Global Best Selling Singles Rankings and Criteria
The list of the top 20 best selling singles of all time combines physical sales, digital downloads, and on-demand audio streams into certified units. Industry bodies such as the RIAA, BPI, and IFPI convert streams into unit equivalents using standard ratios, and labels report figures to chart authorities worldwide. The ranking below reflects the most recent publicly available data from these organizations and major market reports IFPI Global Music Report. Numbers are rounded to the nearest million units and may differ slightly across sources due to certification timing and territory coverage.
Physical formats still contribute to lifetime totals for legacy hits, while modern singles rely heavily on streaming activity and digital sales. The unit counts below include both pure sales and certified equivalent units where a single track has crossed multiple format thresholds. This approach makes the ranking comparable across decades, from pre-digital vinyl and cassette eras to the current streaming-dominated market RIAA Gold & Platinum Program. All figures refer to worldwide units unless a specific territory is noted.
Top 20 Best Selling Singles of All Time
1. Candle in the Wind 1997 / Something About the Way You Look Tonight by Elton John is estimated at over 33 million units globally. 2. White Christmas by Bing Crosby is estimated at over 50 million units when all versions are included, though single-version sales vary by report. 3. Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets is widely cited with over 25 million units sold worldwide. 4. Silent Night is frequently listed among the best selling holiday singles with estimated global sales in the tens of millions. 5. Yesterday by The Beatles has accumulated tens of millions of units across physical and digital formats Billboard Chart Data. 6. I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston is one of the best selling singles by a female artist with certified units in multiple countries. 7. Something by The Beatles remains a top seller with strong performance in both physical and digital markets. 8. My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion is a multi-platinum single with worldwide unit sales exceeding ten million. 9. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson has been certified in numerous territories and remains a high-volume seller. 10. Every Breath You Take by The Police is one of the most performed and certified singles in history.
11. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars achieved massive streaming and sales numbers across formats. 12. Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO is a multi-platinum single with strong digital and streaming performance. 13. Imagine by John Lennon has sold millions of copies worldwide and is frequently certified in many countries. 14. Hotel California by Eagles remains a top seller with high certification levels in the US and internationally. 15. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses is a multi-format best seller with enduring chart presence. 16. Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver has sold millions of copies and is certified in several markets. 17. Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers has seen renewed sales through licensing and streaming. 18. Don't Stop Believin' by Journey is a perennial best seller with strong digital and streaming activity. 19. Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams continues to generate certified units in physical and digital formats. 20. Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper is a widely certified single with consistent global sales.
Industry Context and Data Sources
Certification thresholds vary by country, with the RIAA, BPI, and other bodies defining gold, platinum, and diamond levels based on units sold or streamed BPI Official Charts