This is a list based on estimated sales between 1952 (the first charts) and the end of 1999. Availability of sales figures, particularly in earlier decades, means that there is a great deal of uncertainty over the accuracy of these estimates.
Singles are a type of music release defined by the British organisation the Official Charts Company (OCC) as having fewer than four tracks and not lasting longer than 25 minutes. Sales of singles in the United Kingdom have been monitored since 1952, when Percy Dickins of NME contacted a sample of 20 shops to asking what their 10 best-selling singles for that week had been. Dickins compiled the results into a Top 12 hit parade, which eventually became the UK Singles Chart. On 16 November 2002, Channel 4 broadcast a television programme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the chart, which counted down the biggest-selling singles up to that point. The song at number one was "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John, a charity single released to commemorate the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The artist that appeared the most on the chart was The Beatles, who had released five of the biggest-selling singles of the century.
The top 69 entries in this list had sold 1 million copies by the end of 1999, although subsequently "Three Lions" and "3 Lions '98" by Baddiel & Skinner & The Lightning Seeds—which were both certified Platinum—had their sales combined, meaning that most commentators record there as having been 70 million sellers before 2000.
Singles
ArtistSingleYearSales1 Elton John "Candle in the Wind '97 1997 4,860,0002 Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 1984 3,550,0003 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" 1975 2,130,0004 Wings "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" 1977 2,050,0005 Boney M "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" 1978 1,985,0006 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want" 1978 1,975,0007 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax" 1983 1,910,0008 The Beatles "She Loves You" 1963 1,890,0009 Robson & Jerome "Unchained Melody" 1995 1,840,00010 Boney M "Mary's Boy Child" / "Oh My Lord" 1978 1,790,00011 Wet Wet Wet "Love Is All Around" 1994 1,780,00012 Stevie Wonder "I Just Called to Say I Love You" 1984 1,775,00013 The Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" 1963 1,750,00014 Aqua "Barbie Girl" 1997 1,720,00015 Cher "Believe" 1998 1,670,00016 Various artists "Perfect Day" 1997 1,540,00017 Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" 1991 1,520,00018 Ken Dodd "Tears" 1965 1,521,00019 The Beatles "Can't Buy Me Love" 1964 1,520,00020 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John "Summer Nights" 1978 1,515,00021 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" 1984 1,510,00022 Britney Spears "Baby One More Time" 1999 1,450,00023 Human League "Don't You Want Me" 1981 1,430,00024 John Lennon "Imagine" 1975 1,426,00025 Wham! "Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants" 1984 1,420,00026 The Beatles "I Feel Fine" 1964 1,410,00027 Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans "I'll Be Missing You" 1997 1,400,00028 Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" 1983 1,405,00029 The Seekers "The Carnival is Over" 1965 1,400,00030 Bill Haley & His Comets "Rock Around the Clock" 1955 1,392,00031 The Beatles "Day Tripper" 1965 1,385,00032 Village People "Y.M.C.A." 1978 1,380,00033 George Michael "Careless Whisper" 1984 1,360,00034 Engelbert Humperdinck "Release Me" 1967 1,365,00035 Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You" 1992 1,355,00036 Jennifer Rush "The Power of Love" 1985 1,321,53037 Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On" 1998 1,312,55138 Spice Girls "Wannabe" 1996 1,269,84139 Fugees "Killing Me Softly" 1996 1,268,15740 All Saints "Never Ever" 1997 1,254,60441 Coolio featuring L.V. "Gangsta's Paradise" 1995 1,240,00042 Paul Anka "Diana" 1957 1,240,00043 Celine Dion "Think Twice" 1994 1,234,98244 Elvis Presley "It's Now or Never" 1960 1,210,00045 Tom Jones "Green Green Grass of Home" 1966 1,205,00046 Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" 1982 1,201,00047 Blondie "Heart of Glass" 1979 1,180,00048 Harry Belafonte "Mary's Boy Child" 1957 1,175,00049 Engelbert Humperdinck "The Last Waltz" 1967 1,160,00050 Art Garfunkel "Bright Eyes" 1979 1,155,00051 Steps "Heartbeat / Tragedy" 1998 1,150,28552 David Soul "Don't Give Up on Us" 1976 1,145,00053 Gary Glitter "I Love You Love Me Love" 1973 1,140,00054 Soft Cell "Tainted Love" 1981 1,135,00055 Acker Bilk "Stranger on the Shore" 1961 1,130,00056 Run D.M.C vs. Jason Nevins "It's Like That" 1998 1,110,00057 Teletubbies "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!" 1997 1,107,23558 Babylon Zoo "Spaceman" 1996 1,098,88059 Frank Ifield "I Remember You" 1962 1,096,00060 Robson & Jerome "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof" 1995 1,093,97261 Whigfield "Saturday Night" 1994 1,090,00062 Boyzone "No Matter What" 1998 1,070,00063 Spice Girls "2 Become 1" 1996 1,070,00064 Cliff Richard & The Shadows "The Young Ones" 1962 1,052,00065 Michael Jackson "Earth Song" 1995 1,038,82166 Slade "Merry Xmas Everybody" 1973 1,006,50067 Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses for Me" 1976 1,006,20068 Simon Park Orchestra "Eye Level" 1972 1,005,50069 New Order "Blue Monday" 1983 1,001,00070 Little Jimmy Osmond "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" 1972 998,00071 Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" 1979 995,00072 Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" 1976 993,00073 Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" 1982 990,00074 The New Seekers "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" 1971 990,00075 Dawn "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" 1973 988,00076 Adam & the Ants "Stand and Deliver" 1981 985,00077 Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 1976 985,00078 Natalie Imbruglia "Torn" 1997 982,00079 Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan "Especially for You" 1988 982,00080 Ian Dury & The Blockheads "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" 1978 979,10081 The Archies "Sugar, Sugar" 1969 979,00082 Tight Fit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" 1982 978,00083 Cliff Richard "Bachelor Boy" / "The Next Time" 1962 976,00084 Irene Cara "Fame" 1982 975,00085 Ray Parker Jr. "Ghostbusters" 1984 974,00086 Billy Joel "Uptown Girl" 1983 974,00087 Black Box "Ride On Time" 1989 973,00088 The Tornados "Telstar" 1962 967,00089 Oasis "Wonderwall" 1995 966,94090 The Pipes and Drums and MilitaryBand of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards "Amazing Grace" 1972 962,00091 Take That "Back for Good" 1995 959,00092 Eiffel 65 "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" 1999 956,00093 Rod Stewart "Sailing" 1975 955,00094 Pussycat "Mississippi" 1976 947,000
References General (chart positions)
Specific