Welcome to the Top 200 "sellers" of all time countdown! :cheer:

 

I am going to count this down over 2 Sundays from 16:00 to 19:30 or so. There will be an accompanying Synctube listening session and you would all be very welcome to join. We will be playing half the songs there and skipping the other half, and hopefully you'll agree that we have chosen a good mix. We will post the link here shortly before 16:00 tomorrow. If you haven't joined a Sunday Synctube session before they're always good fun, and the chat is a good way to get to know some forum members a little better.

 

This countdown is entirely unofficial based on my best estimates. I should however be close for most songs - the ones I'm slightly more likely to be significantly out on are pre 1994 releases where the BPI certifications don't include the full story. If you have more accurate information for any songs please do chip in with it and I will use it for future updates.

 

I have used the following sources of information:

- BPI certifications

- My own YTD tracking

- Occasional Music Week total sales information

- Some recent OCC articles listing the biggest songs not to have reached #1 and the biggest songs of the last 10 years

- Liam K's fabulous "Millionaire Singles" thread in The Chart Vault

- Shireblogger on HavenForum who is an expert in sales tracking

 

My estimates are designed to be at 25 July 2024. I am planning to update the list in future, maybe a couple of times a year or so.

My participation will be partly dependent on WiFi performance.

Looking forward to this! Thanks Julian. Intrigued to see what figures you have for Elton John & The Pogues

https://sync-tube.de/room/KKi4XtV7

 

 

Synctube Link - we’re starting at 4 :)

No spoilers please! Kicking off the countdown shortly.

#200

The Script Featuring will.i.am - Hall Of Fame

 

 

The lead single from the band's 3rd album "#3", with help from Danny's co-host on "The Voice".

 

Estimated sales: 2.40 million

Year: 2012

Chart run: 2-(1)-1-2-6-10-14-15-15-21-28-21-19-29-34-34-17-19-33-42-46-51-62-58-56-51-58-61-65-74-68-74-62-55-61-67-74-/-73-71-58-52-41-50-63-68-/-75 (46 weeks)

 

#199

UB40 - Red Red Wine

 

 

Originally a song by Neil Diamond in 1967 recorded by UB40 for their covers album.

 

Estimated sales: 2.40 million including 1.08 million purchases

Year: 1983

Chart run: 36-9-(1)-1-1–2-2-3-8-16-20-29-39-51 (14 weeks)

 

#198

Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

 

 

Recorded in 1958 but only received a UK release in 1962 whereupon it reached #6, and it would peak more than 60 years later...

 

Estimated sales: 2.41 million

Year: 1958

Chart run: 30-11-11-7-6-12-36-/-70-/-62-64-/-57-54-66-/-67-63-72-/-69-67-69–63-/-72-60-/-61-51-44-31-/-42-15-14-9-/-39-26-21-16-/-42-32-32-18-/-52-19-15-18-16-15-/-58-22-10-8-9-5-/-42-18-6-5-8-(4)-/-65-14-6-7-7-5 (63 weeks)

 

#197

Estelle Featuring Kanye West - American Boy

 

 

From Estelle's 2nd studio album "Shine", and John Legend and will.i.am had a hand in it among others.

 

Estimated sales: 2.41 million

Year: 2008

Chart run: 72-/-(1)-1-1-1-2-3-5-6-9-11-13-17-17-20-23-21-23-28-23-30-36-43-41-44-50-54-59-71-75-/-75-/-67 (32 weeks)

 

#196

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

 

 

Only released as the 4th single from their 2nd album but became their breakthrough hit.

 

Estimated sales: 2.41 million

Year: 1983

Chart run: 63-38-21-5-3-(2)-3-5-5-15-25-33-50-60-/-48-58 (16 weeks)

 

'Hall of Fame' is such a vile song :puke2:

#195

The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

 

 

The lead single from the enormous selling and critically acclaimed "Urban Hyms" and their biggest hit.

