The Top 50 UK Singles Acts were originally revealed on Channel 4, on Sunday 22nd February 2004.

 

Here is VH1's up-date - shown today - Saturday 27th March 2010.

 

Courtesy of Shireblogger at Haven:,

 

Just broadcast on VH1, the All-Time Top 40 Best Selling Singles Acts in the UK.

 

key:

2010 rank [2004 rank] :: artist -- total sales ä change since 2004 {rank in best sellers of the 00s}

 

1 [1] :: Cliff Richard -- 21,350k ä +381k

2 [3] :: Elvis Presley -- 20,840k ä +1,547k {27}

3 [2] :: Beatles -- 20,800k ä +0k

4 [4] :: Madonna -- 17,000k ä +2,437k {6}

5 [5] :: Elton John -- 14,725k ä +1,250k

6 [6] :: Michael Jackson -- 14,030k ä +2,719k {17}

7 [7] :: Queen -- 11,900k ä +1,565k

8 [8] :: Abba -- 10,040k ä +36k

9 [9] :: Paul McCartney / Wings -- 9,910k ä +128k

10 [10] :: David Bowie -- 9,910k ä +518k

11 [11] :: Rod Stewart -- 9,500k ä +454k

12 [13] :: Kylie Minogue -- 9,200k ä +1,206k {14}

13 [12] :: Rolling Stones -- 8,990k ä +642k

14 [14] :: Stevie Wonder -- 8,290k ä +676k

15 [17] :: Whitney Houston -- 7,800k ä +807k

16 [15] :: Spice Girls -- 7,780k ä +273k

17 [26] :: Oasis -- 7,645k ä +1,419k {18}

18 [19] :: George Michael -- 7,475k ä +656k

19 [16] :: Shakin' Stevens -- 7,260k ä +152k

20 [18] :: BeeGees -- 7,200k ä +256k

21 [20] :: Status Quo -- 7,000k ä +272k

22 [25] :: Boyzone -- 6,750k ä +314k

23 [24] :: Blondie -- 6,745k ä +288k

24 [22] :: Slade -- 6,720k ä +200k

26 [23] :: Olivia Newton-John -- 6,630k ä +137k

25 [21] :: Boney M -- 6,560k ä -27k

27 [37] :: Robbie Williams -- 6,560k ä +1,587k {12}

29 new :: Britney Spears -- 6,420k ä {3}

30 [28] :: Tom Jones -- 6,375k ä +483k

28 [47] :: U2 -- 6,345k ä +1,682k {34}

31 [27] :: UB40 -- 6,345k ä +348k

32 [44] :: Westlife -- 6,320k ä +1,594k {2}

33 [29] :: Celine Dion -- 6,140k ä +457k

34 new :: Mariah Carey -- 6,140k ä {31}

35 [30] :: Police -- 5,940k ä +323k

36 [31] :: Madness -- 5,850k ä +286k

37 [32] :: Diana Ross -- 5,675k ä +348k

38 [33] :: Wham! -- 5,660k ä +362k

39 new :: Prince -- 5,620k ä >+1,100k

40 new :: Eminem -- 5,540k ä {1}

 

Shireblogger's Observations:

 

Only one change in the Top 11, with Elvis moving above the Beatles. The Beatles have 0 singles sales since 2004, which is obviously correct as they haven't been available digitally, and haven't released any new physicals.

 

Michael Jackson shows as +2,719k since 2004. Given that he sold 2,798k in 2009 alone, there is either an error in the latest list, or his pre-2004 sales have been downgraded.

 

Abba shows as +36k since 2004. Given that they sold 289k in 2008 alone, there is either an error here, or their pre-2004 sales have also been downgraded.

 

Boney M's sales have been reduced since 2004. Given that "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" has sold at least 35k over that period, their other singles must have been reduced by over 50k.

 

4 artists in the Top 40, who weren't in the Top 50 in 2004:- Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Prince and Eminem. Prince is a surprise, because it suggests that he has sold over 1,100k in the last 6 years. This seems implausible, suggesting his pre-2004 sales have been recalculated upwards.

 

2 artists climb into the Top 40 - U2 [from 47] and Westlife [44].

 

6 artists drop out of the Top 40 - Adam & Ants [34], the Jam [35], Frankie Goes To Hollywood [36], Pet Shop Boys [38], Phil Collins [39] and Wet Wet Wet [40].

 

There is one obvious error - the complete omission of Take That. Music Week put them on 6,250k on 1/12/08. They sold 834k in 2009. So they should be around 7,250k now, and about number 20 on the list, up from 52 in 2004.

