15 years ago, after six years of chart success with N*Sync, Justin Timberlake launched his solo career. It would take him another four years to land his first Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart, that song being SexyBack, but his overall track record on the charts - 23 Top 40 singles across four albums - is mightily impressive.
With his new album Man Of The Woods imminent, we've had a good old poke through the archives and crunched the numbers to reveal his biggest songs.
JT's Top 5
Justin's 2016 single and theme for the movie Trolls was a runaway hit, notching up combined sales to date of 1.6 million, when streams and sales are combined, to become his biggest hit yet. The track spent a frustrating four weeks at Number 2, kept off Number 1 by Drake's chart-topping juggernaut One Dance.
Mirrors was a big comeback for Justin when it hit Number 1 in 2013. It was his first chart-topper in almost five years and paved the way for his first album for SEVEN years – The 20/20 Experience Part 1. Mirrors ruled the top spot for three weeks and has a stellar combined chart sales tally of just over 1 million.
Up next? That very first chart-topper. SexyBack was another career-defining moment for JT, shifting away from the poppy R&B of debut album Justified and homing in on a sharper, more electronic sound. Despite distorted vocals and barely making a cameo himself on his own chorus – leaving the bulk of the work to his old pal Timbaland – SexyBack became a signature track for Justin and went straight in at the top, with over 739,000 combined sales to its name.
Justin's fourth biggest single is the big hit from his 2003 debut album, Cry Me A River - the one that got everybody talking. Fresh form his breakup with Britney Spears, Justin played on public interest by casting a woman who had more than a passing resemblance to his ex in the video. Match that with the song's theme of infidelity and you've got tabloid gold, basically – not to mention chart gold! Cry Me A River got no further than Number 2 – kept off the top by tATu's All The Things She Said – but has healthy 610,000 chart sales under its belt.
Justin is famed for his all-star collaborations, and up in fifth is possibly his starriest of them all. Justin teamed up with Madonna for 4 Minutes, the lead single from her 2008 album Hard Candy. It was a winning combination – the track spent 4 weeks at Number 1, which is Justin's longest run at the top, and boasts over 575,000 combined sales.
Other notable entries
Another megastar collaboration, this time with hip-hop legend Jay Z, finishes just outside the Top 5. Holy Grail was JT's last Top 10 hit before Can't Stop The Feeling, reaching Number 7 in 2013. Its chart sales tally currently stands at 478,000.
Justin's debut single, the Michael Jackson-inspired Like I Love You, finishes just outside his Top 10 big ones at 11, as does Ciara collab Love Sex & Magic at 12.
As for Justin's biggest deep cut (i.e non-single), that accolade goes to FutureSex/LoveSound, the title track from his 2006 album. The song finishes just behind other spin-offs from the album Summer Love and Until The End Of Time ft. Beyonce, which weren't singles in the UK but were serviced (and charted) in other countries.
Justin Timberlake's Top 20 biggest singles on the Official Chart (UK)
POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK YEAR
1 CAN'T STOP THE FEELING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 2 2016
2 MIRRORS JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 1 2013
3 SEXYBACK JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 1 2006
4 CRY ME A RIVER JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 2 2003
5 4 MINUTES MADONNA FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 1 2008
6 HOLY GRAIL JAY-Z FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 7 2013
7 ROCK YOUR BODY JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 2 2003
8 WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 4 2007
9 DEAD AND GONE TI FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 4 2009
10 SUIT & TIE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FT JAY Z 3 2013
11 LIKE I LOVE YOU JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 2 2002
12 LOVE SEX MAGIC CIARA FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 5 2009
13 MY LOVE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FT TI 2 2006
14 CARRY OUT TIMBALAND FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 6 2010
15 SENORITA JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 13 2003
16 REHAB RIHANNA FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 16 2008
17 NOT A BAD THING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 21 2014
18 LOVESTONED JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 11 2007
19 TAKE BACK THE NIGHT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 22 2013
20 WORK IT NELLY FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 7 2003
CSTF! : 1.6M
Mirrors : 1M
SexyBack : 739k
Cry Me A River : 610k
4 Minutes : 575k
Holy Grail : 478k
http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/justin-timberlakes-official-top-20-biggest-songs__15053/
I’m surprised at the lack of "Ayo Technology" and "Give It To Me" given how big they were, and his other 2007 and less big hits being there!
I quite like 'CAN'T STOP THE FEELING!' don't get me wrong but just no at it being his biggest hit. Nearly every other song on that list is far better.
As usual these lists are skewed by eras as singles released in 2003-08 would have less sales due to changeover between downloads and cds etc!
Although he is uncredited and therefore the track would be ineligible for this list, does anyone know how many copies 'Where Is The Love by the Black Eyed Peas has sold?
Mirrors Whine!!
Remember the mainstream media telling us he would be bigger than Michael Jackson, to get on board and buy buy buy, then quietly shutting up after like two songs?
Tbf his early songs are much better, but the sales are totally messed up now with streaming. Massive 2003 tracks have tiiiny sales as cd sales had, rightfully, collapsed as people realised what a rip single cds were - sometimes 4.99
Where is the Love? would be second on the list with well over 1.2m.
he really should focus on music and stop trying to be an actor
anyone seen wonder wheel, he's embarrasingly bad as actor
Mirrors #02?!
I wanted to see where signs was !!!
OK this might be me misremembering but wasn't Suit and tie the big come back but mirrors was massive
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