in a Hit Single with his 2013 hit song “Rap God,” which contains 1,560 words in six minutes and four seconds. Within a 15-second segment, the rapper delivered 97 words.
TAYLOR SWIFT: GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ICON
Taylor Swift was officially recognized as a Guinness World Records Icon in December 2024. Only a select number of artists have received the title, including Beyoncé, BTS, Drake and Blackpink, in recognition of their extraordinary achievements in modern music.
BTS: GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS HALL OF FAME
The K-pop supergroup BTS was inducted into the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame in September 2021 and named an “Icon” on May 17, 2026, as the first and only Asian group to achieve “23 massive world records in a single year across music, streaming and social media.”
THE BEATLES: MOST NO. 1 HITS
The Beatles hold the record for the most No. 1 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. The top 10 are as follows: The Beatles, 20; Mariah Carey, 19; Elvis Presley, 18; Taylor Swift, 15; Rihanna, 14; Drake, 14; Michael Jackson, 13; Madonna, 12; The Supremes, 12; and Whitney Houston, 11. / TRC S
