List of best-selling singles


This article is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion on the list is to have sold at least five million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, newspapers, magazines, and books.
It is notable that, according to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies. The song, recognized as "the best-selling single of all time", was released before the pop/rock singles-chart era and "was listed as the world's best-selling single in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records and—remarkably—still retains the title more than 50 years later". Guinness World Records also states that double A-side charity single "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John, is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies". This makes it the second-best-selling physical single of all time.
There are three best-selling singles lists displayed here:
  1. Best-selling physical singles
  2. Best-selling digital singles
  3. IFPI best-selling singles worldwide

    Best-selling physical singles

15million physical copies or more

10–14.9million copies

8–9.9million copies

7–7.9million copies

6–6.9million copies

5–5.9million copies

Best-selling digital singles

15million digital copies or more

12–14.99million copies

10–11.99million copies

8–9.99million copies

7–7.99million copies

6–6.99million copies

5–5.99million copies

IFPI best-selling singles worldwide by year

The charts of the best-selling singles by year in the world are compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry annually since 2007. These charts were published in their two annual reports, the Digital Music Report and the Recording Industry in Numbers. Both the Digital Music Report and the Recording Industry in Numbers were replaced in 2016 by the Global Music Report.
Units sold include single-track downloads, audio and video mastertones, ringback tones, full track downloads to mobile and, starting in 2013, track-equivalent streams. All versions of the same song are combined in these charts.
YearSingleArtistNationalitySales
Source
2007"Girlfriend"Avril LavigneCanada7.3
2008"Lollipop"Lil Wayne featuring Static MajorUnited States9.1
2009"Poker Face"Lady GagaUnited States9.8
2010"TiK ToK"KeshaUnited States12.8
2011"Just the Way You Are"Bruno MarsUnited States12.5
2012"Call Me Maybe"Carly Rae JepsenCanada12.5
2013"Blurred Lines"Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & PharrellUnited States14.8
2014"Happy"Pharrell WilliamsUnited States13.9
2015"See You Again"Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie PuthUnited States20.9
2016"One Dance"Drake featuring Wizkid & KylaCanada12.5
2017"Shape of You"Ed SheeranUnited Kingdom26.6
2018"Havana"Camila Cabello featuring Young ThugCuba/United States19
2019"Bad Guy"Billie EilishUnited States19.5