List of best-selling individual magazine covers

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This is a list of some of the highest-selling magazine cover issues. It does not take into consideration centerfolds and posters. It includes any type of magazine and single special editions. Groupings are based on over 3 million newsstands copies and distribution.

Considered "The Greatest Magazine Ever Published" by David Plotz, Life magazine figures sold the most amount for decades, with a weekly circulation of 4 million copies and over 10 million readers in their prime, then-10 percent of U.S population.[1] In recent years, People became weekly's highest-seller,[1] and various single issues reached over 2 million copies.[2]

List of highest-selling singles magazine cover issues[edit]

Over 5 million
Date Publication Cover title Cover model(s),
Event 		Namesake photo Sales (in million) Notes
March 1973 Family Circle — — — 9.5[3]
August 1964 Life "The Beatles: They're Here Again and What a Ruckus!" The Beatles 8.5
April 1965 Life "Drama of Life Before Birth" — — 8[4] First-four days copies according to American Society of Magazine Editors[5]
September 2001 Time "Sept.11, 2011 The Day That Shook America" September 11 attacks 7.5[6]
November 1972 Playboy — Lena Söderberg 7.16[7] Playboy's highest-selling issue.[7]
December 1994 Weekly Shōnen Jump — Manga characters 6.53 (in printed)[8] New Year issue for 1995[8]
Weekly Shōnen Jump's highest-selling issue[8][9]
September 1984 Penthouse "Miss America Oh God, She's Nude!" Vanessa Williams 5.3[10] Penthouse's highest-selling issue[11]
September 1985 Penthouse "Madonna in the Nude" Madonna 5[12][13]
September 1985 Playboy "Madonna Nude: Unlike a Virgin... For the Very First Time" Madonna 5[13][12]
March 1989 Playboy "Michael's Sister in a Thriller Pictorial" La Toya Jackson 5[14]
3—4.9 million
Date Publication Cover title Cover model(s),
Event 		Namesake photo Sales (in million) Notes
September 2001 People "Sept.11, 2011 The Day That Shook America" September 11 attacks 4.1[2]
December 1995 Playboy "Farrah Fawcett Holiday Pictorial" Farrah Fawcett 4[15] Best-selling issue of the decade.[16]
July 1955 Confidential "Willie Mays' Luckiest Strikeout!" Various Various 3.7[17]
1997 People "Diana Princess of Wales 1961—1997" Diana, Princess of Wales 3.1[18] Tribute to Diana, special edition.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Plotz, David (December 27, 2013). "The Greatest Magazine Ever Published". Slate. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Winerip, Michael (May 22, 2009). "People Magazine Still Has a Bikini Body". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  3. ^ Geniesse, Jane (January 28, 1974). "The Cover Story: Best Sellers of 1973". New York. Vol. 7, no. 4. p. 34. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  4. ^ "Life magazine through the years: See the most iconic covers". New York Daily News. November 22, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years". American Society of Magazine Editors. 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Society of Publication Designers (2002). September 11, 2011: A Day in Time. The Quarto Group. ISBN 9781564968852. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Yahr, Emily (September 30, 2017). "The bizarre story behind Playboy's highest-selling issue ever". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c NAKANO, Haruyuki (February 2, 2021). "Golden age of manga magazines—1985-95 witnessed by editors No. 4: Masahiko Ibaraki, former head editor of Shukan Shonen Jump by Shueisha Inc. Part 2". Media Arts Current Contents.
  9. ^ "50th Anniversary Weekly Shonen Jump Exhibition Vol.2 held! A valuable original drawing of "Hana no Keiji - Beyond the Clouds"!". Coamix Inc. March 23, 2018.
  10. ^ Morris, Chris (January 15, 2016). "Penthouse to shutter print magazine, go all digital". CNBC. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  11. ^ Anolik, Lili (September 15, 2020). "'A Felony Just to Own': The Sleazy Story Behind Penthouse's Most Controversial Issue". Esquire. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Mansfield, Stephanie (July 11, 1985). "Madonna's Photo Finish". Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Advertising Age: 100 leading media companies". Advertising Age: 56. June 30, 1986. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  14. ^ Span, Paula (September 3, 1991). "Operation La Toya". Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  15. ^ People staff (June 25, 2022). "Farrah Fawcett: Remembering Her Glamorous Years in Photos". People. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  16. ^ "Farrah Fawcett: 1947-2009". Toronto Star. June 26, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  17. ^ Scott, Henry E. (2010). Shocking True Story: The Rise and Fall of Confidential. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 114. ISBN 9780307378972. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  18. ^ Mbude, Phelokazi (February 16, 2020). "Meghan Markle's British Vogue issue the fastest selling in 103-year history of the magazine, plus other notable covers". News24. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
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