List of best-selling singles of the 2010s in the United Kingdom

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"Happy" by Pharrell Williams (pictured) is the UK's most downloaded song of all time and best-selling single since 2010 with sales of over 1,920,000. N.E.R.D @ Pori Jazz 2010 - Pharrell Williams 3.jpg
"Happy" by Pharrell Williams (pictured) is the UK's most downloaded song of all time and best-selling single since 2010 with sales of over 1,920,000.
2010s in music in the UK
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For the purposes of calculating sales, a single is currently defined by the Official Charts Company (OCC) as either a 'single bundle' having no more than four tracks and not lasting longer than 25 minutes or one digital audio track not longer than 15 minutes with a minimum sale price of 40 pence. [2] The rules have changed many times as technology has developed, the most notable being the inclusion of digital downloads in 2004 and of digital audio streaming in 2014. During the 2010s, sales of singles have been monitored by the OCC and compiled weekly as the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Since July 2014, the UK Singles Chart has been based on streaming figures as well as physical/digital purchases, however the OCC still compiles a 'sales' (only) chart. [3]

Best-selling singles based on paid-for sales

The biggest selling single in the 2010s in the UK based on paid-for sales is "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, which has sold over 1,920,000 copies. [1] During the decade, 37 singles released in the 2010s sold over 1 million copies—the highest number to achieve this within the decade of their release. [1] [4] Due to the growth of streaming and the consequent fall in paid for sales during the 2010s, all of the highest selling singles are from the first half of the decade, with Uptown Funk being the most recently released single to achieve sales of one million copies.

Sales figures are derived from the OCC list published on 19 September 2017. [1]

Best-selling singles of the 2010s in the UK
No.SingleArtistYearCopies
sold		Chart
peak
1"Happy" Pharrell Williams 20131,921,8051
2"Blurred Lines" Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams20131,667,6151
3"Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars20141,647,3101
4"Someone like You" Adele 20111,644,5971
5"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera 20111,536,0412
6"Somebody That I Used to Know" Gotye featuring Kimbra 20121,515,5271
7"Wake Me Up!" Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc 20131,483,3461
8"Get Lucky" Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams20131,471,3561
9"We Found Love" Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris 20111,415,4161
10"Call Me Maybe" Carly Rae Jepsen 20121,358,6311
11"Just the Way You Are (Amazing)" Bruno Mars 20101,331,6841
12"Impossible" James Arthur 20121,310,1691
13"Gangnam Style" Psy 20121,304,4371
14"Titanium" David Guetta featuring Sia 20121,300,5661
15"Party Rock Anthem" LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock 20111,284,3351
16"Rather Be" Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne 20141,283,1221
17"All of Me" John Legend 20131,259,7082
18"Love the Way You Lie" Eminem featuring Rihanna 20101,258,7632
19"Let Her Go" Passenger 20131,243,3362
20"Price Tag" Jessie J featuring B.o.B 20111,228,3711
21"Thinking Out Loud"Ed Sheeran20141,219,1841
22"Only Girl (In the World)"Rihanna20101,162,4601
23"Starships" Nicki Minaj 20121,162,0652
24"We Are Young" fun. featuring Janelle Monáe 20121,145,1951
25"Counting Stars" OneRepublic 20131,132,5261
26" The A Team " Ed Sheeran 20111,118,8253
27"Roar" Katy Perry 20131,112,7871
28"Diamonds"Rihanna20121,098,9591
29"Firework"Katy Perry20101,091,7433
30"Rolling in the Deep" Adele 20101,086,3472
31"La La La" Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith 20131,070,1991
32"Give Me Everything" Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer 20111,050,4571
33"Don't You Worry Child" Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin 20121,018,8741
34"When We Collide" Matt Cardle 20101,017,1491
35"Jar of Hearts" Christina Perri 20111,018,8744
36"What Makes You Beautiful" One Direction 20111,010,0421
37"Forget You" CeeLo Green 20101,002,5041
38"Sexy and I Know It"LMFAO2011999,0805
39"Grenade"Bruno Mars2010997,8621
40"Paradise" Coldplay 2011995,8081

Best-selling songs of the 2010s based on combined sales

From 2014 streaming has counted towards sales (sometimes called "combined sales" or "chart sales") at the rate of 100 streams equal to one download or physical purchase, although the singles chart no longer uses this ratio. These are the biggest selling songs released in the 2010s based on combined physical, download and streaming sales.

As of September 2017, there were 146 songs released in the 2010s with over a million combined sales, nine of these with over 2 million. [1] In October 2017, "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran became the first song from the decade to reach 3 million combined sales. [5]

PositionSongArtistPeakYearSalesStreaming equivalentCombined sales
1"Shape of You" Ed Sheeran 12017754,7542,121,7064,200,000 [5]
2"Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars 120141,647,3101,076,1602,723,470
3"Happy" Pharrell Williams 120131,921,805707,8512,629,657
4"Thinking Out Loud" Ed Sheeran 120141,219,1841,302,1192,521,302
5"One Dance" Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla 12016553,9731,791,0072,344,981
6"Rather Be" Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne 120141,283,122935,5752,218,697
7"Sorry" Justin Bieber 12015724,1881,443,7192,167,907
8"All of Me" John Legend 220141,259,708896,4182,156,126
9"Love Yourself" Justin Bieber 12015718,5491,340,6662,059,215
10"Someone Like You" Adele 120111,644,597351,7721,996,369
11"Wake Me Up!" Avicii 120131,483,346484,0351,967,381
12"Take Me to Church" Hozier 22013934,4661,017,8511,952,317
13"Blurred Lines" Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams120131,667,615284,0041,951,619
14"Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)" Omi 12014861,0861,057,4391,918,526
15"Despacito (Remix)" Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber12017566,4251,334,1741,900,599
16"Hello"Adele12015948,618906,4311,855,050
17"What Do You Mean?"Justin Bieber12015533,5811,320,2561,853,837
18"Let Her Go" Passenger 220121,243,336589,0191,832,354
19"Get Lucky" Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams120131,471,356349,9891,821,344
20"Cheap Thrills" Sia 22015517,0821,247,6401,764,721
21"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera 220111,536,041207,8131,743,854
22"Somebody That I Used to Know" Gotye featuring Kimbra 120111,515,527212,1921,727,719
23"Pompeii" Bastille 22013959,693749,0111,708,704
24"7 Years" Lukas Graham 12015653,6571,054,2111,707,868
25"We Found Love"Rihanna120111,415,416288,5331,703,948
26"Waves" Mr Probz 12013933,555757,4021,690,957
27"Castle on the Hill"Ed Sheeran22017478,7161,192,6071,671,322
28"Stay with Me" Sam Smith 12014834,622832,6371,667,260
29"Titanium" David Guetta ft. Sia 120111,300,566351,6321,652,198
30"Counting Stars" OneRepublic 120131,132,526507,9821,640,508

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Copsey, Rob (19 September 2017). "The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  2. ↑ "Rules for Chart Eligibility: Singles" (PDF). London: Official Charts Company. April 2013. p. 4. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Lane, Dan (24 July 2014). "Clean Bandit's Rather Be hits 1 million UK sales!". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "The UK's million selling singles". Official Charts Company. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 Jones, Alan (14 October 2017). "Official Charts Analysis: Post Malone secures second week atop singles chart" . Music Week . Retrieved 14 October 2017.
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