Below is a list of the top 20 new artists that emerged this decade. These artists have sold the most albums and as sales in the music industry have been decreasing, artists who emerged early in the decade stood a better chance. Sales peaked in 2000 and have been on the decline since 2004. So below are the names of the top 20, accompanied by the total number of albums the artist has sold as of this week, the year of their debut, the title of their best selling album, and their rank on the Nielsen/SoundScan running list of the 200 best selling artists in its history, which includes Nelly, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Pink and more!

1. Linkin Park – 21,223,000
Debut: 2000
Best Selling Album: Hybrid Theory
Top 200 rank: #52

2. Nelly – 21,215,000
Debut: 2000
Best Selling Album: Country Grammar
Top 200 rank: #53

3. Nickelback – 19,414,000
Debut: 2000
Best Selling Album: All The Right Reasons
Top 200 rank: #63

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