SimonW

The OCC article has been updated. If I Were A Boy stated as having sold 735,000 to date.

Thanks for that.

In relation to No. 69 Reason To Believe / Maggie May by Rod Stewart, is the 1976/7 reissue included in your calculations of 653,000? You don't mention the latter dates in the post.

Dave, thanks for posting this list. As ever, your research is very interesting and you have a great eye for detail. Looking forward to positions 1-33 and subsequent posts on new topics.

See post 42: At the time, using sales from Music Week [MW] of current 2008 hits, I calculated that this list represented sales from 1st January 2000 to 31st May 2008 (MW chart week ending 7th June 2008).

In relation to post 42 above, I copied out the sales in 2008. The sales for nos. 100 and 6 were 130,000 and 476,000, respectively.

I think that the Billy Elliott film is responsible for quite a few T Rex downloads. Its soundtrack and related album includes: Cosmic Dancer, Get It On, I Love To Boogie, Children Of The Revolution and Ride A White Swan.

In various all-time charts since 1972, the position of Gerry and the Pacemakers' You'll Never Walk Alone relative to other songs has consistently suggested sales of between 750,000 and 800,000. A very long time ago (before I noted sources) I read that it had shipped 775,000 copies. By comparing various positions in The Top 60 of the Sixties broadcast on Radio 2 on 31st May 2010, I would estimate 785,000 copies during the 1960s (roughly 720,000 during 1963 and about 65,000 in 1964). The original track was released on the Columbia label. There was a reissue on EMI in Nov 1973 and Pentagon in May 1977, and Old Gold in both Oct 1983 and 1991, none of which charted. A conservative estimate of catalogue physical sales would be 20,000 to 30,000. On 15th June 2009, Music Week reported sales of downloads and this track had sold around 65,000 in five years. This is just over 10,000 each year during the download era, which would be 100,000 to date. And OCC reported today (16th Sep) that it had sold 28,000 from Friday to Saturday this week. My estimate is between 900,000 and 920,000 plus this week's chart sales.

Here are some estimates for the Top 40, using Record Mirror and Music Week published sales that I have collected. Postions 20 to 40 should be accurate to 5,000 copies as there is not such a disparity in sales between the titles. 2 to 19 are more difficult to estimate and there are downloads to consider. Most should be correct within 20,000. The Official Hit Factory Top 40 1 Heartbeat/Tragedy – Steps 1998 (1.18 million) 2 Especially For You - Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan 1988 (1 million) 3 Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley 1987 (800,000) 4 You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - Dead Or Alive 1984 (700,000) 5 I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue 1988 (700,000) 6 I Have A Dream/Seasons In The Sun – Westlife 1999 (640,000) 7 Respectable - Mel & Kim 1987 (580,000) 8 No Limit - 2 Unlimited 1993 (540,000) 9 Hand On Your Heart - Kylie Minogue 1989 (500,000) 10 Too Many Broken Hearts - Jason Donovan 1989 (480,000) 11 Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid II 1989 (470,000) 12 Ferry Across The Mersey - Various Artists 1989 (450,000) 13 The Loco-Motion - Kylie Minogue 1988 (450,000) 14 One For Sorrow – Steps 1998 (425,000) 15 Let It Be - Ferry Aid 1987 (425,000) 16 Suddenly - Angry Anderson 1988 (370,000) 17 Wouldn't Change A Thing - Kylie Minogue 1989 (370,000) 18 You'll Never Stop Me Loving You – Sonia 1989 (365,000) 19 When You Come Back To Me - Jason Donovan 1989 (360,000) 20 Better Best Forgotten – Steps 1999 (355,000) 21 Get Ready For This - 2 Unlimited 1991 (355,000) 22 5,6,7,8 – Steps 1997 (340,000) 23 Thank ABBA For The Music - The ABBA Allstars 1999 (335,000) 24 Last Thing On My Mind – Steps 1998 (335,000) 25 Give Me Just A Little More Time - Kylie Minogue 1992 (335,000) 26 Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi - Kylie Minogue 1988 (330,000) 27 Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) - Mel & Kim 1986 (330,000) 28 Better The Devil You Know - Kylie Minogue 1990 (330,000) 29 Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick Astley 1987 (330,000) 30 Love In The First Degree – Bananarama 1987 (330,000) 31 Heartache - Pepsi & Shirlie 1987 (330,000) 32 Got To Be Certain - Kylie Minogue 1988 (325,000) 33 This Time I Know It's For Real - Donna Summer 1989 (325,000) 34 Especially For You - Denise & Johnny 1998 (325,000) 35 Toy Boy – Sinitta 1987 (325,000) 36 Help! - Bananarama & Lananeeneenoonoo 1989 (320,000) 37 Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) - Hazell Dean 1984 (310,000) 38 Sealed With A Kiss - Jason Donovan 1989 (300,000) 39 Baker Street – Undercover 1992 (295,000) 40 Love's Got A Hold On My Heart – Steps 1999 (295,000)

This appears to be the same as the rock chart broadcast in June of this year; I recorded the top twenty from 4Music. Sales are to 7th May 2011 (chart week ending 14th May 2011).

