French
DeutschList of best-selling singles
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, newspapers, magazines, and books.
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.[1] The song, recognized as "the best-selling single of all time", was released before the pop/rock singles-chart era and "was listed as the world's best-selling single in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records (published in 1955) and—remarkably—still retains the title more than 50 years later". Guinness World Records also states that double A-side charity single "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) by Elton John (rewritten as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, rather than Marilyn Monroe in the original 1973 version), is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies". This makes it the second-best-selling physical single of all time.[1]
Two best-selling singles lists are displayed here relating first to physical singles (mainly CD and vinyl singles) and second to digital singles (digitally downloaded tracks which first became available to purchase in the early 2000s).
Best-selling physical singles
15 million physical copies or more
| Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Crosby | "White Christmas" | 1942 | 50 | [1] |
| Elton John | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" | 1997 | 33 | [1] |
| Bing Crosby | "Silent Night" | 1935 | 30 | [2] |
| Tino Rossi | "Petit Papa Noël" | 1946 | 30 | [3] |
| Bill Haley & His Comets | "Rock Around the Clock" | 1954 | 25 | [4][5] |
| Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | 1992 | 24 | [6][7] |
| Elvis Presley | "It's Now or Never" | 1960 | 20 | [8][9] |
| USA for Africa | "We Are the World" | 1985 | 20 | [10] |
| The Ink Spots | "If I Didn't Care" | 1939 | 19[disputed – discuss] | [11] |
| Celine Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1997 | 18 | [12] |
| Mariah Carey | "All I Want For Christmas Is You" | 1994 | 16 | [13] |
| Baccara | "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" | 1977 | 16 | [14] |
| Bryan Adams | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | 1991 | 15 | [15] |
| John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | "You're the One That I Want" | 1978 | 15 | [16] |
10–14.9 million copies
Highest-certified singles
A list of the best selling singles released before 2000, based on worldwide certified unit sales (including both digital sales and equivalent track streams)
Best-selling digital singles
15 million digital copies or more
10–14.99 million copies
By stream equivalent units
Beginning in 2020, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry began reporting the best-selling singles of each year in terms of subscription streams equivalent units. The methodology used converts all digital formats, including digital download sales, paid subscription streaming, and free ad-supported streaming, into a single figure.[81]
Best-selling singles by year worldwide
| Year | Artist | Single | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Barry Sadler | "The Ballad of the Green Berets" | [85] |
| 1968 | The Beatles | "Hey Jude" | [86] |
| 1969 | The Archies | "Sugar, Sugar" | [87] |
| 1990 | Madonna | "Vogue" | [88] |
| 1992 | Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | [89] |
| 1998 | Celine Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | [90] |
| Year | Artist | Single | Sales (in millions)[b] | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Avril Lavigne | "Girlfriend" | 7.3 | [91] |
| 2008 | Lil Wayne | "Lollipop" | 9.1 | [92] |
| 2009 | Lady Gaga | "Poker Face" | 9.8 | [71] |
| 2010 | Kesha | "Tik Tok" | 12.8 | [93] |
| 2011 | Bruno Mars | "Just the Way You Are" | 12.5 | [69] |
| 2012 | Carly Rae Jepsen | "Call Me Maybe" | 12.5 | [94] |
| 2013 | Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | "Blurred Lines" | 14.8 | [63] |
| 2014 | Pharrell Williams | "Happy" | 13.9 | [67] |
| 2015 | Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth | "See You Again" | 20.9 | [51] |
| 2016 | Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla | "One Dance" | 12.5 | [52] |
| 2017 | Ed Sheeran | "Shape of You" | 26.6 | [48] |
| 2018 | Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug | "Havana" | 19.0 | [48][49] |
| 2019 | Billie Eilish | "Bad Guy" | 19.5 | [56] |
| 2020 | The Weeknd | "Blinding Lights" | —[a] | [81] |
| 2021 | The Weeknd | "Save Your Tears" | —[b] | [82] |
| 2022 | Harry Styles | "As It Was" | —[c] | [83] |
| 2023 | Miley Cyrus | "Flowers" | —[d] | [84] |
See also
- List of best-selling singles by country
- List of best-selling sheet music
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of best-selling albums
- List of best-selling albums of the 21st century
- List of highest-certified music artists in the United States: This lists the top 100 certified music artists (albums), and the top 50 certified music artists (digital singles).
- IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year
Notes
- ^ IFPI report claimed a figure of 2.72 billion subscription stream equivalent units globally
- ^ IFPI report claimed a figure of 2.15 billion subscription stream equivalent units globally
- ^ IFPI report claimed a figure of 2.28 billion subscription stream equivalent units globally
- ^ IFPI report claimed a figure of 2.70 billion subscription stream equivalent units globally
- a.^ Sales figure includes 'equivalent track streams'.
- b.^ Most of them includes 'equivalent track streams'.