 

My observations:,

 

The OCC simply may not have added Downloads in for some Acts. They told me that 'Waterloo' had sold over 11,000 in 2004, (No.20),

& that ABBA's 289,000 Download Sales in 2008, were really 300,000 - as they'd missed some Sales out.

 

So, that's 311,000 Sales since 2004 - and that is not even counting any Download Sales from 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2009.

 

Despite it all, they are shown with only 36,000 extra Sales since 2004.....

 

Or - The OCC may simply have removed about 500,000 Sales from ABBA's 2004 Total, & then added in the 2005

to 2009 Downloads.

 

They are not infallible - as someone has pointed out - Take That ought to be in the List, (No.20), & The OCC

has not put them in it.

 

 

I'm actually surprised Eminem isn't higher.

Britney=LEGEND

Lady Gaga ?

Give her a chance, she's been around 15 months in the UK :lol:

Lady Gaga ?

 

She probably needs another 2m + sales to make the list, if she continues at her current sales rate, shell do that within a year!

 

Regarding the up-dated Top 40 Singles Acts Chart - The OCC tell me that:,

 

1) They now realise that they'd missed Take That

out - who should be about No.20, or No.21, in the

List. (Over 7,000,000 UK Singles Sales).

 

2) ABBA - They ignored most of ABBA's Download

Sales. Only around 32,000 - 33,000 Downloads of

'Mamma Mia' were added in. It is the only ABBA

Download to reach the Top 75, since 2004. (No.56 in

2008). The vast bulk of ABBA's 2005 - 2009 Downloads

were not added to ABBA's Total.

 

3) QUEEN - However - clearly - ALL of Queen's Post

2004 Downloads have been added in. Otherwise, you

would not see their Total rise by a massive 1,565,000.

Since 2004, they've only had 5 'Singles' in the Top

75, & they Peaked at:,

 

No.31, No.47, No.33, No.63, & No.32.

 

Even if we give each one 50,000 Sales, (whilst

they were in the Top 75), you only get 250,000.

And it is very unlikely that they all sold as

many as 50,000. (Whilst in the Top 75).

 

The OCC have clearly added every Queen Download

in - whether they were in the Top 75 or not.

 

Odd, that ABBA were not treated the same.....

 

 

Britney=LEGEND

 

 

So, just so I understand, Rod Stewart who has not released a single since 2001 has almost half a million singles credited to him in the last five years - is that counting all downloads of individual tracks? :unsure:

Some new Totals off Alan Jones, (Music Week Sales Report), Monday 16th April 2012.

 

1) The Beatles - He says that with Digital Sales added in, they now have 21,824,296 UK Singles Sales.

 

2) Elvis Presley has - 21,532,246 UK Singles Sales

 

3) Cliff Richard has - 21,498,951 UK Singles Sales.

 

4) Madonna is 4th - 17,582,206 UK Singles Sales

 

After The Beatles, the 2 Groups with the most UK Singles Sales are:,

 

A) Queen - 12,556,708

 

B) ABBA - 11,189,520

 

Rhianna is already on 13,311,889 UK Singles Sales.

 

Lady GaGa has 7,246,566 - and she has only been Charting since January 2009.

 

All Totals go up to Sunday 8th April 2012 - which is the W/E 14th April Singles Chart.

 

Some new Totals off Alan Jones, (Music Week Sales Report), Monday 16th April 2012.

 

1) The Beatles - He says that with Digital Sales added in, they now have 21,824,296 UK Singles Sales.

 

2) Elvis Presley has - 21,532,246 UK Singles Sales

 

3) Cliff Richard has - 21,498,951 UK Singles Sales.

 

4) Madonna is 4th - 17,582,206 UK Singles Sales

 

After The Beatles, the 2 Groups with the most UK Singles Sales are:,

 

A) Queen - 12,556,708

 

B) ABBA - 11,189,520

 

Rhianna is already on 13,311,889 UK Singles Sales.

Lady GaGa has 7,246,566 - and she has only been Charting since January 2009.

 

All Totals go up to Sunday 8th April 2012 - which is the W/E 14th April Singles Chart.

 

That is a great total for Rihanna :wub: I don't see her going away anytime soon, so in 5 years time she could be ahead of Madonna :o Of course that is down to sales being better now than back then, because Madonna has had LOTS more cultural impact than Rihanna. Still great that Rihanna will be seen as one of the "classic artists of the 00s/10s" in many years time. Similar thing with Lady GaGa, her last era wasn't her best but I don't think we've seen the last of her.