Motown: 30 at 50 1959 to 2008 OCC Top 30 BBC Radio 2: 1st January 2009 This was broadcast a couple of years ago but I couldn't find it mentioned in any post. Here is my attempt at estimated sales with comments below: Position / Title / Artist / Year First Charted / My Estimated Sales 1. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder (1984) 1,800,000 2. Hello - Lionel Richie (1984) 840,000 3. One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson (1981) 800,000 4. Three Times A Lady - The Commodores (1978) 750,000? 5. Being With You - Smokey Robinson (1981) 640,000 6. All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie (1983) 620,000 7. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1969) 500,000+ 8. Baby Love - The Supremes (1964) 500,000 9. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5 (1970) 490,000 10. Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder (1981) 485,000 11. Upside Down - Diana Ross (1980) 480,000 12. End Of The Road - Boyz II Men (1992) 480,000 13. Master Blaster (Jammin’) - Stevie Wonder (1980) 465,000 14. The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1970) 460,000 15. Reach Out I’ll Be There - Four Tops (1966) 460,000 16. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin (1966) 440,000 17. Under The Boardwalk - Bruce Willis (1987) 430,000 18. I’m Still Waiting - Diana Ross (1971) 420,000 19. Lately - Stevie Wonder (1981) 380,000 20. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder (1977) 375,000 21. Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder (1985) 370,000 22. Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes (1964) 370,000 23. I’ll Be There - The Jackson 5 (1970) 365,000 24. I’ve Never Been To Me – Charlene (1982) 360,000 25. Nightshift - The Commodores (1985) 360,000 26. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder (1969) 355,000 27. Stoned Love - The Supremes (1971) 355,000 28. With You I’m Born Again - Billy Preston and Syreeta (1979) 350,000 29. Indiana Wants Me - R. Dean Taylor (1971) 345,000 30. Easy - The Commodores (1977) 340,000 “The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles Volume 2” has sales to w/e 10th April 2010 and includes 1. I Just Called To Say I Love You at 1,815,000 and 15. Reach Out I’ll Be There at 470,000. 28. With You I’m Born Again featured in Radio 2’s “The UK’s 50 Bestselling Duets of All Time” broadcast on 3rd January 2011 and I estimate sales were 355,000. (By its position of 20. in the Duet Chart, Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (1981) sold about 435,000 but is not included by the compilers of the Motown Chart). Music Week gave sales for 3. One Day In Your Life of 797,107 by w/e 6th September 2008 and 801,823 by w/e 4th July 2009. I calculate about 735,000 were in the 1980s. The 1980s and 1992 figures are quoted or estimated from year-end charts, Record Mirror (1983 to 1991) and Music Week (1991 onwards), with reckoning for some download sales. I think that I am not so far out with most of the titles (probably within about 20,000 sales) apart from 4. and 7., which are difficult to determine.

Thanks, Number 20 added! I agree that it is a very loose definition but that's true of so many of these lists. At least we have some sales information.

Biggest Selling Rock Hits of the 21st Century: Top 20 This was broadcast on 4Music TV on 14th June and is compiled by the OCC. It included sales information. I think that sales are to chart date week ending 14th May 2011. Title / Artist / Year / Sales 1 Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon (2008) 1,100,000 2 Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon (2008) 825,000 3 Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine (2009) 705,000 4 Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus (2001) 695,000 5 Rockstar - Nickelback (2005) 635,000 6 How You Remind Me - Nickelback (2002) 560,000 7 Changes - Kelly and Ozzy Osbourne (2003) 490,000 8 Bad Touch - Bloodhouse Gang (2000) 460,000 9 Bring Me To Life - Evanescence (2003) 455,000 10 All Summer Long - Kid Rock (2008) 415,000 11 Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) - The Darkness (2003) 405,000 12 It’s My Life - Bon Jovi (2000) 365,000 13 Rollin’ - Limp Bizkit (2001) 355,000 14 Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm (2001) 345,000 15 Follow Me - Uncle Kracker (2001) 335,000 16 All The Small Things - Blink 182 (2000) 330,000 17 Welcome To The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance (2006) 325,000 18 Fire - Kasabian (2009) 320,000 19 Dakota - Stereophonics (2005) 315,000 20 Butterfly - Crazytown (2001) 310,000

Nor did I! But the latest OCC figures to September 2010 are 978,000 - http://fatherandy2.proboards.com/index.cgi...2719&page=9

You've picked on the early 1980s, one of the most difficult periods to estimate! The top 100 published in Guinness Hits of the 80s gave no sales information, so we can only surmise total sales to 1989 using data from sources like Record Mirror ["RM"], which provided some BMRB and Gallup figures. Ebony And Ivory was the 67th seller of the 80s. The 66th was Living Doll by Cliff Richard and the Young Ones feat. Hank B Marvin. RM in its year-end list for 1986 gave the song 671,398 sales. Music Week reported on 19-11-08 that sales were now 746,183. RM's sales for The Only Way Is Up by Yazz and the Plastic Population, the 65th seller of the 80s was 671,500 in 1988. Assuming that the RM figures are relatively accurate then Ebony And Ivory sold about 670,000 in the 1980s. It does not figure on any best-selling catalogue download list, nor has it charted in the top 200. I have given it a miserly 10,000 download as I prefer to underestimate unless proven otherwise, but it could very well have sold slightly more in the range 670,000 to 740,000.