List of most-downloaded songs in the United Kingdom
A music download is the transfer of music as a digital file from a provider (such as iTunes) to a device capable of playing it; legal sales of music downloads have been monitored and charted in the United Kingdom since 2004. As of 9 September 2014, the UK's most-downloaded song of all time is "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, which topped both the UK Singles Downloads Chart and UK Singles Chart.[1]
The first single to sell 1 million downloads in the UK was "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas[2] and "Someone like You" and "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele are the best-selling downloads by a female artist.[1] The best-selling song not to top the UK Singles Chart is "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera, whilst the best-selling song not to top the Download Chart is "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna, which peaked at number two.[1]
Most-downloaded songs
No. | Artist | Song | Record label | Year | Peak position |
Copies sold[lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pharrell Williams | "Happy" | Sony | 2013 | 1 | 1,922,000[3] |
2 | Adele | "Someone Like You" | Beggars | 2011 | 1 | 1,637,000+[4] |
3 | Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams | "Blurred Lines" | Universal | 2013 | 1 | 1,620,000+ |
4 | Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera | "Moves Like Jagger" | Universal | 2011 | 2 | 1,500,000+ |
5 | Gotye featuring Kimbra | "Somebody That I Used to Know" | Universal | 2012 | 1 | 1,470,000+ |
6 | Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams | "Get Lucky" | Sony | 2013 | 1 | 1,400,000+ |
7 | The Black Eyed Peas | "I Gotta Feeling" | Universal | 2009 | 1 | 1,350,000+ |
8 | Avicii | "Wake Me Up" | Universal | 2013 | 1 | 1,340,000+ |
9 | Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris | "We Found Love" | Universal | 2011 | 1 | 1,337,000+ |
10 | Kings of Leon | "Sex on Fire" | Sony BMG | 2008 | 1 | 1,293,000+ |
11 | Carly Rae Jepsen | "Call Me Maybe" | Universal | 2012 | 1 | 1,264,000+ |
12 | Bruno Mars | "Just the Way You Are (Amazing)" | Warner | 2010 | 1 | 1,247,000+ |
13 | Psy | "Gangnam Style" | Universal | 2012 | 1 | 1,229,000+ |
14 | LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock | "Party Rock Anthem" | Universal | 2011 | 1 | 1,229,000+ |
15 | Jessie J featuring B.o.B | "Price Tag" | Universal | 2012 | 1 | 1,188,000+ |
16 | Eminem featuring Rihanna | "Love the Way You Lie" | Universal | 2010 | 2 | 1,173,000+ |
17 | Little Mix | "Shout Out To My Ex" | Syco | 2016 | 1 | 1,159,827+ |
18 | David Guetta featuring Sia | "Titanium" | EMI | 2012 | 1 | 1,158,000+ |
19 | Little Mix | "Black Magic" | Syco | 2015 | 1 | 1,146,000+ |
20 | Lady Gaga | "Poker Face" | Warner | 2009 | 1 | 1,131,000+ |
21 | Passenger | "Let Her Go" | Nettwerk | 2012 | 1 | 1,114,000+ |
22 | Rihanna | "Only Girl (In the World)" | Universal | 2010 | 1 | 1,103,000+ |
23 | fun. featuring Janelle Monáe | "We Are Young" | Warner | 2012 | 1 | 1,095,000+ |
24 | Kings of Leon | "Use Somebody" | Sony BMG | 2008 | 2 | 1,068,000+ |
25 | James Arthur | "Impossible" | Sony | 2012 | 1 | 1,053,000+ |
26 | Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne | "Rather Be" | Warner | 2014 | 1 | 1,053,000+ |
27 | Ed Sheeran | "The A Team" | Warner | 2011 | 3 | 1,053,000 |
28 | Little Mix | "Touch" | Syco | 2016 | 3 | 1,041,000+ |
30 | Rihanna | "Diamonds" | Universal | 2012 | 1 | 1,006,000 |
31 | Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith | "La La La" | Universal | 2013 | 1 | 1,000,000+ |
32 | Katy Perry | "Firework" | EMI | 2010 | 3 | 1,000,000+ |
33 | Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer | "Give Me Everything" | Sony | 2011 | 1 | 1,000,000+ |
34 | Adele | "Rolling in the Deep" | Beggars | 2011 | 2 | 1,000,000+ |
35 | Journey | "Don't Stop Believin'" | Sony | 2010 | 6 | 1,000,000 |
36 | Lady Gaga | "Bad Romance" | Universal | 2009 | 1 | 1,000,000 |
37 | Katy Perry | "Roar" | Universal | 2013 | 1 | 990,000 |
38 | Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin | "Don't You Worry Child" | Universal | 2012 | 1 | 980,000 |
39 | LMFAO | "Sexy and I Know It" | Universal | 2011 | 5 | 974,000 |
41 | Nicki Minaj | "Starships" | Universal | 2012 | 2 | 967,000 |
42 | CeeLo Green | "Forget You" | Warner | 2010 | 1 | 963,000 |
43 | Bruno Mars | "Grenade" | Warner | 2011 | 1 | 949,000 |
- As of 2014[1]
Most-downloaded songs by year
References
- Copsey, Rob (9 September 2014). "Pharrell's Happy now the UK's most downloaded track of all time". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- Kaufman, Gil (14 September 2011). "Adele, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber Land New Guinness Records". MTV. Viacom International Inc. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- Moss, Liv (19 June 2015). "The Official 40 biggest songs of the decade revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- Moss, Liv (26 April 2017). "Official Top 20 Biggest Selling Singles Of All Time By Female Artists". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2017.