Best Selling Singles Of All Time
Best Selling Singles Of All Time
Have you ever wondered what the best selling singles of all time are? Look no further! Will definitely have to make a playlist with these songs! (Updated 31/10/2011)
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- Best Selling Albums Of All Time
- Highest Selling Artists Of All Time
- Best Selling Movie Soundtracks
- ARIA Number 1s 1940 – 2011
- Official UK Number 1 Singles Chart: 1952 – 2011
- US Number 1 Singles Chart 1940 – 2011
- Longest Song in History
- Shortest Song in History
Come check out the directory for the rest of my projects and post series!
|
Artist
|
Single | Released | Sold (Millions) |
| Bing Crosby | White Christmas | 1942 | 50 |
| Elton John | Candle in the Wind 1997/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight” | 1997 | 33 |
| Bing Crosby | Silent Night | 1935 | 30 |
| Bill Haley & His Comets | Rock Around the Clock | 1954 | 25 |
| Paul Anka | Diana | 1957 | 20 |
| USA for Africa | We Are the World | 1985 | 20 |
| The Ink Spots | If I Didn’t Care | 1936 | 19 |
| Baccara | Yes Sir, I Can Boogie | 1977 | 18 |
| Gene Autry | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 1949 | 18 |
| Kenny Rogers | Lady | 1980 | 16 |
| Celine Dion | My Heart Will Go On | 1998 | 15 |
| Scorpions | Wind of Change | 1991 | 14 |
| Black Eyed Peas | I Gotta Feeling | 2009 | 13.2 |
| Kyu Sakamoto | Sukiyaki | 1961 | 13 |
| Kesha | Tik Tok | 2009 | 12.8 |
| The Beatles | I Want to Hold Your Hand | 1964 | 12 |
| Village People | Y.M.C.A. | 1978 | 12 |
| Whitney Houston | I Will Always Love You | 1992 | 12 |
| Terry Jacks | Seasons in the Sun | 1974 | 11.5 |
| Biddu and Carl Douglas | Kung Fu Fighting | 1974 | 11 |
| Mills Brothers | Paper Doll | 1943 | 11 |
| George McCrae | Rock Your Baby | 1974 | 11 |
| Roger Whittaker | The Last Farewell | 1975 | 11 |
| Bryan Adams | (Everything I Do) I Do It for You | 1991 | 10 |
| Roy Acuff | Wabash Cannonball | 1942 | 10 |
| The Monkees | I’m a Believer | 1966 | 10 |
| Procol Harum | A Whiter Shade of Pale | 1967 | 10 |
| Middle of the Road | Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep | 1971 | 10 |
| ABBA | Fernando | 1976 | 10 |
| Cher | Believe | 1998 | 10 |
| Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean | Hips Don’t Lie | 2006 | 10 |
| Lady Gaga | Bad Romance | 2009 | 9.8 |
| Lady Gaga | Poker Face | 2009 | 9.7 |
| Eminem featuring Rihanna | Love the Way You Lie | 2010 | 9.3 |
| Lil Wayne | Lollipop | 2008 | 9.1 |
| Elvis Presley | Hound Dog | 1956 | 9 |
| Britney Spears | …Baby One More Time | 1998 | 9 |
| Madonna | Hung Up | 2005 | 9 |
| Shakira | Whenever, Wherever | 2001 | 8.5 |
| Black Eyed Peas | Boom Boom Pow | 2009 | 8.5 |
| Katy Perry | I Kissed a Girl | 2008 | 8.4 |
| Thelma Aoyama | Soba ni Iru ne | 2008 | 8.2 |
| Jason Mraz | I’m Yours | 2008 | 8.1 |
| Mahalia Jackson | Move On Up a Little Higher | 1948 | 8 |
| The Beatles | Hey Jude | 1968 | 8 |
| Mary Hopkin | Those Were the Days | 1968 | 8 |
| Shocking Blue | Venus | 1969 | 8 |
| Modern Talking | You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul | 1984 | 8 |
| Nirvana | Smells Like Teen Spirit | 1991 | 8 |
| Flo Rida | Low | 2007 | 8 |
| Enrique Iglesias | Hero | 2001 | 8 |
| Utada Hikaru | Flavor of Life | 2007 | 8 |
| Leona Lewis | Bleeding Love | 2008 | 7.7 |
| Lady Gaga | Just Dance | 2009 | 7.7 |
| Georgie Fame | The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde | 1968 | 7.5 |
| Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé | Telephone | 2010 | 7.4 |
| Avril Lavigne | Girlfriend | 2007 | 7.3 |
| Adele | Rolling In The Deep | 2011 | 7 |
| Vernon Dalhart | The Prisoner’s Song | 1924 | 7 |
| The Beatles | Can’t Buy Me Love | 1964 | 7 |
