30 Biggest Selling Songs From The Movies

Posted May 1, 201114 yr

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010hb83

Tony Blackburn returns to BBC Radio 2 for another special bank holiday chart [25th April] and this time counts down the 30 biggest selling songs from the movies, of all time (in the UK).

Using sales data provided by The Official Charts Company, a track is only eligible for this chart if it was recorded specifically for a film. Previously released songs later included on film soundtracks have not been included. (I don't know why OCC has included Rock Around The Clock - this was a previously released single added to Blackboard Jungle. Also Strangers In The Night was recorded as an instrumental score for A Man Could Get Killed and the Sinatra version was released subsequently).

The chart is based on physical and download sales, up to and including 27th February 2011.

I have estimated likely total sales and would be interested if anyone has any suggestions, particularly for those still selling in quantity like Ghostbusters and Eye Of The Tiger.

Title / Artist / [Movie (Movie Year)] / Year Single Released / Est. Sales

1. You’re The One That I Want - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John [Grease (1978)] 1978 2,015,000

2. Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet [Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)] 1994 1,825,000

3. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder [The Woman In Red (1984)] 1984 1,815,000

4. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams [Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (1991)] 1991 1,670,000

5. Summer Nights - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John [Grease (1978)] 1978 1,570,000

6. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston [The Bodyguard (1992)] 1992 1,460,000

7. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion [Titanic (1997)] 1998 1,420,000

8. (We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley and his Comets [blackboard Jungle (1955)] 1955 1,410,000

9. Gangsta’s Paradise - Coolio feat. L.V. [Dangerous Minds (1995)] 1995 1,370,000

10. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor [Rocky III (1982)] 1982 1,310,000

11. Bright Eyes - Art Garfunkel [Watership Down (1978)] 1979 1,185,000

12. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Junior [Ghostbusters (1984)] 1984 1,085,000

13. The Young Ones - Cliff Richard and the Shadows [The Young Ones (1961)] 1962 1,060,000

14. Fame - Irene Cara [Fame (1980)] 1982 1,035,000

15. The Next Time / Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard and the Shadows [summer Holiday (1963)] 1963 980,000

16. I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith [Armageddon (1998)] 1998 910,000

17. Help! - The Beatles [Help! (1965)] 1965 910,000

18. Men In Black - Will Smith [Men In Black (1997)] 1997 890,000

19. How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees [saturday Night Fever (1977)] 1977 880,000

20. Into The Groove - Madonna [Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)] 1985 860,000

21. White Christmas - Bing Crosby [Holiday Inn (1942)] 1942 850,000

22. Living Doll - Cliff Richard and the Drifters [serious Charge (1959)] 1959 840,000

23. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship [Mannequin (1987)] 1987 830,000

24. Take My Breath Away (Love Theme From ‘Top Gun’) - Berlin [Top Gun (1986)] 1986 830,000

25. Rule The World - Take That [stardust (2007)] 2007 805,000

26. Night Fever - Bee Gees [saturday Night Fever (1977)] 1978 800,000

27. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley [Jailhouse Rock (1957)] 1958 790,000

28. Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra [A Man Could Get Killed (1966)] 1966 775,000

29. Don’t Stop Movin’ - S Club 7 [The Parole Officer (2001)] 2001 750,000

30. Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley [G.I. Blues (1960)] 1961 740,000

Edited May 3, 201114 yr by SimonW

May 1, 201114 yr

Author

Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley

The "Virgin Book of Hit Singles Vol 2" using OCC figures has Jailhouse Rock at 870,000 (page 373) as of chart date 10th April 2010. I estimate the sales as:

Year - Sales (Cumulative Sales)

1958 - 700,000

1971 - 35,000 (735,000)

1972 - 5,000 (740,000

1977 - 25,000 (765,000)

1983 - 25,000 (790,000)

2004 - (810,000)

2005 - 45,000 (855,000)

2010 - (870,000)

For the 30 Biggest Selling Songs From The Movies list, the OCC appear to have excluded the download and 2005 reissue sales.

