List of best-selling singles
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles, based on claimed sales by various sources, certified units by certifying authorities worldwide, as well as year-end singles charts by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
A precise list of best-selling singles is hard to determine, as no organization has consistently tracked global music sales throughout history. Although the IFPI has published year-end global singles charts since 2007, it has never provided comprehensive all-time worldwide sales figures for singles. It is also difficult to compare the commercial performance of singles from different eras, due to shifts of music consumption over time. From the late 19th century to the early 2000s, physical singles were the major metric to measure a song's success. Digital downloads became the most dominant format between the mid-2000s and the mid-2010s, before being overtaken by music streaming.
According to the IFPI, a digital track purchase roughly equal to 0.3 of a physical single. During the physical era, it was uncommon for singles to achieve Multi-Platinum certification compared to the digital era. During the first 55 years of RIAA certification, Elton John's "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" was the only single to receive Diamond certification for physical release. After the inclusion of streaming for RIAA certifications in 2013, three digital singles were immediately certified Diamond that year. By October 2019, a total of 33 singles had been certified Diamond by the RIAA.
According to Guinness World Records, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies. The song's success was before the existence of certification systems, hence the accuracy is often disputed. Guinness World Records also states that John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies". In 2023, Guinness World Records declared "Spotlight" by Chinese singer Xiao Zhan as the best-selling digital single of all time, with 54.3 million downloads. According to official certifications worldwide, Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" is the highest-certified single ever.
By claimed sales
The following is a list of singles that have sold at least 20 million copies according to various sources. Since no official organization provides global record sales, reported figures are often exaggerations. Therefore, this list is ordered by the release year of singles instead of their claimed sales figures.| Year | Single | Artist | Claimed sales | |
| 1935 | "Silent Night" | Bing Crosby | 30 | |
| 1942 | "White Christmas" | Bing Crosby | 50 | |
| 1946 | "Petit Papa Noël" | Tino Rossi | 30 | |
| 1954 | "Rock Around the Clock" | Bill Haley & His Comets | 25 | |
| 1960 | "It's Now or Never" | Elvis Presley | 20 | |
| 1985 | "We Are the World" | USA for Africa | 20 | |
| 1992 | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston | 24 | |
| 1997 | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" | Elton John | 33 | |
| 2011 | "Rolling in the Deep" | Adele | 20.6 | |
| 2020 | "Spotlight" | Xiao Zhan | 54.3 |
By certified units
1970s and earlier
| Single | Artist | Released | Certified units |
| "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Queen | 1975 | |
| "We Will Rock You" | Queen | 1977 | |
| "September" | Earth, Wind & Fire | 1978 | |
| "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" | Brenda Lee | 1958 | |
| "Highway to Hell" | AC/DC | 1979 | |
| "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 1971 | |
| "Fortunate Son" | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 1969 | |
| "Piano Man" | Billy Joel | 1973 | |
| "Don't Stop Me Now" | Queen | 1979 | |
| "We Are the Champions" | Queen | 1977 |
1980s
| Single | Artist | Released | Certified units |
| "Don't Stop Believin'" | Journey | 1981 | |
| "Last Christmas" | Wham! | 1984 | |
| "Billie Jean" | Michael Jackson | 1983 | |
| "Africa" | Toto | 1982 | |