| Julie Rogers | The Wedding | 1964 | 7 |
| Andrea Bocelli | Con te partirò | 1997 | 7 |
| Scott McKenzie | San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) | 1967 | 7 |
| Danyel Gérard | Butterfly | 1971 | 7 |
| Usher featuring will.i.am | OMG | 2010 | 6.9 |
| Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg | California Gurls | 2010 | 6.7 |
| Rihanna featuring Jay-Z | Umbrella | 2007 | 6.6 |
| Train | Hey Soul Sister | 2009 | 6.6 |
| Dawn | Knock Three Times | 1971 | 6.5 |
| Britney Spears | Toxic | 2004 | 6.5 |
| Britney Spears | Womanizer | 2008 | 6.5 |
| Taylor Swift | Love Story | 2008 | 6.5 |
| Justin Bieber | Baby | 2010 | 6.4 |
| Timbaland | Apologize | 2008 | 6.2 |
| Paramore | Crushcrushcrush | 2007 | 6.1 |
| Bing Crosby | Jingle Bells | 1943 | 6 |
| Harry Simeone Chorale | The Little Drummer Boy | 1958 | 6 |
| The Archies | Sugar, Sugar | 1969 | 6 |
| The Jackson 5 | I Want You Back | 1969 | 6 |
| The Jackson 5 | I’ll Be There | 1970 | 6 |
| Jay Sean feat. Lil Wanye | Down | 2009 | 6 |
| Mungo Jerry | In the Summertime | 1970 | 6 |
| Brotherhood of Man | Save Your Kisses for Me | 1976 | 6 |
| Neil Diamond | Cracklin’ Rosie | 1970 | 6 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water | 1970 | 6 |
| The New Seekers | I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing | 1971 | 6 |
| Dawn | Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree | 1973 | 6 |
| Wings | Mull of Kintyre | 1977 | 6 |
| George Michael | Careless Whisper | 1984 | 6 |
| Madonna | Vogue | 1990 | 6 |
| Spice Girls | Wannabe | 1996 | 6 |
| Janet Jackson | Together Again | 1997 | 6 |
| T-Pain | Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’) | 2007 | 5.9 |
| Beyoncé | Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) | 2008 | 5.9 |
| Tino Rossi | Petit Papa Noël | 1946 | 5.7 |
| Akon | Don’t Matter | 2007 | 5.7 |
| Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em | Kiss Me Thru the Phone | 2007 | 5.7 |
| Alicia Keys | No One | 2007 | 5.6 |
| T.I. | Whatever You Like | 2008 | 5.6 |
| Taio Cruz | Dynamite | 2010 | 5.6 |
| Chipmunks | The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) | 1958 | 5.5 |
| Jeannie C. Riley | Harper Valley PTA | 1968 | 5.5 |
| Britney Spears | Circus | 2008 | 5.5 |
| Kanye West | Heartless | 2009 | 5.5 |
| Shop Boyz | Party Like a Rock Star | 2007 | 5.2 |
| Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em | Crank That (Soulja Boy) | 2007 | 5.2 |
| Gene Austin | My Blue Heaven | 1927 | 5 |
| Gene Autry | That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine | 1939 | 5 |
| Mitch Miller | March from Bridge On The River Kwai | 1957 | 5 |
| Elvis Presley | Surrender | 1961 | 5 |
| The Tornados | Telstar | 1962 | 5 |
| The Beatles | She Loves You | 1963 | 5 |
| The Animals | The House of the Rising Sun | 1964 | 5 |
| Nini Rosso | Il Silenzio | 1965 | 5 |
| Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler | Ballad of the Green Berets | 1966 | 5 |
| Bee Gees | Massachusetts | 1967 | 5 |
| Engelbert Humperdinck | Release Me | 1967 | 5 |
| 1910 Fruitgum Company | Simon Says | 1968 | 5 |
| Tom Jones | Delilah | 1968 | 5 |
| The Partridge Family | I Think I Love You | 1970 | 5 |
| Donny Osmond | Puppy Love | 1971 | 5 |
| Three Dog Night | Joy to the World | 1971 | 5 |
| ABBA | Waterloo | 1974 | 5 |
| Madonna | Like a Prayer | 1989 | 5 |
| Mariah Carey | We Belong Together | 2005 | 5 |
| Cee Lo Green | Fuck You | 2010 | 5 |
| Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull | I Like It | 2010 | 5 |
| Katy Perry | Hot n Cold | 2008 | 5 |
| Katy Perry | Firework | 2010 | 5 |
| Lady Antebellum | Need You Now | 2009 | 5 |
| The Monkees | Daydream Believer | 1967 | 5 |
Some interesting ones in there!
