List of best-selling singles
According to Guinness World Records, the holiday perennial "White Christmas" (1942) by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies. 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 states that double A-side charity single "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) by Elton John, a tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies," making it the second-best-selling single of all time.
The artist with the most singles (excluding featured credits) on this list are Rihanna and Katy Perry with seven entries each, Elvis Presley and Shakira with six entries, and Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, Flo Rida and Lady Gaga with five each.
Given the recent trend that commercial music download sites increasingly sell mostly single tracks rather than whole albums, the list is split between digital singles and physical (CD and vinyl) singles.[1] Portable audio players, which make it extremely easy to load and play songs from many different artists, are claimed to be a major factor behind this trend.
In italics, singles whose listed sales are the compilation of sales in available markets instead of a worldwide sales figure. These sales figures are therefore neither complete nor definitive.
Best-selling physical singles
15 million copies or more
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Crosby | "White Christmas" | 1942 | Christmas, pop | 50 | [2] |
| Elton John | "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" | 1997 | Soft rock, symphonic rock, pop | 33 | [2] |
| Bing Crosby | "Silent Night" | 1935 | Christmas, pop | 30 | [3] |
| Bill Haley & His Comets | "Rock Around the Clock" | 1954 | Rock and roll, rockabilly | 25 | [4] |
| Elvis Presley | "It's Now or Never" | 1960 | Pop | 20 | [5] |
| USA for Africa | "We Are the World" | 1985 | Pop, gospel | 20 | [6] |
| Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | 1992 | Pop, soul | 20 | [7] |
| The Ink Spots | "If I Didn't Care" | 1939 | R&B, doo-wop | 19 | [8] |
| Baccara | "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" | 1977 | Euro disco | 16 | [9] |
| Bryan Adams | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | 1991 | Soft rock | 15 | [10] |
| Celine Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1997 | Pop | 15 | [11] |
10—14.9 million copies
8—9.9 million copies
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Anka | "Diana" | 1957 | Pop | 9 | [31][34] |
| Survivor | "Eye of the Tiger" | 1982 | Hard rock | 8.5[a] | [35][36] |
| Shakira | "Whenever, Wherever" | 2001 | Latin pop, World beat | 8.5 | [37] |
| Ashanti | "Foolish" | 2002 | R&B | 8.2 | [38] |
| The Animals | "The House of the Rising Sun" | 1964 | Blues rock, folk rock | 8 | [39] |
| Aqua | "Barbie Girl" | 1997 | Bubblegum dance | 8 | [40] |
| The Beatles | "Hey Jude" | 1968 | Rock, pop | 8 | [41] |
| Mahalia Jackson | "Move On Up a Little Higher" | 1948 | Gospel | 8 | [42] |
| Mary Hopkin | "Those Were the Days" | 1968 | Pop | 8 | [31] |
| Whitney Houston | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | 1987 | R&B, Dance pop | 8 | [43] |
| Modern Talking | "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" | 1984 | Synthpop, New Wave, Europop | 8 | [44] |
| Nirvana | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 1991 | Grunge | 8 | [45] |
| O-Zone | "Dragostea din tei" | 2003 | Eurodance | 8 | [46] |
| Ricky Martin | "Livin' la Vida Loca" | 1999 | Latin pop, dance-pop, pop rock | 8 | [27] |
| Richard Sanderson | "Reality" | 1980 | Pop, soft rock, adult contemporary | 8 | [47][48] |
7—7.9 million copies
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shocking Blue | "Venus" | 1969 | Garage rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock | 7.5 | [49] |
| Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 | "I'll Be Missing You" | 1997 | Hip hop, R&B | 7.2 | [36][50] |
