It’s become the ultimate mark of commercial success for authors - an appearance in the Sunday Times bestseller list.
The chart of the 100 books that have shifted most copies started back in 1974 and has continued ever since.
To mark the anniversary the compilers have calculated the bestselling books of the last 50 years - by looking at which have spent most time in the chart.
Here are the top 13.
9. Rosemary Conley: Rosemary Conley's Complete Hip and Thigh Diet (175 weeks)
"If you are looking for a diet that is easy to do, keeps you feeling full and uses ordinary foods that you already have in your fridge and cupboard, then this is the diet for you. There is a huge choice range of what you can eat, and very few things that you can't eat." | Contributed
10. Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens (174 weeks)
"What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human. Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us. In this bold and provocative audiobook, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going." | Contributed
11. Tim Marshall: Prisoners of Geography (165 weeks)
"All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to follow world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture. If you've ever wondered why Putin is so obsessed with Crimea, why the USA was destined to become a global superpower, or why China's power base continues to expand ever outwards, the answers are all here." | Contributed
12. Edith Holden: The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (160 weeks)
"In 1906, Edith Holden recorded in words and images the flora and fauna of the British countryside through the changing seasons. For 70 years, her enchanting journal lay undiscovered - until 1977, when it was first published with great success." | Contributed