AKB48 Becomes First Female Artist To Sell 30 Million Singles

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With the release of its latest single "Kibouteki Refrain", AKB48 has become the first female artist in Japan to sell more than 30 million copies of its singles.

"Kibouteki Refrain" has sold 1.13 million copies during its debut week. This brings AKB48's total single sales to 31.11 million copies.

B'z currently holds the record for most singles sold. The band has sold 35.44 million copies since its debut in 1988. AKB48 is expected to surpass the band in terms of singles sales; however, in terms of total sales of singles and albums, B'z continues to dominate with over 80 million units sold compared to AKB48's 35 million.

In addition to become the 1st female artist to sell more than 30 million singles, AKB48 has also set the record for reaching the 30 million mark faster than any other artist. The group reached the 30 million mark in 8 years and 10 months.

Ayumi Hamasaki is currently the 2nd best selling female artist in terms of single sales. The singer has sold 21.46 million singles during her 15 years as an artist. She remains the best selling female artist in terms of total sales with over 50 millions records sold.