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List of best-selling singles worldwide facts for kids

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Bing Crosby - White Christmas 1942 10 inch
1942 10-inch 78 rpm release of the single "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby
Elton John - Candle In The Wind 1997 7 inch
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

This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell 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.

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. 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 Diana, Princess of Wales, rather than Marilyn Monroe in 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.

Two best-selling singles lists are displayed here relating first to physical singles (mainly CD and vinyl singles) and second to digital singles (digitally downloaded tracks which first became available to purchase in the early 2000s).

Best-selling physical singles

15 million physical copies or more

Artist Single Released Sales
(in millions)
Source
Bing Crosby "White Christmas" 1942 50
Elton John "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" 1997 33
Bing Crosby "Silent Night" 1935 30
Tino Rossi "Petit Papa Noël" 1946 30
Bill Haley & His Comets "Rock Around the Clock" 1954 25
Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You" 1992 24
Elvis Presley "It's Now or Never" 1960 20
USA for Africa "We Are the World" 1985 20
The Ink Spots "If I Didn't Care" 1939 19
Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On" 1997 18
Mariah Carey "All I Want For Christmas Is You" 1994 16
Baccara "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" 1977 16
Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" 1991 15
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want" 1978 15

10–14.9 million copies

Artist Single Released Sales
(in millions)
Source
Whitney Houston "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" 1987 14
The Andrews Sisters "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" 1937 14
Scorpions "Wind of Change" 1991 14
Prince Nico Mbarga "Sweet Mother" 1976 13
Kyu Sakamoto "Sukiyaki" 1963 13
Gene Autry "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" 1949 12.5
The Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" 1963 12
Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman "Time to Say Goodbye" 1996 12
Village People "Y.M.C.A." 1978 12
Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 1984 11.7
Los del Río "Macarena" 1995 11
Cher "Believe" 1998 11
Carl Douglas "Kung Fu Fighting" 1974 11
George McCrae "Rock Your Baby" 1974 11
Mills Brothers "Paper Doll" 1943 11
Roger Whittaker "The Last Farewell" 1975 11
ABBA "Fernando" 1976 10
Roy Acuff "Wabash Cannonball" 1942 10
Paul Anka "Diana" 1957 10
Toni Braxton "Un-Break My Heart" 1996 10
George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" 1970 10
Middle of the Road "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" 1971 10
The Monkees "I'm a Believer" 1966 10
Panjabi MC "Mundian To Bach Ke" 1998 10
Patti Page "Tennessee Waltz" 1950 10
The Penguins "Earth Angel" 1954 10
Elvis Presley "Hound Dog" 1956 10
Procol Harum "A Whiter Shade of Pale" 1967 10
Boney M. "Rivers of Babylon" 1978 10
Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time" 1998 10
The Knack "My Sharona" 1979 10

Best-selling digital singles

15 million digital copies or more

Artist Single Released Sales
(in millions)
Source
Ed Sheeran "Shape of You" 2017 41.5
Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee "Despacito" 2017 36.1
Rihanna featuring Drake "Work" 2016 32.5
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay "Something Just Like This" 2017 21.5
Ed Sheeran "Perfect" 2017 21.4
Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth "See You Again" 2015 20.9
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey "Closer" 2016 20.7
Adele "Rolling in the Deep" 2011 20.6
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk" 2015 20
Billie Eilish "Bad Guy" 2019 19.5
Ed Sheeran "Thinking Out Loud" 2015 19.5
Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug "Havana" 2017 19.0
Lil Nas X "Old Town Road" 2018 18.4
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe" 2011 18.0
Taylor Swift "Love Story" 2008 18.0
Adele "Someone Like You" 2011 17.0
Rihanna "Needed Me" 2016 17.0
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello "Señorita" 2019 16.1
Imagine Dragons "Radioactive" 2012 16
"Believer" 2017 15.4
Drake "God's Plan" 2018 15.3

