Aside from bands (or groups) and male artists, there are a number of female recording artists out there who achieved success on their debut album. It doesn't mean it's an immediate success because some of them has been through different challenges in order to achieve the success they had aimed.

Here is my list of five female music artists who had successful debut album:

1. Britney Spears

Britney Spears achieved initial success on 1999 when her first single "Baby One More Time" went to number 1 of Billboard Hot 100 around four months after its release, and it was followed by her debut album with the same name, which also topped the charts worldwide. There are claims that it has sold around 25-30 million worldwide, one of the biggest selling debut albums of all time.

Since her debut, Britney Spears became one of the most successful female artists of all time due to huge sales of her succeeding albums and singles. Her second album "Oops!... I Did It Again" also sold around 20 million copies. 6

2. Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston may have been featured in a song at first, but not too long, her first single was released as well as her self-titled debut album. With four Billboard top hits, including two number 1s, the album also topped the Billboard 200 for several weeks. It also achieved Diamond platinum, and the album's estimated sales is ranging 20-25 million or even higher. It was followed by her second album "Whitney", which has sold over 20 million copies too.

Her peak though was through the soundtrack of her movie "The Bodyguard" which featured the hit "I Will Always Love You". Whitney eventually became one of the most successful female artists of all time, with possible total record sales of 200 million.

3. Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne came to music world when the industry was ruled by Britney Spears, and other female pop rock artists came which the movement was called "anti-Britney". Avril Lavigne may not have reached the number 1 spot with her debut album, rather at number 2, but it has been one of the successful female debuts. It had went 7x platinum in the US, and there are sales claim of the album around 16-18 million worldwide.

Avril eventually became an icon, and influenced a lot of female artists then and now including Ashlee Simpson, Hillary Duff, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and others.

4. Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo is a newcomer in mainstream music scene which she started the year with the hit smash "Driver's License". Her first album "Sour" was released, and was highly acclaimed by critics. It also debuted at number 1 in Billboard 200, and has been in the top 10 for months. Four singles already reached the top 10 including number one hits: "Driver's License" and "Good 4 U".

She may be a new artist but she seemed having that staying power like Taylor Swift or even Britney in the future.

5. Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey may have had great sales primarily in United States on her self-titled debut, the album still managed to sell millions even to the total of 15 million copies worldwide. It was certified 9x platinum in the US, and she had more than a decade of success with two of her albums selling around 20 million copies each. Eventually one of the biggest selling female artists of all time, and her numbers will continue to go up due to her seasonal records. Mariah is probably second to Madonna among women with highest record sales.

Christina Aguilera might be among these women due to the success of her self-titled debut album selling more than 9 million copies in the US alone. Sales may be running 14-17 million copies worldwide, but it produced the international hits "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)".

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