| "Livin' on a Prayer" | Bon Jovi | 1986 | |
| "Thriller" | Michael Jackson | 1983 | |
| "I Wanna Dance with Somebody " | Whitney Houston | 1987 | |
| "Beat It" | Michael Jackson | 1983 | |
| "Careless Whisper" | George Michael | 1984 | |
| "Back in Black" | AC/DC | 1980 |
1990s
| Single | Artist | Released | Certified units |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | Mariah Carey | 1994 | |
| "Candle in the Wind 1997" | Elton John | 1997 | |
| "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Nirvana | 1991 | |
| "Iris" | Goo Goo Dolls | 1998 | |
| "Thunderstruck" | AC/DC | 1990 | |
| "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston | 1992 | |
| "My Heart Will Go On" | Celine Dion | 1997 | |
| "...Baby One More Time" | Britney Spears | 1998 | |
| "Under the Bridge" | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 1992 | |
| "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 | 1997 |
2000s
| Single | Artist | Released | Certified units |
| "Lose Yourself" | Eminem | 2002 | |
| "I Gotta Feeling" | Black Eyed Peas | 2009 | |
| "Party in the U.S.A." | Miley Cyrus | 2009 | |
| "I'm Yours" | Jason Mraz | 2008 | |
| "Yeah!" | Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris | 2004 | |
| "Hey, Soul Sister" | Train | 2009 | |
| "Halo" | Beyoncé | 2008 | |
| "Poker Face" | Lady Gaga | 2008 | |
| "Just Dance" | Lady Gaga | 2008 | |
| "Tik Tok" | Kesha | 2009 |
2010s
| Single | Artist | Released | Certified units |
| "Shape of You" | Ed Sheeran | 2017 | |
| "Sunflower" | Post Malone and Swae Lee | 2018 | |
| "Thinking Out Loud" | Ed Sheeran | 2014 | |
| "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | 2010 | |
| "Old Town Road" | Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus | 2018 | |
| "Take Me to Church" | Hozier | 2013 | |
| "Closer" | The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | 2016 | |
| "Starboy" | The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk | 2016 | |
| "Sweater Weather" | The Neighbourhood | 2012 | |
| "Radioactive" | Imagine Dragons | 2012 |
2020s
| Single | Artist | Released | Certified units |
| "Heat Waves" | Glass Animals | 2020 | |
| "Save Your Tears" | The Weeknd | 2020 | |
| "Stay" | The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber | 2021 | |
| "Flowers" | Miley Cyrus | 2023 | |
| "As It Was" | Harry Styles | 2022 | |
| "Levitating" | Dua Lipa | 2020 | |
| "Lose Control" | Teddy Swims | 2023 | |
| "Beautiful Things" | Benson Boone | 2024 | |
| "Something in the Orange" | Zach Bryan | 2022 | |
| "Good 4 U" | Olivia Rodrigo | 2021 |
By year
| Year | Single | Artist | |
| 1966 | "The Ballad of the Green Berets" | Barry Sadler | |
| 1968 | "Hey Jude" | The Beatles | |
| 1969 | "Sugar, Sugar" | The Archies | |
| 1990 | "Vogue" | Madonna | |
| 1996 | "Killing Me Softly" | Fugees | |
| 1998 | "My Heart Will Go On" | Celine Dion |
| Year | Single | Artist | Sales | |
| 2007 | "Girlfriend" | Avril Lavigne | 7.3 | |
| 2008 | "Lollipop" | Lil Wayne featuring Static Major | 9.1 | |
| 2009 | "Poker Face" | Lady Gaga | 9.8 | |
| 2010 | "Tik Tok" | Kesha | 12.8 | |
| 2011 | "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | 12.5 | |
| 2012 | "Call Me Maybe" | Carly Rae Jepsen | 12.5 |
| Year | Single | Artist | Units | |
| 2013 | "Blurred Lines" | Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | 14.8 | |
| 2014 | "Happy" | Pharrell Williams | 13.9 | |
| 2015 | "See You Again" | Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth | 20.9 | |
| 2016 | "One Dance" | Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla | 12.5 | |
| 2017 | "Shape of You" | Ed Sheeran | 26.6 | |
| 2018 | "Havana" | Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug | 19 | |
| 2019 | "Bad Guy" | Billie Eilish | 19.5 |
| Year | Single | Artist | |
| 2020 | "Blinding Lights" | The Weeknd | |
| 2021 | "Save Your Tears" | The Weeknd | |
| 2022 | "As It Was" | Harry Styles | |
| 2023 | "Flowers" | Miley Cyrus | |
| 2024 | "Beautiful Things" | Benson Boone |