10–14.99 million copies

Artist Single Released Sales
(in millions)
Source
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell "Blurred Lines" 2013 14.8
Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera "Moves Like Jagger" 2011 14.4
Kesha "Tik Tok" 2009 14
Lady Gaga "Poker Face" 2008 14
Pharrell Williams "Happy" 2013 13.9
Maroon 5 "Sugar" 2015 13.5
Post Malone and Swae Lee "Sunflower" 2018 13.4
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz "Thrift Shop" 2012 13.4
Ariana Grande "7 Rings" 2019 13.3
Katy Perry featuring Juicy J "Dark Horse" 2013 13.2
Major Lazer & DJ Snake featuring "Lean On" 2015 13.1
Gotye featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used to Know" 2011 13
Ellie Goulding "Love Me like You Do" 2015 12.6
Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla "One Dance" 2016 12.5
Bruno Mars "Just the Way You Are" 2010 12.5
Adele "Hello" 2015 12.3
John Legend "All of Me" 2013 12.3
Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" 2008 12.2
Flo Rida featuring Kesha "Right Round" 2009 12
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain "Low" 2007 12
Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" 2009 12
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B "Girls Like You" 2018 11.9
Justin Bieber "Love Yourself" 2015 11.7
Tones and I "Dance Monkey" 2019 11.4
Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc "Wake Me Up" 2013 11.1
Sia featuring Sean Paul "Cheap Thrills" 2016 11.1
Meghan Trainor "All About That Bass" 2014 11
Tia Ray "Be Apart" 2018 10.9
Idina Menzel "Let It Go" 2013 10.9
Justin Bieber "Sorry" 2015 10.8
Lukas Graham "7 Years" 2015 10.4
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber "I Don't Care" 2019 10.3
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper "Shallow" 2018 10.2
The Chainsmokers featuring Daya "Don't Let Me Down" 2016 10.2
Lorde "Royals" 2013 10
Bruno Mars "Grenade" 2010 10.2
Mike Posner "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" 2015 10
Shakira featuring Freshlyground "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" 2010 10
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie" 2006 10
Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis "Just Dance" 2008 10

By stream equivalent units

Beginning in 2020, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry began reporting the best-selling singles of each year in terms of subscription streams equivalent units. The methodology used converts all digital formats, including digital download sales, paid subscription streaming, and free ad-supported streaming, into a single figure.

Artist Single Released Units
(in billions)
Source
The Weeknd "Blinding Lights" 2019 5.31
The Weeknd "Save Your Tears" 2020 4.66
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber "Stay" 2021 3.81
Harry Styles "As It Was" 2022 3.74
Dua Lipa "Levitating" 2020 2.99
Ed Sheeran "Bad Habits" 2021 2.77
Miley Cyrus "Flowers" 2023 2.70
Tones and I "Dance Monkey" 2019 2.34
Rema and Selena Gomez "Calm Down" 2022 1.89
SZA "Kill Bill" 2022 1.84
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande "Die for You" 2023 1.78
BTS "Butter" 2021 1.76
Glass Animals "Heat Waves" 2020 1.75
Olivia Rodrigo "Drivers License" 2021 1.73
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon "Peaches" 2021 1.72
Roddy Ricch "The Box" 2019 1.67
Saint Jhn "Roses" 2019 1.64
Dua Lipa "Don't Start Now" 2019 1.62
Olivia Rodrigo "Good 4 U" 2021 1.61
Lil Nas X "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" 2021 1.60
Future featuring Drake "Life Is Good" 2020 1.57

Best-selling singles by year worldwide

Claimed sales

Year Artist Single Source
1966 Barry Sadler "The Ballad of the Green Berets"
1968 The Beatles "Hey Jude"
1969 The Archies "Sugar, Sugar"
1990 Madonna "Vogue"
1992 Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You"
1998 Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On"

IFPI Report (since 2007)

Year Artist Single Sales
(in millions)
Source
2007 Avril Lavigne "Girlfriend" 7.3
2008 Lil Wayne "Lollipop" 9.1
2009 Lady Gaga "Poker Face" 9.8
2010 Kesha "Tik Tok" 12.8
2011 Bruno Mars "Just the Way You Are" 12.5
2012 Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe" 12.5
2013 Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell "Blurred Lines" 14.8
2014 Pharrell Williams "Happy" 13.9
2015 Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth "See You Again" 20.9
2016 Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla "One Dance" 12.5
2017 Ed Sheeran "Shape of You" 26.6
2018 Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug "Havana" 19.0
2019 Billie Eilish "Bad Guy" 19.5
2020 The Weeknd "Blinding Lights" N/A
2021 The Weeknd "Save Your Tears" N/A
2022 Harry Styles "As It Was" N/A
2023 Miley Cyrus "Flowers" N/A

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Sencillos más vendidos en el mundo para niños

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List of best-selling singles worldwide Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.