This article is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion on the list is to have sold at least five million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, newspapers, magazines, and books.
It is notable that, 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:
Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bing Crosby | "White Christmas" | 1942 | 50 | [1] |
Elton John | "Candle in the Wind 1997" | 1997 | 33 | [1] |
Mungo Jerry | "In the Summertime" | 1970 | 30 | [2][3][4] |
Bing Crosby | "Silent Night" | 1935 | 30 | [5] |
Bill Haley & His Comets | "Rock Around the Clock" | 1954 | 25 | [6] |
Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | 1992 | 20 | [7] |
Elvis Presley | "It's Now or Never" | 1960 | 20 | [5][8] |
USA for Africa | "We Are the World" | 1985 | 20 | [9] |
The Ink Spots | "If I Didn't Care" | 1939 | 19 | [10] |
Baccara | "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" | 1977 | 18 | [11] |
Mariah Carey | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | 1994 | 16 | [12] |
Bryan Adams | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | 1991 | 15 | [13] |
Celine Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1997 | 15 | [14] |
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | "You're the One That I Want" | 1978 | 15 | [15] |
Scorpions | "Wind of Change" | 1991 | 15 | [16] |
Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Survivor | "Eye of the Tiger" | 1982 | 9 | [44] |
Wings | "Mull of Kintyre" | 1977 | 9 | [45] |
Shakira | "Whenever, Wherever" | 2001 | 8.5 | [46] |
The Animals | "The House of the Rising Sun" | 1964 | 8 | [47] |
Aqua | "Barbie Girl" | 1997 | 8 | [48] |
The Beatles | "Hey Jude" | 1968 | 8 | [49] |
Paul Hardcastle | "19" | 1985 | 8 | [50] |
Mary Hopkin | "Those Were the Days" | 1968 | 8 | [5] |
Mahalia Jackson | "Move On Up a Little Higher" | 1948 | 8 | [51] |
Lipps Inc. | "Funkytown" | 1980 | 8 | [52] |
Ricky Martin | "Livin' La Vida Loca" | 1999 | 8 | [53] |
Modern Talking | "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" | 1984 | 8 | [54] |
Nirvana | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 1991 | 8 | [55] |
O-Zone | "Dragostea Din Tei" | 2003 | 8[a] | [56] |
Freddy Quinn | "Heimweh" | 1956 | 8 | [57] |
Shocking Blue | "Venus" | 1969 | 8 | [5] |
Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nelly and Kelly Rowland | "Dilemma" | 2002 | 7.6 | [58][59] |
Christina Aguilera | "Genie in a Bottle" | 1999 | 7 | [60] |
The Beatles | "Can't Buy Me Love" | 1964 | 7 | [5] |
The Black Crowes | "Hard to Handle" | 1990 | 7 | [61] |
Chic | "Le Freak" | 1978 | 7 | [62] |
Danyel Gérard | "Butterfly" | 1971 | 7 | [5][63] |
Las Ketchup | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" | 2002 | 7 | [64] |
Scott McKenzie | "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" | 1967 | 7 | [65] |
Alanis Morissette | "Uninvited" | 1998 | 7 | [66] |
Queen | "Another One Bites the Dust" | 1980 | 7 | [67] |
Julie Rogers | "The Wedding" | 1964 | 7 | [5][68] |
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards | "Amazing Grace" | 1972 | 7 | [5][69] |
Roy Orbison | "Oh, Pretty Woman" | 1964 | 7 | [70] |
Spice Girls | "Wannabe" | 1996 | 7 | [71] |
Ricky Valance | "Tell Laura I Love Her" | 1960 | 7 | [72] |
Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adele | "Rolling in the Deep" | 2010 | 20.6[b] | [110] |
Lady Gaga | "Poker Face" | 2009 | 20.3[e] | [111] |
Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera | "Moves Like Jagger" | 2010 | 20.1[b] | [112] |
Eminem featuring Rihanna | "Love the Way You Lie | 2010 | 18.7 | [113] |
Black Eyed Peas | "I Gotta Feeling | 2009 | 17.7[b] | [114] |
Adele | "Someone Like You" | 2011 | 17.4[b] | [115] |
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars | "Uptown Funk" | 2014 | 17[b] | [116] |
Bruno Mars | "Just the Way You Are" | 2010 | 16.2 | [117] |
Eminem | "Lose Yourself" | 2002 | 15.9 | [118] |
Various Artists | "Frozen" | 2014 | 15.5[b] | [119] |
Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black Eyed Peas | "Boom Boom Pow" | 2009 | 14.4[b] | [120] |
Coldplay | "Viva La Vida" | 2008 | 14.2 | [121] |
Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa | "Payphone" | 2012 | 14[b] | [122] |
Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'donis | "Just Dance" | 2008 | 13.6 | [123] |
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz | "Thrift Shop" | 2012 | 13.4 | [124] |
Journey | "Don't Stop Believin'" | 1981 | 13.1[b] | [125] |
Beyoncé | "Halo" | 2008 | 13.1[b] | [126] |
Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris | "We Found Love" | 2011 | 13[b] | [127] |
Katy Perry | "Firework" | 2010 | 12.8[b] | [128] |
Bruno Mars | "Grenade" | 2010 | 12.5[b] | [129] |
Lady Gaga | "Bad Romance" | 2010 | 12.3[b] | [130] |
Taylor Swift | "Love Story" | 2008 | 12.2 | [131] |
Imagine Dragons | "Radioactive" | 2012 | 12.1 | [132] |
Artist | Single | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beyoncé | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | 2008 | 11.9[b] | [133] |
Katy Perry | "I Kissed a Girl" | 2008 | 11.8[b] | [134] |
Katy Perry | "Hot n Cold" | 2008 | 11.8[b] | [135] |
Katy Perry | "Roar" | 2013 | 11.8[b] | [136] |
Avril Lavigne | "Girlfriend" | 2007 | 11.6[b] | [137] |
Eminem | "Not Afraid" | 2010 | 11.6[b] | [138] |
Ed Sheeran | "Thinking Out Loud" | 2014 | 11.4[b] | [139] |
Rihanna featuring Jay-Z | "Umbrella" | 2007 | 11.3[b] | [140] |
Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland | "SexyBack" | 2001 | 11.3[b] | [141] |
Adele | "Hello" | 2015 | 11.3[b] | [142] |
Beyoncé | "Irreplaceable" | 2006 | 11.1[b] | [143] |
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris | "Baby" | 2010 | 11.1 | [144] |
Shakira featuring Freshlyground | "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" | 2010 | 11.1 | [145] |
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean | "Hips Don't Lie" | 2006 | 11.1 | [146] |
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg | "California Gurls" | 2010 | 11.1 | [147] |
Adele | "Set Fire to the Rain" | 2011 | 10.4 | [148] |