May 1, 201114 yr

Author

If we follow strictly the criteria to make the Biggest Selling Songs From The Movies chart, I believe that the following would be the next ten. Any comments gratefully received:

31. Magical Mystery Tour Double EP - The Beatles [Magical Mystery Tour (1967)] 1967 740,000

32. A Hard Day’s Night - The Beatles [A Hard Day’s Night (1964)] 1964 740,000

33. Pure Shores - All Saints [The Beach (2000)] 2000 730,000

34. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard and The Shadows [summer Holiday (1963)] 1963 705,000

35. Rock-A-Hula Baby / Can’t Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley [blue Hawaii (1961)] 1962 700,000

36. Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus [Loser (2000)] 2001 690,000

37. I Believe I Can Fly - R Kelly [space Jam (1996)] 1997 680,000

38. We All Stand Together - Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus [Rupert and the Frog Song (1984)] 1984 675,000

39. Crazy For You - Madonna [Vision Quest (1985)] 1985 670,000

40. Lose Yourself - Eminem [8 Mile (2002)] 2002 645,000 (Music Week reported 642,062 sales to 24-08-2010)

In the book 'The Top 10 of Music' by Ash, Crampton and Lazell (1993), Harry Lime (“Third Man”) Theme by Anton Karas (1949) was estimated as having sold 900,000 copies from 1949 to 1959. Karas wrote the instrumental for The Third Man (1949). I have not seen the sales verified by any official chart.

White Christmas has been reported as being a million seller but the sales data from the 1940s and 50s was not kept by the record company. It is interesting to see that the OCC have estimated a figure of around 850,000. A silver disc was awarded for shipments of 250,000 from 1974 to 1978; using a total of 850,000, I estimate sales of 550,000 to 1969 and 300,000 since then.

May 1, 201114 yr

An interesting Top 30.

Edited May 1, 201114 yr by zeus555

May 1, 201114 yr

Author

'Summer Nights' should not really be in the List. It was not written for 'Grease'.
It was one of the original Songs in the 1972 Stage Production. It certainly existed
long before the 1978 Film. I suspect that The OCC included it because, with 'You're
The One That I Want', being in the List, most people would have felt it was a mistake
had 'Summer Nights' not been in it.

The OCC know that 'Strangers In The Night' was an Instrumental, at first - but, as
it was a Hit, (Frank Sinatra), when lyrics were added, they still see it as being written
for 'A Man Could Get Killed' - which it was. The Melody was.

'Love Is All Around', was certainly not written for 'Four Weddings & A Funeral'. It was
a 1967 No.5 Hit, for The Troggs. Wet Wet Wet simply 're-interpreted' it for the 1994
Film. But, it existed Decades before 1994. So, it does not really belong in the List.

I know that The OCC looked at over 220 Songs, to decide what was going to go
in their List. But, they were not sure if it would be a Top 30, Top 40, Top 50, or
Top 100, at first. I guess that Radio 2, had the decision on that - as it was their
Air Time, that they were going to Broadcast the Chart in. And, they decided on a
Top 30.

A song does not have to be written exclusively for a film.

I understand the rules for inclusion to be that the actual song (lyrics / tune) can exist before the film was released, but the artists' particular interpretation / version must be original.

So for instance the Troggs' version of Love Is All Around could not be included but Wet Wet Wet's version was specifically recorded for the film. This is true of Summer Nights, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's version was recorded for the film Grease. Whitney used Dolly Parton's existing song for The Bodyguard and Coolio sampled the chorus and music of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder.

The dubious inclusions are Frank Sinatra's interpretation of Strangers In The Night and Rock Around the Clock as noted above.

Edited May 1, 201114 yr by SimonW

May 1, 201114 yr

I see.

May 1, 201114 yr

I had absolutely no idea that S Club 7 wrote Don't Stop Movin' specifically for The Parole Officer :o I didn't hear anything about it at the time...

May 1, 201114 yr

Delighted to see take that rule the world has sold 810,000, i wasnt sure if it reached 800,000 yet, there is still a few more sales left in yet to i think which is great.

May 1, 201114 yr

To be honest, the thing that shocks me most about this list is that I never realized most of those songs were from movies. :lol:

May 1, 201114 yr

Was Teenage Dirtbag really written for a film? I really never realised that.

May 1, 201114 yr

Tony Blackburn returns to BBC Radio 2 for another special bank holiday chart and this time counts down the 30 biggest selling songs from the movies, of all time (in the UK).