"Hot 'n' Cold" was a big number 4 too - though being 2008 is unlikely to have sold as much as any from 2010.

 

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4990/eba31.png

Chart Run: 73-65-63-26-7-6-7-7-5-5-{4}-8-14-9-7-9-15-18-22-18-23-29-31-33-34-40-46-53-52-58-67-70-66-72-73 (35 weeks)

 

Edit - just seen it was already mentioned as 2008's biggest number 4. IGNORE me! :P

Edited November 3, 201014 yr by Doctor Blind

Robbie and Janet were perhaps the unluckiest of them all. If they weren't released during that mega-sales period at the end of 1997 they may well have got to #1 - although their sales wouldn't have been anywhere near as high, of course. But it was just ridiculous how packed the tail end of 1997 was. Perfect Day, Spice Girls, Natalie Imbruglia, All Saints, Teletubbies, Aqua - all these songs became million-sellers (bar SG), and all were in the top 10 at the same time!

Edited November 4, 201014 yr by superbossanova

Yeah, Tik Tok and Empire State of Mind have sold bucketloads this year, although they both charted for the first time in 2009.

 

Yes - they are both way ahead of the pack

 

TT 577k

ESOM2 569k

 

Next, a long way back, is...

 

Ellie G - Starry Eyed, on 354.5k

Enrique - ILI 320k

I didnt think it had sold that much, thought it was around 850k?

 

That was before the download era. On normal weeks it sells 600-ish - more when it's been covered/performed in the previous week.

 

Since the full inclusion of downloads, it's probably averaged 1100-1200/wk overall.

Edited November 4, 201014 yr by vidcapper

Maybe not what's being asked for, but here goes; a list of the best-selling Number 4s by year from 1980 to 2010 (with position in best selling singles chart of the year, and where possible, estimated sales for that year)

 

Biggest selling number 4s by year

 

1980: UB40 "King/Food for Thought" (40th; c. 340,000 sales)

 

1981: Electric Light Orchestra "Hold on Tight" (30th)

 

1982: Haircut 100 "Love Plus One" (14th)

 

1983: Mike Oldfield "Moonlight Shadow" (29th)

 

1984: Prince "When Doves Cry" (28th)

 

1985: Kool and the Gang "Cherish" (23rd)

 

1986: Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" (28th)

 

1987: Sinitta "Toy Boy" (27th; c. 335,000 sales)

 

1988: Bill Withers "Lovely Day (Sunshine Mix)" (38th)

 

1989: London Boys "Requiem" (27th)

 

1990: Blue Pearl "Naked in the Rain" (31st)

 

1991: Zoe "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" (18th)

 

1992: Pasadenas "I'm Doing Fine" (28th)

 

1993: Bee Gees "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (33rd)

 

1994: China Black "Searching" (25th; c. 347,400 sales)

 

1995: Ini Kamoze "Here Comes The Hotstepper" (24th; c. 407,000 sales)

 

1996: Tony Rich Project "Nobody Knows" (29th; c. 410,000 sales)

 

1997: Ultra Naté "Free" (20th; c. 480,000 sales)

* Robbie Williams "Angels" (peaked at Number 5) (38th; c. 340,000 sales)

** Janet Jackson "Together Again" (34th; c. 360,000 sales)

 

1998: Savage Garden "Truly Madly Deeply" (10th; c. 646,000 sales)

* Aerosmith "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" (18th; c. 559,000 sales)

** Robbie Williams "Angels" (26th, c. 467,000 sales)

*** Mavericks "Dance the Night Away" (27th; c. 432,000 sales)

**** Janet Jackson "Together Again" (33rd; c. 381,000 sales)

 

1999: Various Artists "Thank Abba For The Music" (52nd(!); c. 334,600 sales)

 

2000: The Bloodhound Gang "The Bad Touch" (20th; c. 377,000 sales)

 

2001: Gorillaz "Clint Eastwood" (12th; c. 450,000 sales)

 

2002: Nickelback "How You Remind Me" (12th; c. 430,000 sales)

 

2003: Big Brovaz "Baby Boy" (40th; c. 150,000 sales)

 

2004: ???

 

2005: Will Smith "Switch" (15th; c. 199,275 sales)

 

2006: The Automatic "Monster" (21st; c. 182,500 sales)

 

2007: The Fray "How to Save a Life" (11th; c. 300,392 sales)

 

2008: Katy Perry "Hot 'n' Cold" (23rd; c. 298,780 sales)

 

2009: Lady Gaga "Paparazzi" (21st; 447,000 sales)

 

2010: Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind Part II) (9th to date; c. 549,600 sales)

 

Data gleaned from Wikipedia* and Buzzjack

 

* - Any margins of error etc. are not my fault ;)

 

From the looks of it, sales of the big selling Number 4s have picked up from a mid 2000s slump to late 1990s levels, when what must be the highest selling singles to peak at Number 4 in the UK chart charted over a 12 month period: "Angels", "Together Again", "Truly Madly Deeply" and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing".

2004 was Khia - My Neck My Back (yeah, really :mellow:), though I have no idea how much it sold. Probably not much more than 100k in that sales abyss...

Khia sold 116,000 and was the 41st best seller of the year. Her highest weekly sale was her first week on the chart, 24,800 copies sold to enter at #4.

Angels was on 1,045,000 as of April(?) this year according to my lovely Virgin chart book (OCC update may have been higher/more recent can't remember)

 

How much did "What You Waiting For?" sell? I remember "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" being the highest selling #4 album of 2005.

"Hot 'n' Cold" was a big number 4 too - though being 2008 is unlikely to have sold as much as any from 2010.

 

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4990/eba31.png

Chart Run: 73-65-63-26-7-6-7-7-5-5-{4}-8-14-9-7-9-15-18-22-18-23-29-31-33-34-40-46-53-52-58-67-70-66-72-73 (35 weeks)

 

Edit - just seen it was already mentioned as 2008's biggest number 4. IGNORE me! :P

It has sold 569,513 (as of 06/09/10). Despite being a 2008 hit, it's sales were fairly high in 2009 (my guess is over 225,000).

It has sold 569,513 (as of 06/09/10). Despite being a 2008 hit, it's sales were fairly high in 2009 (my guess is over 225,000).

 

Yeah, it's one of those songs where it might be released in a certain year, but when you think back, you associate it with a different year.

 

Infact, if I recall correctly, Hot N Cold was #2 on the year-end Europe charts in 2009!! :o It must've been absolutely massive!

How much did "What You Waiting For?" sell? I remember "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" being the highest selling #4 album of 2005.

What You Waiting For sold 114,400 copies across 2004 (66th best seller, 78,500) and 2005 (174th best seller, 35,900).

 

The album had healthier sales, selling 746,000 copies in 2005 and was the 20th best seller.

Edited November 6, 201014 yr by Robbie

Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U #4 175,000+ 14 Weeks

Britney Spears - Overprotected #4 140,000+ 12 Weeks

 

Late 1997/1998 was truly the year of epic high selling classics stalling at #4 :drama: All five of those are more remembered than the majority of 1998's #1 singles :lol:

Halo by Beyonce was pretty big here for a #4. Forever (Chris Brown) and Love In This Club (Usher) were decent sized hits as well, of course i'm only thinking of recent releases that haven't been mentioned! :P

 

Hasn't Eminem got a record for the most amount of #4's? Or is it Kylie?

Eminem has peaked at number 4 six times, Kylie four times. U2 have six as well.