List of best-selling singles

This article is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion on the list is to have sold 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.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

1942 10-inch 78 rpm release of the single "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby.
1997 7-inch 45 rpm release of "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight", double A-side single by Elton John.

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 the late Diana, Princess of Wales, rather than the Marilyn Monroe of 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]

There are three best-selling singles lists displayed here:

  1. Best-selling physical singles (mainly CD and vinyl) singles)
  2. Best-selling digital singles (digitally downloaded tracks which first became available to purchase in the early 2000s)
  3. Best-selling streaming singles (post-2015 singles where tracks streams are converted to sales using the streaming equivalent method)

Best-selling physical singles

15 million physical copies or more
ArtistSingleReleasedSales
(in millions)		Source
Bing Crosby"White Christmas"194250[1]
Elton John"Candle in the Wind 1997"199733[1]
Mungo Jerry"In the Summertime"197030[2][3][4]
Whitney Houston"I Will Always Love You"199220[5]
Bill Haley & His Comets"Rock Around the Clock"195425[6]
Elvis Presley"It's Now or Never"196020[7][8]
USA for Africa"We Are the World"198520[9]
The Ink Spots"If I Didn't Care"193919[10]
Baccara"Yes Sir, I Can Boogie"197718[11]
Celine Dion"My Heart Will Go On"199718[12]
Mariah Carey"All I Want for Christmas Is You"199416[13]
Bryan Adams"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"199115[14]
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John"You're the One That I Want"197815[15]
Scorpions"Wind of Change"199115[16]

10–14.9 million copies
ArtistSingleReleasedSales
(in millions)		Source
The Andrews Sisters"Bei Mir"193714[17]
Prince Nico Mbarga"Sweet Mother"197613[18]
Kyu Sakamoto"Sukiyaki"196313[19]
Trio"Da Da Da"198213[20]
Gene Autry"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"194912.5[21]
The Beatles"I Want to Hold Your Hand"196312[7]
Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman"Time to Say Goodbye"199612[22]
Village People"Y.M.C.A."197812[23]
Band Aid"Do They Know It's Christmas?"198411.7[24]
Cher"Believe"199811[25][26]
Carl Douglas"Kung Fu Fighting"197411[27][28]
George McCrae"Rock Your Baby"197411[7]
Mills Brothers"Paper Doll"194311[7]
Roger Whittaker"The Last Farewell"197511[29]
Bing Crosby"Silent Night"193510[30]
ABBA"Fernando"197610[31]
Roy Acuff"Wabash Cannonball"194210[7]
Paul Anka"Diana"195710[32][33]
Toni Braxton"Un-Break My Heart"199610[34]
George Harrison"My Sweet Lord"197010[35]
Los del Río"Macarena"199510[36]
Middle of the Road"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep"197110[7]
The Monkees"I'm a Believer"196610[7][37]
Panjabi MC"Mundian To Bach Ke"199810[38]
Patti Page"Tennessee Waltz"195010[39][40][41]
The Penguins"Earth Angel"195410[42]
Elvis Presley"Hound Dog"195610[43]
Procol Harum"A Whiter Shade of Pale"196710[7]
Britney Spears"...Baby One More Time"199810[44]

Best-selling digital singles

15 million digital copies or more
ArtistSingleReleasedSales
(in millions)		Source
Xiao Zhan"光点 (Spotlight)"202046.3[b][45][46]
Ed Sheeran"Shape of You"201741.5[b][47][48]
Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee"Despacito"201736.1[b][47][48]
Rihanna featuring Drake"Work"201632.5[b][49]
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay"Something Just like This"201721.5[b][47][48]
Ed Sheeran"Perfect"201721.4[b][47][48]
Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth"See You Again"201520.9[b][50]
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey"Closer"201620.7[b][51][47]
Adele"Rolling in the Deep"201120.6[52][53][54]
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars"Uptown Funk"201420.0[b][50]
Billie Eilish"Bad Guy"201919.5[b][55]
Ed Sheeran"Thinking Out Loud"201419.5[b][50]
Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug"Havana"201719.0[b][47][48]
Lil Nas X"Old Town Road"201818.4[b][55]
Carly Rae Jepsen"Call Me Maybe"201118.0[56]
Adele"Someone Like You"201117.0[57]
Rihanna"Needed Me"201617.0[b][49]
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello"Señorita"201916.1[b][55]
Drake"God's Plan"201815.3[b][48]
Rihanna"Love on the Brain"201615.0[b][49]

10–14.99 million copies
ArtistSingleReleasedSales
(in millions)		Source
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell"Blurred Lines"201314.8[b][58]
Kesha"Tik Tok"200914[59]
Lady Gaga"Poker Face"200814[60]
Pharrell Williams"Happy"201313.9[b][61]
Psy"Gangnam Style"201213.5[62][63]
Maroon 5"Sugar"201513.5[b][50]
Post Malone and Swae Lee"Sunflower"201813.4[b][55]
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz"Thrift Shop"201213.4[b][58]
Ariana Grande"7 Rings"201913.3[b][55]
Katy Perry featuring Juicy J"Dark Horse"201313.2[b][61]
Major Lazer & DJ Snake featuring MØ"Lean On"201513.1[b][50]
Gotye featuring Kimbra"Somebody That I Used to Know"201113[64]
Ellie Goulding"Love Me like You Do"201512.6[b][50]
Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla"One Dance"201612.5[b][51]
Bruno Mars"Just the Way You Are"201012.5[65]
Adele"Hello"201512.3[b][50]
John Legend"All of Me"201312.3[b][61]
Jason Mraz"I'm Yours"200812.2[66][67][68][69]
Flo Rida featuring Kesha"Right Round"200912[70]
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain"Low"200712[71]
Lady Gaga"Bad Romance"200912[72]
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B"Girls Like You"201811.9[b][48]
Justin Bieber"Love Yourself"201511.7[b][51]
Tones and I"Dance Monkey"201911.4[b][55]
Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc"Wake Me Up"201311.1[b][58]
Sia featuring Sean Paul"Cheap Thrills"201611.1[b][51]
Meghan Trainor"All About That Bass"201411[b][61]
Tia Ray"Be Apart"201810.9[b][48]
Idina Menzel"Let It Go"201310.9[b][61]
Justin Bieber"Sorry"201510.8[b][51]
Lukas Graham"7 Years"201510.4[b][51]
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber"I Don't Care"201910.3[b][55]
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper"Shallow"201810.2[b][55]
Bruno Mars"Grenade"201010.2[65]
The Chainsmokers featuring Daya"Don't Let Me Down"201610.2[b][51]
Lorde"Royals"201310[73]
Mike Posner"I Took a Pill in Ibiza"201510[b][51]
Shakira featuring Freshlyground"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"201010[74]
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean"Hips Don't Lie"200610[75]
Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis"Just Dance"200810[76]

See also

Notes
  • a.^ Sales figure includes digital sales.
  • b.^ Sales figure includes 'equivalent track streams'.
  • c.^ Sales figure includes physical sales.
  • d.^ Sales figure includes ringback tone sales not counted by the IFPI.

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Bibliography
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