| a-ha | "Take on Me" | 1985 | Synthpop, New Wave | 7 | [51][52] |
| The Beatles | "Can't Buy Me Love" | 1964 | Rock, pop | 7 | [3][53] |
| Chic | "Le Freak" | 1978 | Disco | 7 | [54] |
| Christina Aguilera | "Genie in a Bottle" | 1999 | Teen pop, dance-pop | 7 | [27] |
| Danyel Gérard | "Butterfly" | 1971 | Pop | 7 | [55][56] |
| Julie Rogers | "The Wedding" | 1964 | Pop, adult contemporary | 7 | [31][57] |
| Las Ketchup | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" | 2002 | Beach, salsa | 7 | [58] |
| Queen | "Another One Bites the Dust" | 1980 | Funk rock | 7 | [59] |
| Ricky Valance | "Tell Laura I Love Her" | 1960 | Pop | 7 | [60] |
| Royal Scots Dragoon Guards | "Amazing Grace" | 1972 | Gospel | 7 | [55] |
| Roy Orbison | "Oh, Pretty Woman" | 1964 | Rock | 7 | [61] |
| Scott McKenzie | "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" | 1967 | Psychedelic pop | 7 | [62] |
6—6.9 million copies
5—5.9 million copies
Best-selling digital singles
10 million copies or more
8—9.9 million copies
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katy Perry | "Roar" | 2013 | Power Pop | 9.9[b] | [104] |
| Pink featuring Nate Ruess | "Just Give Me a Reason" | 2013 | Pop | 9.9[b] | [104] |
| Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera | "Moves like Jagger" | 2011 | Pop | 9.8 | [118] |
| Psy | "Gangnam Style" | 2012 | K-pop | 9.7 | [108] |
| fun. featuring Janelle Monáe | "We Are Young" | 2011 | Indie pop | 9.6 | [108] |
| Daft Punk | "Get Lucky" | 2013 | Funk, Disco | 9.3[b] | [104] |
| Lil Wayne featuring Static Major | "Lollipop" | 2008 | Electronic, Rap | 9.1 | [119] |
| Maroon 5 | "Payphone" | 2012 | Pop | 9.1 | [108] |
| Adele | "Someone like You" | 2011 | Pop, Soul | 9 | [120] |
| Madonna | "Hung Up" | 2005 | Dance-pop, disco | 9 | [75][121] |
| Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis | "Just Dance" | 2008 | Electropop | 8.9 | [122] |
| Imagine Dragons | "Radioactive" | 2013 | Alternative rock, Electronic rock | 8.6[b] | [104] |
| The Black Eyed Peas | "Boom Boom Pow" | 2009 | Electro hop | 8.5 | [123] |
| Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull | "On the Floor" | 2011 | Dance-pop | 8.4 | [107] |
| Bruno Mars | "When I Was Your Man" | 2013 | Pop | 8.3[b] | [104] |
| Lady Gaga | "Born This Way" | 2011 | Electropop | 8.2 | [107] |
| Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer | "Give Me Everything" | 2011 | Electro-house, Dance-pop | 8.2 | [107] |
| Thelma Aoyama | "Soba ni Iru ne" | 2008 | Pop | 8.2 | [119] |
| Jason Mraz | "I'm Yours" | 2008 | Pop, Folk rock, Roots rock | 8.1 | [123] |
| Will.i.am featuring Britney Spears | "Scream & Shout" | 2012 | Dance-pop | 8.1[b] | [104] |
| Katy Perry | "I Kissed a Girl" | 2008 | Electro-rock | 8 | [27] |
| Utada Hikaru | "Flavor of Life" | 2007 | J-Pop, R&B | 8 | [124] |
7—7.9 million copies
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey | "Don't Stop Believin'" | 1981 | Rock | 7.9[c] | [125] |
| Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko | "Stay" | 2013 | Pop | 7.9[b] | [104] |
| Katy Perry | "Hot n Cold" | 2008 | Electro-rock, dance-pop | 7.8 | [126] |
| Pink | "So What" | 2008 | Pop rock | 7.8 | [27] |
| Leona Lewis | "Bleeding Love" | 2008 | Pop | 7.7 | [119] |
| Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg | "California Gurls" | 2010 | Disco, funk | 7.6 | [127] |
| Rihanna | "Diamonds" | 2012 | Pop, electronic | 7.5 | [128] |
| Coldplay | "Viva la Vida" | 2008 | Baroque pop | 7.4 | [129] |
| Eminem | "Lose Yourself" | 2002 | Hardcore hip hop | 7.4 | [130] |
| LMFAO | "Sexy and I Know It" | 2011 | Electro house | 7.4 | [131] |
| Timbaland featuring OneRepublic | "Apologize" | 2007 | Pop | 7.4 | [132] |
| Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris | "We Found Love" | 2011 | Electro house, Disco-pop | 7.4 | [133] |
| Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé | "Telephone" | 2010 | Electropop | 7.4 | [134] |
| Train | "Hey, Soul Sister" | 2009 | Pop rock, roots rock | 7.3 | [135] |
| Avril Lavigne | "Girlfriend" | 2007 | Pop punk | 7.3 | [136] |
| The Black Eyed Peas | "The Time (Dirty Bit)" | 2010 | Dance, Techno | 7.3 | [107] |
| Michel Teló | "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" | 2011 | Sertanejo | 7.2 | [108] |
| Nicki Minaj | "Starships" | 2012 | Eurodance | 7.2 | [108] |
| Taio Cruz | "Dynamite" | 2010 | Electropop | 7.1 | [137] |
| One Direction | "What Makes You Beautiful" | 2011 | Pop | 7 | [138] |
| Exile | "Lovers Again" | 2007 | Pop | 7 | [139] |
6—6.9 million copies
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maroon 5 | "One More Night" | 2012 | Pop, reggae, funk rock | 6.9 | [108] | ||||||
| Usher featuring will.i.am | "OMG" | 2010 | R&B | 6.9 | [134] | ||||||
| Florida Georgia Line | "Cruise" | 2012 | Country Pop | 6.7 | [140] | ||||||
| Lorde | "Royals" | 2013 | Art pop | 6.7 | [141] | ||||||
| Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha | "Right Round" | 2009 | Electro dance | 6.6 | [142] | ||||||
| Flo Rida | "Whistle" | 2012 | Pop | 6.6 | [108] | ||||||
| Rihanna featuring Jay-Z | "Umbrella" | 2007 | R&B, urban-pop | 6.6 | [136] | ||||||
| Britney Spears | "Toxic" | 2004 | Dance-pop | 6.5 | [143] | ||||||
| Bruno Mars | "The Lazy Song" | 2011 | Pop | 6.5 | [107] | ||||||
| Flo Rida featuring Sia | "Wild Ones" | 2012 | Dance-pop | 6.5 | [108] | ||||||
| Taylor Swift | "Love Story" | 2008 | Country pop | 6.5 | [123] | ||||||
| Cee Lo Green | "Fuck You" | 2010 | Pop, Funk, Soul | 6.4 | [144] | ||||||
| Foster the People | "Pumped Up Kicks" | 2010 | Indie pop, Neo psychedelia | 6.4 | [145] | ||||||
| Katy Perry featuring Kanye West | "E.T." | 2011 | Electronic, hiphop | 6.4 | [146] | ||||||
| Lady Antebellum | "Need You Now" | 2009 | Country pop | 6.4 | [147] | ||||||
| Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris | "Baby" | 2010 | Pop | 6.4 | [134] | ||||||
| Flo Rida | "Good Feeling" | 2011 | Dance-pop | 6.2 | [148] | ||||||
| Greeeen | "Kiseki" | 2008 | Pop | 6.2 | [119] | ||||||
| Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys | "Empire State of Mind" | 2009 | Hip-hop, R&B | 6.1 | [149] | ||||||
| Beyoncé | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | 2008 | R&B, dance-pop | 6.1 | [123] | ||||||
| Paramore | "crushcrushcrush" | 2007 | Rock | 6.1 | [134] | ||||||
| Adele | "Set Fire to the Rain" | 2011 | Pop, Soul | 6 | [150] | ||||||
| Bruno Mars | "Locked Out of Heaven" | 2012 | New wave, Funk, Reggae rock | 6 | [151] | ||||||
| David Guetta featuring Sia | "Titanium" | 2012 | House, pop, urban-dance | 6 | [152] | ||||||
| Miley Cyrus | "Party in the U.S.A." | 2009 | Dance-pop | 6 | [153] | ||||||
| Taylor Swift | "I Knew You Were Trouble" | 2012 | Popstep | 6 | - | Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne | "Down" | 2009 | R&B, Dance | 6 | [155] |
| The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes | "Don't Cha" | 2005 | Pop | 6 | [156] |
5—5.99 million copies
| Artist | Single | Released | Genre | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Pain | "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" | 2007 | Snap & B | 5.9 | [136] |
| fun. | "Some Nights" | 2012 | Indie pop, world beat | 5.8 | [157] |
| Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton | "Can't Hold Us" | 2011 | Alternative hip hop, R&B | 5.8 | [158] |
| Owl City | "Fireflies" | 2009 | Pop | 5.7 | [159] |
| Akon | "Don't Matter" | 2007 | Reggae fusion, folk, contemporary R&B | 5.7 | [136] |
| Soulja Boy Tell 'Em | "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" | 2007 | Southern rap | 5.7 | [123] |
| Passenger | "Let Her Go" | 2013 | Indie Pop, Folk Rock | 5.6 | |