References
- ^ a b c d "Best-selling single". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ ""Silent night, holy night"". German Patent And Trade Mark Office.
- ^ Rossi, Tino. "Best-selling single (France)". Guinness World Records.
- ^ Barnett, David C. (1 July 2000). "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock". NPR. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
Since its release more than 40 years ago, "Rock Around the Clock" has sold over 25 million copies in over 30 languages.
- ^ This figure was also cited through the 1980s by Guinness World Records, albeit with the caveat that the figure was an "unaudited" claim. By the time of the book's 1999 edition, the estimated sales figure had increased to 43 million, again as an "unaudited" claim.
- ^ "'I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU': WHITNEY HOUSTON REACHES A NEW MUSICAL MILESTONE". Black Enterprise. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ ""I Will Always Love You", anche dopo cinquant'anni". Il Post. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Murrells 1978, p. 395.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (5 December 2009). "Aaron Schroeder, Writer of Hit Songs for Elvis Presley, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (30 June 2009). "The many faces of Michael Jackson". USA Today. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ "Songwriters Friends: The Ink Spots". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ Rosenberg, Sari (28 February 2018). "February 28, 1998: Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" Soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Lifetime. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Hit With $20 Million Lawsuit for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' - Is Nothing Sacred?". Forbes. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ "'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' singer María Mendiola has died". NME. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (8 March 1994). "Review/Pop; Bryan Adams, More Mr. Nice Guy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ Lachno, James (18 December 2017). "The 50 best pop songs written for movies". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ ""I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Whitney Houston)"". Classic Song Of The Day. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Sforza, John (2015). Swing It!: The Andrews Sisters Story. University Press of Kentucky. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-8131-4897-7.
- ^ Milas, Alexander (3 June 2022). "Wind Of Change: the story of the most monumental power ballad ever". Louder. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ "Prince Nico Mbara". Nigeria Exchange. Archived from the original on 30 December 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ 坂本九さん 〜心のふるさと・笠間〜. Kasama Tourist (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2011.()
- ^ Jackson, Kenneth T. (15 August 1998). The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Vol. 1. Gale. p. 550. ISBN 9780684804927.
...while Autry's version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" sold more than 12.5 million copies
- ^ Badea, Evelyn (13 October 2007). "Dan Balan revine în România" [Dan Balan returns to Romania]. Adevărul (in Romanian). Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Andrea Bocelli". Decca Records. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012.
- ^ "Glenn Hughes". The Daily Telegraph. London. 16 March 2001. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ McFarlen, Donald (1988). The Guinness Book of World Records, 1989. Jim Pattison Group. pp. 155–156. ISBN 9780806902760.
- ^ Hlavaty, Craig (1 August 2016). "20 years ago the world couldn't stop doing the 'Macarena'". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ "Throwback Thursday: 'Believe' by Cher, the song that brought you Auto-Tune [LISTEN]". Music Times. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ Napsha, Cheryl; Berman, Connie (2001). "1: And the Beat Goes On". Cher. Infobase Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-79105-907-4.
- ^ Ellis, James (27 October 2009). "Biddu". Metro. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ^ Browne, Malika (20 August 2004). "It's a big step from disco to Sanskrit chants, but Biddu has made it". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "Roger Whittaker". BBC Hereford and Worcester. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
- ^ Tagg, Philip (2000). Fernando the Flute. MMMSP. ISBN 978-0-9701684-1-2. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ^ Bush, John. "Paul Anka – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ^ Larkin 2006, "Anka, Paul".
- ^ Pitt, Ivan L. (2010). Economic Analysis of Music Copyright: Income, Media and Performances. Springer. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-4419-6317-8.
- ^ Inglis, Ian (2010). The Words and Music of George Harrison. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-313-37532-3.
- ^ LaBlanc, Michael L. (1989). Contemporary Musicians: Profiles of the People in Music. Gale Research. ISBN 9780810322110.
- ^ "Songwriters Friends: Patti Page". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- ^ "Patti Page". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ^ "Tennessee Waltz singer Patti Page dies". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (14 November 2012). "Cleve Duncan, the Voice of 'Earth Angel', Dies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Tyler, Don (2008). Music of the Postwar Era. ABC-CLIO. p. 226. ISBN 9780313341915.
- ^ "Boney M. ist Stargast in Nordenham" (in German). Nordwest-Zeitung. 6 June 2015. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015.