 

Estimated sales: 2.42 million

Year: 1997

Chart run: (2)-5-6-12-14-12-19-23-36-50-70-/-70-72-/-58-75-/-64-63-74-/-75-59 (20 weeks)

 

#194

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

 

 

Debut single for the American soul duo and the first ever song to reach #1 on downloads alone.

 

Estimated sales: 2.42 million including 1.15 milllion purchases

Year: 2006

Chart run: (1)-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-5–30-51-49-54-66–/-66-67 (18 weeks)

 

#193

New Order - Blue Monday

 

 

The biggest selling 12 inch single of all time, this had a huge original chart run peaking at #9, and the 1988 remix peaked at #3.

 

Estimated sales: 2.42 million

Year: 1983

Chart run: 37-24-17-14-14-12-13-17-18-26-32-45-51-57-65-62-62-/-74-57-60-53-44-37-20-12-10-9-12-15-18-25-38-50-58-/-65-52-57-75-/-10-(3)-5-5-9-20-34-46-54-62-74-/-17-21-39-57-/-73 (54 weeks)

 

#192

Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin - Don't You Worry Child

 

 

The last and biggest single from the Swedish super-group before their temporary disbandment.

 

Estimated sales: 2.43 million including 1.08 million purchases

Year: 2012

Chart run: (1)-2-2-4-5-12-15-12-14-17-15-11-9-14-16-21-25-27-32-37-36-36-34-37-49-54-59-52-56-57-55-62-63-65-62-64-/-70-66-/-72-/-40-44-/-65 (42 weeks)

 

#191

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

 

 

Their debut single and a sleeper hit, contrasting an upbeat composition with lyrics about homicidal thoughts.

 

Estimated sales: 2.43 million

Year: 2010

Chart run: 27-30-31-27-27-30-22-(18)-23-38-41-48-58-61-63-67-54-43-42-50-57-58-/-64-73-/-59-41-22-24-31-43-55-73-66-72-73 (35 weeks)

 

#190

John Lennon - Imagine

 

 

Recorded in 1971 but not released as a single until 1975, and only topped the charts after the 1980 re-release, and made the top 3 again in 1999.

 

Estimated sales: 2.43 million including 1.73 million purchases

Year: 1975

Chart run: 43-25-6-6-6-10-10-31-28-28-35-/-9-9-(1)-1-1-1-4-6-17-23-32-49-46-/-66-45-46-49-66-/-3-3-7-10-20-30-52-62-45-45-63-/-58-42-/-75-/-18-69 (45 weeks)

 

#189

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

 

 

The lead single from "Hounds Of Love" which peaked at #3 first time round but topped the charts in 2022 following its use in "Stranger Things".

 

Estimated sales: 2.44 million

Year: 1985

Chart run: 9-4-3-5-8-15-23-33-49-61-75-/-51-/-6-33-63-/-51-/-8-2-(1)-1-1-3-5-8-9-9-14-19-20-23-22-25-30-32-34-35-52-48-44-55-60-67-/-55 (43 weeks)

 

#188

Dua Lipa - Levitating

 

 

The fifth hit from "Future Nostalgia" which first reached the top 40 thanks to a Blessed Madonna remix, but became a global smash following the DaBaby remix.

 

Estimated sales: 2.44 million

Year: 2020

Chart run: 39-71-72-/-30-22-13-14-13-10-10-(5)-7-20-23-73-68-5-9-11-12-15-34-32-37-38-43-39-36-36-34-38-32-28-24-28-27-23-18-24-21-24-26-27-37-27-32-37-38-42-44-51-58-57-60-54-56-61-75-72-/-52-73-74-/-75-/-69-/-75-/-75-/-75 (67 weeks)

 

#187

Arctic Monkeys - Flourescent Adolescent

 

 

The second single from their second album "Favourite Worst Nightmare", with a video showing a fight between clowns and non clowns.

 

Estimated sales: 2.44 million

Year: 2007

Chart run: 60-68-/-72-66-55-32-23-(5)-9-14-18-26-32-41-48-57-70 (17 weeks)