List of best-selling singles by year (UK)

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This is a list of the best-selling singles on the UK Singles Chart for each year. Note that the Number sold section denotes the amount sold within the year, not in total, as very often the single continues to sell more in later years (and sometimes other singles released within a particular year will go on to outsell the year-end winner (eg. Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan's "Especially for You" (from 1988) ultimately outsold "Mistletoe and Wine")).

Year Song Artist Number
sold[1][2]
1952 "Here in My Heart" Al Martino
1953 "I Believe" Frankie Laine
1954 "Secret Love" Doris Day
1955 "Rose Marie" Slim Whitman
1956 "I'll Be Home" Pat Boone
1957 "Diana" Paul Anka
1958 "Jailhouse Rock" Elvis Presley
1959 "Living Doll" Cliff Richard 800,000
1960 "It's Now or Never" Elvis Presley
1961 "Are You Lonesome Tonight" Elvis Presley 800,000
1962 "I Remember You" Frank Ifield
1963 "She Loves You" The Beatles 1,300,000 [3]
1964 "Can't Buy Me Love" The Beatles
1965 "Tears" Ken Dodd
1966 "Green, Green Grass of Home" Tom Jones 850,000[4]
1967 "Release Me" Engelbert Humperdinck
1968 "Hey Jude" The Beatles 850,000
1969 "Sugar, Sugar" The Archies
1970 "In the Summertime" Mungo Jerry
1971 "My Sweet Lord" George Harrison 700,000
1972 "Amazing Grace" The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band
1973 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974 "Tiger Feet" Mud 730,000
1975 "Bye Bye Baby" Bay City Rollers
1976 "Save Your Kisses for Me" Brotherhood of Man 1,006,000
1977 "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls' School" Wings
1978 "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" Boney M 1,995,000
1979 "Bright Eyes" Art Garfunkel 1,155,000
1980 "Don't Stand So Close to Me" The Police 808,000
1981 "Tainted Love" Soft Cell 803,000
1982 "Come on Eileen" Dexys Midnight Runners 1,200,000
1983 "Karma Chameleon" Culture Club 1,390,000
1984* "Do They Know it's Christmas?" Band Aid 2,980,000
1985 "The Power of Love" Jennifer Rush 1,280,000
1986 "Don't Leave Me This Way" The Communards 745,000
1987 "Never Gonna Give You Up" Rick Astley 759,000
1988 "Mistletoe and Wine" Cliff Richard 750,000
1989 "Ride on Time" Black Box 960,000
1990 "Unchained Melody" Righteous Brothers 840,000
1991 "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" Bryan Adams 1,520,000
1992 "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 960,000
1993 "I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)" Meat Loaf 720,000
1994 "Love Is All Around" Wet Wet Wet 1,783,000
1995 "Unchained Melody" Robson and Jerome 1,840,000
1996 "Wannabe" Spice Girls 1,300,000
1997* "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/
"Candle in the Wind 1997"		 Elton John 4,770,000
1998 "Believe" Cher 1,519,000
1999 "…Baby One More Time" Britney Spears 1,445,000
2000 "Can We Fix It?" Bob the Builder 853,000
2001 "It Wasn't Me" Shaggy feat. RikRok 1,151,000
2002 "Anything Is Possible"/"Evergreen" Will Young 1,783,919
2003 "Where Is the Love?" The Black Eyed Peas feat. Justin Timberlake 625,198
2004* "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid 20 1,065,000
2005* "Is This the Way to Amarillo" Tony Christie feat. Peter Kay 1,100,200
2006 "Crazy" Gnarls Barkley 820,053
2007 "Bleeding Love" Leona Lewis 788,000
2008 "Hallelujah" Alexandra Burke 888,000[5]
2009 "Poker Face" Lady Gaga 882,059[6]
2010 "Love the Way You Lie" Eminem feat. Rihanna 854,000[7]
2011 "Someone Like You" Adele 1,242,000[8]

* denotes cause/charity release

[edit] Top selling singles by decade

Decade Song Artist Number sold [9]
1950s "Rock Around the Clock" Bill Haley & His Comets 1,392,000
1960s "She Loves You" The Beatles
1970s "Mull of Kintyre" Wings 2,050,000
1980s "Do They Know it's Christmas?" Band Aid 3,510,000
1990s "Candle in the Wind '97" Elton John 4,865,000
2000s "Anything Is Possible"/"Evergreen" Will Young 1,795,000[10]
2010s "Someone Like You" Adele 1,242,000

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Complete Book Of British Charts by Warwick/Kutner/Brown (sales for earlier years)
  2. ^ BPI certifications - Best sellers 2001 - 2005
  3. ^ Hunter Davies Official Biography
  4. ^ Billboard Magazine, 7 January 1967, Page 38
  5. ^ Billboard. "Alexandra Burke top selling single of 2008". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/take-that-alexandra-burke-rule-u-k-charts-1003925381.story. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  6. ^ What HiFi? Sound and Vision. "Discs and downloads". http://community.whathifi.com/blogs/discs_and_downloads/archive/2010/03/26/2009-s-bestselling-music-movies-and-games-how-where-and-what-did-the-uk-buy-last-year.aspx. Retrieved 10/1/2010. 
  7. ^ The Official Charts Company. "Eminem/Rihanna & Take That scoop 2010 crowns". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/chart-news/cardle-at-no-1-again-eminemrihanna-take-that-scoop-2010-crowns/. Retrieved 2011-01-03. 
  8. ^ The Official Charts Company. "The Top 20 biggest selling singles of 2011 revealed!". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/chart-news/the-top-20-biggest-selling-singles-of-2011-revealed/. Retrieved 2012-01-05. 
  9. ^ List of Best selling song of all time (dated end 2002)
  10. ^ Music Week - official figure
UK Singles Chart
UK Albums Chart
UK Official
Download Chart
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UK best-selling singles (by year)
1952–1969
1970–1989

1970: "In the Summertime" - Mungo Jerry · 1971: "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison · 1972: "Amazing Grace" - The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band · 1973: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" - Tony Orlando and Dawn · 1974: "Tiger Feet" - Mud · 1975: "Bye Bye Baby" - Bay City Rollers · 1976: "Save Your Kisses for Me" - Brotherhood of Man · 1977: "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls' School" - Wings · 1978: "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" - Boney M. · 1979: "Bright Eyes" - Art Garfunkel · 1980: "Don't Stand So Close to Me" - The Police · 1981: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell · 1982: "Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners · 1983: "Karma Chameleon" - Culture Club · 1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid · 1985: "The Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush · 1986: "Don't Leave Me This Way" - The Communards · 1987: "Never Gonna Give You Up" - Rick Astley · 1988: "Mistletoe and Wine" - Cliff Richard · 1989: "Ride on Time" - Black Box
1990–2009

1990: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers · 1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" - Bryan Adams · 1992: "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston · 1993: "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" - Meat Loaf · 1994: "Love Is All Around" - Wet Wet Wet · 1995: "Unchained Melody" - Robson & Jerome · 1996: "Killing Me Softly" - Fugees · 1997: "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" - Elton John · 1998: "Believe" - Cher · 1999: "...Baby One More Time" - Britney Spears · 2000: "Can We Fix It?" - Bob the Builder · 2001: "It Wasn't Me" - Shaggy feat. Rikrok · 2002: "Anything Is Possible"/"Evergreen" - Will Young · 2003: "Where Is the Love?" - The Black Eyed Peas · 2004: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid 20 · 2005: "Is This the Way to Amarillo" - Tony Christie feat. Peter Kay · 2006: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley · 2007: "Bleeding Love" - Leona Lewis · 2008: "Hallelujah" - Alexandra Burke · 2009: "Poker Face" - Lady Gaga
2010–2029

2010: "Love the Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna · 2011: "Someone Like You" - Adele
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