I've seen threads discussing the biggest selling single to miss the Top 10, Top 20 etc, but what do people think the biggest seller never to have had any kind of chart position (not even in the T200) is?

 

My guess would be "She's Electric".

"Champagne Supernova" will wipe the floor with "She's Electric" on downloads.

 

I doubt CS will be the biggest of all but it'll be a song that either was a single elsewhere but not in the UK ("Sunday Bloody Sunday", for example) or a classic that did bugger all when it was originally released and wasn't given the re-release treatment in the '80s or '90s.

probably one that sold a substantial amount but wasn't eligible to chart due to rules at the time, anyone know any? I recall You Don't Know by Eminem doing this at first, although it became eligible with the introduction of downloads

A few Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd songs that were never released as singles but are well know may have sold plenty. In fact, any classic rock track that never got released may have sold well enough since downloads have been available.

Wikipedia says Elton's 'Tiny Dancer' never charted in the UK. (barring the Chipmunk monstrosity) That is definitely one of his classics.

Edited February 3, 201213 yr by Paramore

There were a handful of singles from the late 70s / early 80s that sold over 100,000 copies without ever charting, mainly singles by The Crass and Spizz Energi. This was because the then chart compilers only used sales from a minority of record shops and singles by those acts sold mainly in non chart shops. I believe the biggest selling one was "Where's Captain Kirk" by Spizz Energi which sold over 120,000 copies in late 1979 and early 1980.

 

Going further back, "Third Man Theme" aka as "The Harry Lime Theme" by Anton Karas sold 850,000 copies without ever charting though as the single was from 1951 that was more due to the fact there were no charts at the time!