| Alicia Keys | "No One" | 2007 | R&B, Soul | 5.6 | [119] |
| Usher featuring Young Jeezy | "Love in This Club" | 2008 | R&B, Synthpop | 5.6 | [119] |
| Awolnation | "Sail" | 2010 | Rock | 5.5 | [160] |
| David Guetta featuring Akon | "Sexy Bitch" | 2009 | Electro house, Dance-pop | 5.5 | [161] |
| Katy Perry | "Teenage Dream" | 2010 | Power pop, electropop | 5.5 | [162] |
| Katy Perry featuring Juicy J | "Dark Horse" | 2013 | Trap, hip hop | 5.5 | [163] |
| Britney Spears | "Circus" | 2008 | Pop | 5.5 | [123] |
| Chris Brown | "With You" | 2007 | R&B, Pop | 5.5 | [119] |
| Kanye West | "Heartless" | 2008 | Pop | 5.5 | [123] |
| Kings of Leon | "Use Somebody" | 2008 | Alternative rock | 5.4 | [164] |
| Phillip Phillips | "Home" | 2012 | Folk Rock | 5.4 | |
| Rihanna | "Only Girl (In the World)" | 2010 | Europop, Dance-pop | 5.3 | [165] |
| Eminem | "Not Afraid" | 2010 | Hip hop | 5.2 | [166] |
| The Lumineers | "Ho Hey" | 2012 | Folk Pop | 5.2 | |
| Pitbull featuring Kesha | "Timber" | 2013 | Dance-pop, Hiphop | 5.2 | [167] |
| Rihanna | "Disturbia" | 2008 | Dance-pop, Electropop | 5.2 | [168] |
| Shop Boyz | "Party Like a Rock Star" | 2007 | Pop | 5.2 | [136] |
| Soulja Boy Tell 'Em | "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" | 2007 | Snap | 5.2 | [136] |
| Kanye West | "Stronger" | 2007 | Hip hop | 5.07 | [169] |
| OneRepublic | "Counting Stars" | 2013 | Pop | 5 | |
| Pink | "Raise Your Glass" | 2010 | Electropop | 5 | [170] |
| Rihanna | "S&M" | 2011 | Dance-pop, Eurodance | 5 | [171] |
| Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris | "Yeah!" | 2004 | Crunk&B | 5 | |
| Avicii | "Levels" | 2012 | Progressive house | 5 | [104] |
| Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z | "Crazy in Love" | 2003 | R&B, funk, hip hop, dance-pop | 5 | [89] |
| The Black Eyed Peas | "My Humps" | 2005 | Dance hop | 5 | [89] |
| Britney Spears | "Womanizer" | 2008 | Electropop | 5 | [89] |
| Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull | "I Like It" | 2010 | Electropop | 5 | [172] |
| Green Day | "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" | 2004 | Alternative Rock | 5 | [89] |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" | 2012 | Pop rock, electropop | 5 | [173] |
| Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" | 2005 | R&B, soul | 5 | [89] |
| Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz | "La Tortura" | 2005 | Reggaeton | 5 | [89] |
| Shakira | "Loca" | 2010 | Latin pop | 5 | [174] |
Best-selling single by year worldwide
The charts of the best-selling singles by year in the world are compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry annually since 2007. These charts are published in their two annual reports, the Digital Music Report and the Recording Industry in Numbers. Units sold include single-track downloads, audio and video mastertones, ringback tones, full track downloads to mobile and track-equivalent streams. All versions of the same song are combined in these charts.
| Year | Single | Artist | Nationality | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Girlfriend" | Avril Lavigne |  Canada
|
7.3 | [175] |
| 2008 | "Lollipop" | Lil Wayne featuring Static Major |  United States
|
9.1 | [176] |
| 2009 | "Poker Face" | Lady Gaga | United States
|
9.8 | [177] |
| 2010 | "TiK ToK" | Ke$ha | United States
|
12.8 | [178] |
| 2011 | "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | United States
|
12.5 | [179] |
| 2012 | "Call Me Maybe" | Carly Rae Jepsen | Canada
|
12.5 | [180] |
| 2013 | "Blurred Lines" | Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell | Canada / United States
|
14.8 | [181] |
Notes
- ^ Sales figure includes digital sales.
- ^ Sales figure includes 'equivalent track streams'.
- ^ Sales figure includes physical sales.
See also
References
Template:Lists of best-selling singles Template:Music topics