Garth Brooks Bests Beatles as Top-Selling Act of Last 20 Years

Garth Brooks may have friends in low places, but they buy records -- and lots of them. According to data released by Billboard and Nielsen Soundscan, Garth is by far the top-selling artist of the last two decades. Since the Soundscan system was implemented in 1991, he's moved an astounding 68,561,000 units, some five million more than the No. 2 act, the Beatles.

Rounding out the top five are Mariah Carey, Metallica and Celine Dion. As Taste of Country points out, the list only covers 1991 to the present, so it's not quite fair to call Garth the biggest of all time. Still, his numbers are impressive, as are those posted by the three other country artists in the top 10: George Strait (No. 6; 43,310,000), Tim McGraw (No. 8; 40,169,000) and Alan Jackson (No. 9; 38,860,000).

Garth can probably use the good news, as he's currently embroiled in a court battle with the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon, Okla. The country giant claims the health facility misspent funds he donated for the creation of a Living Center that was to be named in his late mother's honor.