The UK’s Official biggest selling singles of all-time

 

01 4,910,000 SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT/CANDLE IN THE WIND '97 ELTON JOHN 1997

02 3,730,000 DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS? BAND AID 1984

03 2,400,000 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY QUEEN 1975

04 2,070,000 MULL OF KINTYRE/GIRLS' SCHOOL WINGS 1977

05 2,040,000 YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN 1978

06 2,030,000 RELAX FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD 1983

07 2,020,000 RIVERS OF BABYLON/BROWN GIRL IN THE RING BONEY M 1978

08 1,910,000 SHE LOVES YOU THE BEATLES 1963

09 1,860,000 UNCHAINED MELODY/(THERE'LL BE BLUEBIRDS OVER) THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER ROBSON GREEN & JEROME FLYNN 1995

10 1,860,000 LOVE IS ALL AROUND WET WET WET 1994

 

I'm sure You're the One That I Want, Relax or Rivers of Babylon hadn't passed the two-million barrier before downloads came in...for years I think 'Mull of Kintyre' was the only 2m+ seller that wasn't a charity record, as obviously the first two were as was Bohemian Rhapsody's 1991 re-release. Good to see there's a few more.

 

Still nothing after 1983 though, wonder when or if we'll ever get a 2 million non-charity seller of the 21st century? It would either have to be a massively popular song (with huge publicity) or something like Someone Like You consistently selling for years...

I'm sure You're the One That I Want, Relax or Rivers of Babylon hadn't passed the two-million barrier before downloads came in...for years I think 'Mull of Kintyre' was the only 2m+ seller that wasn't a charity record, as obviously the first two were as was Bohemian Rhapsody's 1991 re-release. Good to see there's a few more.

 

Still nothing after 1983 though, wonder when or if we'll ever get a 2 million non-charity seller of the 21st century? It would either have to be a massively popular song (with huge publicity) or something like Someone Like You consistently selling for years...

 

I think 'Blurred Lines' will eventually push towards the 2m mark though, becoming one of the monster hits of all time.

Still nothing after 1983 though, wonder when or if we'll ever get a 2 million non-charity seller of the 21st century? It would either have to be a massively popular song (with huge publicity) or something like Someone Like You consistently selling for years...

 

I think the only song we know of now that might push for 2 million is 'Fairytale Of New York' (and maybe 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' but that'll have to get to 1 million first). I think 'Blurred Lines' and 'Get Lucky' will run out of steam long before the 2m mark.

Nile Rodgers beats his previous best of 500k for Le Freak, Bangalter of Daft Punk beats his previous best of 674k with Music Sounds Better With You and Pharrell previous best was 80k :lol: for Frontin

Nile Rodgers beats his previous best of 500k for Le Freak, Bangalter of Daft Punk beats his previous best of 674k with Music Sounds Better With You and Pharrell previous best was 80k :lol: for Frontin

 

Even though he wasn't credited on the charts, Swedish House Mafia's "One" (where he contributes the vocals) sold over 400K.

Even though he wasn't credited on the charts, Swedish House Mafia's "One" (where he contributes the vocals) sold over 400K.

 

He was.

 

If you count production credits I'm sure at least one Neptunes track has outsold that as well.

Edited June 28, 201312 yr by LoveBréAgain

Nice to see Rod's been awarded corrected figures for "Sailing". Only Showaddywaddy & the New Seekers to go now! Though I suppose they can be forgiven in the "lost" weeks BMRB sales.

 

I've noticed that The Big Top 40 is not including any airplay on it's chart, these days & it's just a straight iTunes Single Track chart. Although they still change everything around at 6pm....

Edited June 28, 201312 yr by davetaylor

I think that out of the songs in the list from this decade so far, Moves Like Jagger and Call Me Maybe will probably be the most remembered in years to come. I reckon that Somebody That I Used To Know will age horribly though.

STIUTK is pretty timeless I think, it's the reason it sold so well in the first place cus it stood out so much.

 

Things like Party Rock Anthem, Gangnam Style and Only Girl/We Found Love will sound incredibly "early 2010s" in a decade's time.

I agree that it's timeless, but I don't think that it's very memorable. I can see people going "Who?" when they see the list in a few decades. :lol:

And I meant aging horribly in terms of the public's perception that it didn't remind them of any other time in music, not that it couldn't be successful in any other time of music!

I think 'Blurred Lines' will eventually push towards the 2m mark though, becoming one of the monster hits of all time.

 

I disagree, I think sales for Blurred Lines will start to tail off soon, I think it will plateau at around 1.3-1.4m. If it does pass the 2m mark, it will be a long way down the line, at least another decade if not more.

I think the only song we know of now that might push for 2 million is 'Fairytale Of New York' (and maybe 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' but that'll have to get to 1 million first). I think 'Blurred Lines' and 'Get Lucky' will run out of steam long before the 2m mark.

 

No way, Fairytale is only on 1.02m. Other Christmas songs will get to 2m before that - for example, Last Christmas is already on 1.7m so will probably get to 2m in a few years. Also Three Lions is on 1.54m so if by some miracle England manage to win a World Cup or even reach the final in the next 10 years, that could easily challenge for 2m.

 

What surprised me is that Everything I Do has overtaken Last Christmas over the last two years - how did that happen?!

Edited June 28, 201312 yr by :basil:

No way, Fairytale is only on 1.02m. Other Christmas songs will get to 2m before that - for example, Last Christmas is already on 1.7m so will probably get to 2m in a few years. Also Three Lions is on 1.54m so if by some miracle England manage to win a World Cup or even reach the final in the next 10 years, that could easily challenge for 2m.

 

Oh, I forgot about 'Last Christmas' - you're right, that probably will reach 2m before 'Fairytale Of New York' does. Unless Christmas songs stop selling, quite a few of them will *eventually* get to 2m but I think maybe aside from Wham!, Slade, The Pogues and Mariah it'll be well over a decade until that. I suppose that's a bit too far into the future to predict.

Price Tag being so high looks do wrong. Some big classics beneath that pile of average poo.

STIUTK is pretty timeless I think, it's the reason it sold so well in the first place cus it stood out so much.

 

Things like Party Rock Anthem, Gangnam Style and Only Girl/We Found Love will sound incredibly "early 2010s" in a decade's time.

 

It is timeless, it appeals to music fans of all ages already (believe me most of my friends in their 40's and 50's love it as much as younger generations) and will continue to sound timeless. Dance music is always very much stuck in a moment of time, though classics can survive the passage of time, and it tends to sound dated to the next generation of clubbers unless it's got something extra special. How many teens are remotely bothered by dance music from the 60's 70's 80's and probably 90's...?

 

I can see it now, 2063, newly-retired wife gazes into retired hubbies eyes with their old-fashioned mp45 digital-radio-listener-request show and says "darling they're playing our song..."

 

Unless they are related to the Addams Family, don't expect the strains of Gangnam Style to be wafting over the radio..... :lol:

Some dance songs age well one of the oldest from 77 Donna Summer I Feel Loved sounds amazing now still!

Has "Whole Again" really only passed 1 million in the last month? I'm pretty sure it passed the million while the Big Reunion was giving them coverage on TV?

Cardiologists?

:D

 

Very pleased to see Atomic Kitten have a million seller to their name :wub: