everyHit.com everyHit.com UK Top 40 Hit Database
Search | About everyHit | Record breakers | Chart archive | Award / Poll Winners | Number 1s | FAQs | Contact us
Million-Selling Singles
The first single to sell a million copies in Britain alone was Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock." Released in 1955, it took until 1957 to attain this landmark achievement. Below is a list of all million-sellers since "Rock Around The Clock" in chronological order of the date upon which they achieved their millionth sale!

The first date refers to the year in which the track sold its millionth copy. This can differ significantly from the year of release / peak chart success (the second date shown).

Key:        M - a million+ sold 'over the counter'       MM - 2 million+ sold 'over the counter'  etc.
               (M) - a re-issue pushed 'over the counter' sales above a million         m - a million to retail.
Year Released
MillionsArtistTitle
  1 1957 1955MBill Haley Rock Around The Clock
  2 1957 1957MHarry Belafonte Mary's Boy Child
  3 1957 1957MPaul Anka Diana
  4 1960 1960MElvis PresleyIt's Now Or Never
  5 1962 1962MCliff Richard & The ShadowsThe Young Ones
  6 1962 1961MMr Acker Bilk Stranger On The Shore
  7 1962 1962MFrank Ifield I Remember You
  8 1963 1963MThe Beatles She Loves You
  9 1963 1963MThe Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand
  10 1964 1964MThe Beatles Can't Buy Me Love
  11 1964 1964MThe Beatles I Feel Fine
  12 1965 1965MKen Dodd Tears
  13 1965 1965MThe Seekers The Carnival Is Over
  14 1966 1965MThe Beatles We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper
  15 1966 1966MTom Jones Green Green Grass Of Home
  16 1967 1967MEnglebert Humperdinck Release Me
  17 1967 1967MEnglebert Humperdinck The Last Waltz
  18 1973 1973MGary Glitter I Love You Love Me Love
  19 1975 1975M(M)Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
  20 1976 1976MBrotherhood Of Man Save Your Kisses For Me
  21 1977 1976MDavid Soul Don't Give Up On Us
  22 1977 1942(M)Bing Crosby White Christmas
  23 1977 1977MMPaul Mccartney & Wings Mull Of Kintyre / Girl's School
  24 1977 1972MThe Simon Park Orchestra Eye Level
  25 1978 1978MmBoney M Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring
  26 1978 1978MJohn Travolta & Olivia Newton-John You're The One That I Want
  27 1978 1978MJohn Travolta & Olivia-Newton-John Summer Nights
  28 1978 1978MBoney M Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord
  29 1979 1978MThe Village People Y.M.C.A.
  30 1979 1979MBlondie Heart Of Glass
  31 1979 1979MArt Garfunkel Bright Eyes
  32 1981 1975MJohn Lennon Imagine
  33 1981 1981MThe Human League Don't You Want Me
  34 1982 1982MDexy's Midnight Runners Come On Eileen
  35 1983 1983MCulture Club Karma Chameleon
  36 1984 1983MFrankie Goes To Hollywood Relax
  37 1984 1984MFrankie Goes To Hollywood Two Tribes
  38 1984 1984MGeorge Michael Careless Whisper
  39 1984 1984MStevie Wonder I Just Called To Say I Love You
  40 1984 1984MMMBand Aid Do They Know It's Christmas
  41 1984 1984MWham! Last Christmas / Everything She Wants
  42 1985 1985MJennifer Rush The Power Of Love
  43 1985 1973(M)Slade Merry Xmas Everybody
  44 1991 1981(M)Soft Cell Tainted Love
  45 1991 1991MBryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
  46 1993 1992MWhitney Houston I Will Always Love You
  47 1994 1994MWet Wet Wet Love Is All Around
  48 1994 1994MWhigfieldSaturday Night
  49 1995 1994MCeline DionThink Twice
  50 1995 1995MRobson & Jerome Unchained Melody / (There'll Be Blue Birds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover
  51 1995 1983(M)New Order Blue Monday
  52 1995 1995MCoolio featuring LVGangsta's Paradise
  53 1995 1995MRobson & JeromeI Believe
  54 1996 1996MBabylon Zoo Spaceman
  55 1996 1995MMichael JacksonEarth Song
  56 1996 1996MThe Fugees Killing Me Softly
  57 1996 1996MSpice GirlsWannabe
  58 1997 1996MSpice Girls2 Become 1
  59 1997 1997MPuff Daddy & Faith Evans I'll Be Missing You
  60 1997 1997MMMMElton John Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle in The Wind 1997
  61 1997 1997MAqua Barbie Girl
  62 1997 1997MVarious ArtistsPerfect Day
  63 1998 1997MAll Saints Never Ever
  64 1998 1998MCeline Dion My Heart Will Go On
  65 1998 1997MThe Teletubbies Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh
  66 1998 1998(M)Run DMC vs Jason NevinsIt's Like That
  67 1998 1998MBoyzoneNo Matter What
  68 1998 1998MCher Believe
  69 1999 1998MStepsHeartbeat / Tragedy
  70 1999 1999MBritney Spears Baby One More Time
  71 2000 1999MEiffel 65 Blue (Da Ba Dee)
  72 2001 2001MShaggy featuring RikrokIt Wasn't Me
  73 2001 2001MHear'Say Pure And Simple
  74 2001 2000MBob The BuilderCan We Fix It?
  75 2002 2001MKylie MinogueCan't Get You Out Of My Head
  76 2002 2002MWill Young Anything Is Possible / Evergreen
  77 2002 2002MGareth GatesUnchained Melody
  78 2004 2004MBand Aid 20Do They Know It's Christmas?
  79 2005 1971MTony Christie(Is This The Way To) Amarillo
  80 2006 2005MShayne WardThat's My Goal
  81 2007 1997MNatalie ImbrugliaTorn
  82 2007 1995MOasisWonderwall
Three further titles are believed to have sold a million+ to retail  (ie. not over the counter).    They are:
  - 1980 1979mPink Floyd Another Brick In The Wall Part 2    (0.995m)
  - 1998 1997mRobbie Williams Angels    (0.912m)
  - 2004 1996(m)Peter AndreMysterious Girl    (0.930m)
Key:        M - a million+ sold to customers       MM - 2 million+ sold to customers  etc.
               (M) - a re-issue pushed sales to customers above a million         m - a million to retail only.

Three titles have sold a million in two forms:
• "Unchained Melody" - Robson & Jerome (1995) and Gareth Gates (2002)
• "Mary's Boy Child" - Harry Belafonte (1957) and Boney M (1978) (though the latter was a medley with "Oh My Lord").
• "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid (1984) and Band Aid 20 (2004) (As the original performance of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was the 'B side' to the versions by Band Aid II and Band Aid 20, it has 'stealth' sales of over 5 million).


The singles which have sold a million but failed to make number one are:
• Mr Acker Bilk - "Stranger On The Shore" (no. 2)
• Wham - "Last Christmas" (no. 2)
• Oasis - "Wonderwall" (no. 2)
• Natalie Imbruglia - "Torn" (no. 2)
• New Order - "Blue Monday" (no. 3)
• Robbie Williams - "Angles" [a million shipped] (no. 4)
• Bing Crosby - "White Christmas" (no. 5)


Quickest to sell a million copies:
• "Candle In The Wind '97" - Elton John (five days in 1997).


Longest time to sell a million:
• "White Christmas" - Bing Crosby (35 years from 1942 to 1977).


Run Of Million Sellers:
On three occasions in chart history, three successive number 1 singles have gone on to sell a million copies:
• June to September 1984:
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Two Tribes" • George Michael - "Careless Whisper" • Stevie Wonder - "I Just Called To Say I Love You."
• October 1995 to January 1996:
Coolio featuring L.V. - "Gangsta's Paradise" • Robson Green and Jerome Flynn - "I Believe/Up On The Roof" • Michael Jackson - "Earth Song."
• November 1997 to December 1997:
Aqua - "Barbie Girl" • Various - "Perfect Day" • The Teletubbies - "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!"
Email this site to a friend:  
Join the mailinglist:  

Copyright © 2000-2010 everyHit.com