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Submeg
music
Nice try, but i can’t find Elvis in you’re list and come on…Baccara?
There are two Elvis songs there – Hound Dog and Surrender
Surely shakin stevens sold more than any of them. And as far as cultural impact goes, he made wooly jumpers popular again briefly
But you think about white Christmas, that is such a well known song…it is everywhere!
If you look at Billboard number1 list, Bing went to number one every December for 5 or 6 years. Maybe 5 or 6 years out of 8.
That’s looking at the top albums etc from the 40′s in case that isn’t obvious.
Elvis having only 2 here makes sense to me as well because there were fewer people and less disposable income in the 50′s. The list isn’t about total number ones, it’s about total sold
Hit it on the head Brian!
Cadê “Billie Jean”, “Black or White” e “Earth Song” do MJ? E “I’ll Be There” vendeu 6,1 e não 5.
Whitney Houston!!!
She is in there!
Lol this can´t be right! Where is Michael Jackson? Come on!
The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back, The Jackson 5 – I’ll Be There. Of course, the majority of his sales came from album sales. The best selling album is Thriller. That’s where his sales are.
Yeah the Jacson 5, but still…. Thriller is still the most selling album out there, and the single must’ve sold more than for example Paul Anka’s Diana..
This list is not accurate!
I am trying to keep this as accurate as possible, but it is hard to keep track of every single song that has reached this level.
In regards to Michael Jackson’s Thriller…
“The song was certified both gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 4, 1989, for shipping 500,000 and one million units respectively, in the U.S. (the requirement for gold and platinum singles after 1989).[19][20][20] The total number of digital sales in the US, as of September 2010, stands at 2,432,000.[21]”
So no, it has not reach 5 million sales yet.
What about “We are the world” by MJ? Can’t believe i don’t find it!!!
This was definitely not one of his most famous tracks. There are many of his in this list, keep looking!
what about Irene caras ‘What a feeling” #1 in 7 countires and certified platinum here in the USA? i cant believe it did sell in the 5-6 million range
I would think this track would be captured on the soundtrack from the movie. This ranks as 13th of the best selling movie soundtracks. (http://submeg.com/2011/01/28/best-selling-movie-soundtracks-of-all-time/) I could not find any data suggesting that this was released as a single for sale.
Do they know its Christmas by Band Aid ??????
True, a well known song, however:
“The single was released on 3 December 1984, and went straight to #1 in the UK pop charts, outselling all the other records in the chart put together. It became the fastest selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million in the first week alone. It stayed at Number 1 for five weeks and ultimately sold more than three million copies.”
This is less than the five which is at the lowest end of the list. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_They_Know_It%27s_Christmas%3F)
Wat of livn la vida loca by ricky martin.that waz a hit!
Possibly only totaled 3 million sales. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livin%27_la_Vida_Loca)
What!!? Where is Michael Jackson? That is fake
If you look at the highest selling albums of all time, you will see that due to his incredible influence, people would buy his albums, not singles. (http://submeg.com/2011/01/26/highest-selling-albums-of-all-time/) He has five of the highest selling albums of all time.
Wikipedia says: “A second version of the song, sung partly in English, released as “Time to Say Goodbye”, paired Bocelli with English soprano Sarah Brightman, and achieved even greater success, topping charts all across Europe, including Germany, where it became the biggest-selling single in history.That version alone has now sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.”
Just curious … I didn’t see it on your list. (Credos on this site and your responses .. awesome!)
Hadn’t seen that one; what is the original song? Will have to add it in and advise those that have collated the data that there could be an extra song to add.
There’s one more missing from the list: Joe Dolce: Shaddup You Face. It has about 6 million sales and is still the highest selling Australian produced single ever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaddap_You_Face
There is no reference to where that value has been pulled from. If there is a reference to the total sales, I will add it in.
That’s just in the UK. If you factor in sales from the rest of the world, the song sold 11.7 million copies. (http://books.google.com.pe/books?ei=AD5FT7-CEompiQK84cHqDg&id=bCmp92JXMjsC&dq=soft+cell+%22Tainted+Love%22+single+sold+million+copies&q=best-selling+single#search_anchor)
This is for Tainted Love – Soft Cell? If so then I shall update. Cheers for the reference!