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MUSIC
Sales
Best-Selling Songs (digital)
This list features the best-selling digital singles of all time.
RANK | SONG | MUSICIAN | SALES | YEAR |
1 | “Spotlight” | Xiao Zhan | 54.3 million | 2020 |
2 | “Shape of You” | Ed Sheeran | 41.5 million | 2017 |
3 | “Despacito” | Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee | 36.1 million | 2017 |
4 | “Work” | Rihanna ft. Drake | 32.5 million | 2016 |
5 | “Something Just Like This” | The Chainsmokers and Coldplay | 21.5 million | 2017 |
6 | “Perfect” | Ed Sheeran | 21.4 million | 2017 |
7 | “Uptown Funk” | Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | 20.0 million | 2015 |
8 | “See You Again” | Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth | 20.9 million | 2015 |
9 | “Closer” | The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey | 20.7 million | 2016 |
10 | “Rolling in the Deep” | Adele | 20.6 million | 2011 |
References
Far Out Magazine (2023) 20 best-selling singles of all time. [online] Available at: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/20-best-selling-singles-all-time/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Guinness World Records (2023) Best-selling single. [online] Available at: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-single [Accessed 1 December 2025].
DPMA (2023) Silent Night, Holy Night. [online] Available at: https://www.dpma.de/english/our_office/publications/milestones/brandswithhistory/silentnightholynight/index.html[Accessed 1 December 2025].
Guinness World Records (2023) Best-selling single France. [online] Available at: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/472583-best-selling-single-france [Accessed 1 December 2025].
NPR (2000) Rock Around the Clock. [online] Available at: https://www.npr.org/2000/07/01/1076106/rock-around-the-clock [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Black Enterprise (2022) Whitney Houston’s music tops charts worldwide. [online] Available at: https://www.blackenterprise.com/whitney-houstons-music-top-charts-worldwide/amp/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Il Post (2024) I Will Always Love You. [online] Available at: https://www.ilpost.it/2024/03/14/i-will-always-love-you/?amp=1 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
The New York Times (2009) A Tribute to Wally Gold. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/arts/music/06schroeder.html?scp=3&sq=wally%20gold&st=cse&_r=0 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
USA Today (2024) News Article. [online] Available at: https://eu.usatoday.com [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Songwriters Hall of Fame (2015) Songwriters Hall of Fame – Artists. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20150723050741/http://songwritershalloffame.org/artists/C4055 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Lifetime (2018) Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20180729230632/https://www.mylifetime.com/she-did-that/february-28-1998-celine-dions-my-heart-will-go-on-soared-to-no-1-on-the-billboard-hot-100-chart [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Forbes (2022) Mariah Carey hit with $20 million lawsuit. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/legalentertainment/2022/06/07/is-nothing-sacred-mariah-carey-hit-with-20-million-lawsuit-for-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
NME (2023) Yes Sir, I Can Boogie singer Maria Mendiola has died. [online] Available at: https://www.nme.com/news/music/yes-sir-i-can-boogie-singer-maria-mendiola-has-died-3043262 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
The New York Times (1994) Bryan Adams: More Mr. Nice Guy. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/08/arts/review-pop-bryan-adams-more-mr-nice-guy.html [Accessed 1 December 2025].
The Telegraph (2024) Best pop songs written for movies. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/best-pop-songs-written-movies/3-one-want-john-travolta-olivia-newton-john/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Wikipedia contributors (n.d.) List of best-selling singles. Wikipedia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles#Best-selling_digital_singles [Accessed 1 December 2025].
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