- ^ Place, Clarissa (20 April 2012). "Ten Things About... Britney Spears". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ "Who was My Sharona?". 17 February 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "A one-hit wonder but it was hardly for want of trying". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Global Top 10 Digital Singles of 2017", IFPI Global Music Report 2018 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, p. 9, archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2018, retrieved 24 April 2018
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Havana by Camila Cabello (featuring Young Thug) named best-selling single of 2018". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. 6 March 2019. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (29 January 2021). "Rihanna Wishes Herself a 'Happy #ANTIversary' with Throwback Pics". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "State of the Industry Overview 2016 | Most popular artists and global bestsellers of 2015" (PDF). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Berlin: IFPI. 2016. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Global Top 10 Digital Singles of 2016", IFPI Global Music Report 2017: Annual State of the Industry (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, p. 9, archived (PDF) from the original on 26 April 2017, retrieved 13 April 2018
- ^ Eftink, Jim (25 May 2018). "This week in music: 2011 Adele". KFVS-TV. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ Seun, Adeola (17 June 2018). "What Is Adele's Net Worth Now, Years After Rolling in the Deep Release?". Just Richest. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ Walter, Abby (14 September 2020). "The very best songs from across four generations: 1940s-2010s". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Cirisano, Tatiana (10 March 2020). "Billie Eilish's 'Bad Guy' Named IFPI's Biggest Global Single of 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ Coscarelli, Joe (31 July 2015). "Carly Rae Jepsen, With a New Album, Is Definitely Changing Her Number". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ Stefano, Angela (12 February 2021). "Taylor Swift's New 'Love Story' Leads Re-Recorded Fearless Album". Taste of Country. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Adele: Someone like you". Bitesize. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Billboard. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "Global Music Report 2018" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2022 – via FIMI.
- ^ "IFPI Global Music Report 2020 – Data and Analysis for 2019 (Excerpt)". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. May 2020. pp. 55–62. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Top Global Singles", IFPI Digital Music Report 2014 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 18 March 2015, p. 15, archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2014, retrieved 18 March 2015
- ^ Goldstein, Jessica (3 April 2014). "Pharrell and The Voice: Which Musicians Have Benefited the Most From Being TV Judges?". Vulture.com. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ "Ke$ha's 'Warrior': The Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ Sobel, Barbara (11 April 2019). "Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face' Was Number 1 Ten Years Ago Today [Video]". Guardian Liberty Voice. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Global Top Digital Singles of 2014", IFPI Digital Music Report 2015 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 14 April 2015, p. 12, archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2017, retrieved 13 April 2018
- ^ Brandle, Lars (30 November 2012). "Gotye, Kimbra Win Big at ARIA Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ a b c "The Global Top Selling Digital Singles of 2011", IFPI Digital Music Report 2012 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 23 January 2012, p. 7, archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2016, retrieved 13 April 2018
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – 2012년" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Top 10 Digital Songs 2009", IFPI Digital Music Report 2010 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, p. 10, archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2012, retrieved 13 April 2018
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – 2010년" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. 10 February 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – 2011년" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
- ^ "Flo Rida Has A 'Good Feeling'; International Megastar's Smash Single Certified Platinum, Becoming the Rapper's Sixth Platinum Single in the U.S." Atlantic Records. 10 January 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015 – via Warner Music Group.
- ^ "Flo Rida "Whistles" to the Top of the Charts". Atlantic Records. 16 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015 – via Warner Music Group.
- ^ Stern, Bradley (18 November 2014). "Lady Gaga's 'The Fame Monster' Turns 5: Stan & Deliver". Idolator. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ Nippert, Matt (7 November 2014). "Birthday girl Lorde's earnings estimated at $11m-plus". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- ^ Cantor-Navas, Judy (1 October 2012). "Pitbull Vs. Shakira: Whose World Cup Song Is Better? (Poll)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
- ^ "Shakira to Release Special U.S. Edition of Her Hit Album She Wolf" (Press release). PR Newswire. 18 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
- ^ McCrea, Brad (8 April 2018). "Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance' Turns 10". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ a b c "The Weeknd wins 2020's IFPI Global Digital Single Award for Blinding Lights". IFPI. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "The Weeknd Wins IFPI Global Digital Single Award for Save Your Tears". IFPI. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Harry Styles wins IFPI Global Single Award for As It Was". IFPI. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Miley Cyrus' Flowers Confirmed by IFPI as Biggest-Selling Global Single of the Year". IFPI. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Cornelius, Steven; Natvig, Mary (2022). Music: A Social Experience. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-40428-8. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Campion, James (2022). Take a Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of "Hey Jude". Rowman & Littlefield. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4930-6238-6. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ The Many Worlds of Music. Broadcast Music, Inc. 1970. p. 9. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Burgess, Richard James (1997). The Art of Record Production. Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7119-5552-3. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1992". Official Charts. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "10 of the best Celine Dion songs". The Daily Telegraph. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Digital Music Sales in 2007" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ "Top 10 Digital Single Tracks 2008" (PDF). IFPI. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "IFPI publishes Digital Music Report 2011". Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- "Ke$ha's single tops digital sales". Press Association. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ^ "Global Top Selling Digital Singles of 2012", IFPI Digital Music Report 2013 (PDF), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 26 February 2013, p. 12, archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013, retrieved 26 February 2013
Bibliography
- Jancik, Wayne (1998). The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7622-9.
- Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
- Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd, illustrated ed.). Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0-214-20480-4.
