List of best-selling singles in the United States

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This list compiles the best-selling singles in the United States, based on reported sales figures. Some of the singles have been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In music, a single is a song considered commercially viable enough by the artist and record company to be released separately from an album, usually featured on an album as well. For more information, see single.

Contents

Physical singles

Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the best-selling physical single in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991. Elton John 2011 Shankbone 2.JPG
Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the best-selling physical single in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991.

All of these physical singles have sold over four million copies according to either reliable third-party claims or RIAA multi-platinum certifications.

SongArtist(s)Release yearClaimed sales
(million) [upper-alpha 1] 		No. of times Platinum [3]
"Candle in the Wind 1997" Elton John 19978.84 [4] 11×
"We Are the World"USA for Africa19858 [5] 4×
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Gene Autry 19497 [6] None
"Paper Doll" Mills Brothers 19436 [7] None
"The Tennessee Waltz" Patti Page 19486 [7] None
"Hound Dog" / "Don't Be Cruel" Elvis Presley 19565 [8] 4×
"That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine" Gene Autry 19355 [9] None
"The Ballad of the Green Berets" Barry Sadler 19665 [10] None
"Dardanella" Ben Selvin 19195 [11] None
"My Blue Heaven" Gene Austin 19285 [12] None
"I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 19924.59 [13] 4×
"Macarena" Los del Río 19964.3 [14] 4×
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" Bryan Adams 19914.1 [15] 3×
"Le Freak" Chic 19784 [16] 1×
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Marvin Gaye 19684 [17] None
"I'm a Believer" the Monkees 19664 [18] None
"You Light Up My Life" Debby Boone 19774 [19] 1×
"Hey Jude" The Beatles 196844×
"Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 199344×

Digital singles

See also: a comprehensive list of the highest-certified singles at RIAA's website.

The below singles have sold at least 6 million digital copies as reported by Luminate (or previously Nielsen SoundScan). Sales figures are not fully represented by RIAA certifications, which have included on-demand streaming-equivalent units since May 2013. [20] Thus the actual sales figures will be different from the amounts specified by the RIAA.

"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas is the best-selling digital single in the U.S., with over 8.7 million downloads sold. Black Eyed Peas.jpg
"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas is the best-selling digital single in the U.S., with over 8.7 million downloads sold.
Lady Gaga is the first artist to have two 7-million-selling digital singles. The Monster Ball - Poker Face revamped2 cropped.jpg
Lady Gaga is the first artist to have two 7-million-selling digital singles.
Katy Perry is the first artist to have three 6-million-selling digital singles. Katy Perry - Part Of Me Australian Premiere - June 2012 (3).jpg
Katy Perry is the first artist to have three 6-million-selling digital singles.
SongArtist(s)Release
year		Reported sales (million)No. of times Platinum [23]
"I Gotta Feeling" The Black Eyed Peas 20098.7 [21] 10×
"Rolling in the Deep" Adele 20108.4 [21] 8×
"Radioactive" Imagine Dragons 20128.2 [24] 16×
"Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars 20148.1 [25] 11×
"Party Rock Anthem" LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock 20118.1 [21] 10×
"Somebody That I Used to Know" Gotye featuring Kimbra 20117.9 [21] 14×
"Cruise" Florida Georgia Line 20127.6 [26] 14×
"Call Me Maybe" Carly Rae Jepsen 20117.6 [27] 10×
"Poker Face" Lady Gaga 20087.5 [28] 10×
"Lose Yourself" Eminem 20027.4 [29] 13×
"Firework" Katy Perry 20107.2 [30] 12×
"Just Dance" Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis 20087.2 [28] 11×
"Don't Stop Believin'" Journey 19817.0 [31] 18×
"Just the Way You Are" Bruno Mars 20107.0 [31] 13×
"Low" Flo Rida featuring T-Pain 20077.0 [32] 10×
"Happy" Pharrell Williams 20146.9 [33] 11×
"Boom Boom Pow" The Black Eyed Peas 20086.9 [21] 5×
"I'm Yours" Jason Mraz 20086.8 [34] 13×
"We Are Young" fun. featuring Janelle Monáe 20116.8 [35] 10×
"Tik Tok" Kesha 20096.8 [36] 8×
"Need You Now" Lady Antebellum 20096.7 [37] 12×
"Moves like Jagger" Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera 20116.7 [38] 10×
"Love the Way You Lie" Eminem featuring Rihanna 20106.5 [21] 13×
"Blurred Lines" Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams 20136.5 [39] 10×
"Hey, Soul Sister" Train 20096.4 [35] 11×
"Roar" Katy Perry 20136.4 [40] 10×
"Sexy and I Know It" LMFAO 20116.4 [21] 8×
"Party in the U.S.A." Miley Cyrus 20096.3 [41] 13×
"Dark Horse" Katy Perry featuring Juicy J 20136.3 [40] 11×
"Thrift Shop" Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz 20136.2 [39] 10×
"Love Story" Taylor Swift 20086.2 [42] 8×
"Sail" Awolnation 20106.1 [31] 10×
"Grenade" Bruno Mars 20106.1 [21] 10×
"Viva la Vida" Coldplay 20086.1 [35] 5×
"Thinking Out Loud" Ed Sheeran 20146.0 [25] 16×
"All of Me" John Legend 20146.0 [25] 14×
"F*ck You / Forget You" Cee Lo Green 20106.0 [43] 7×
"Someone like You" Adele 20116.0 [21] 5×
"Apologize" Timbaland featuring OneRepublic 20076.0 [44] 4×

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ For those where sales figures are not cited, sales figures are based on certified amounts by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariah Carey albums discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shania Twain discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celine Dion albums discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katy Perry discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Gaga discography</span>

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American singer Kesha has released five studio albums, one compilation album, three extended plays, 32 singles, 11 promotional singles, and has made seven other guest appearances. As of 2017, she has sold over 41 million tracks and streams in the United States alone, and over 87 million tracks and streams worldwide. As of 2019, she has also accumulated approximately 7 billion on-demand streams and has sold over 14 million album equivalents worldwide bringing her record sales to stand at over 100 million equivalents worldwide. She is also among one of the highest-certified female artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 35.5 million certified singles and 5 million albums, bringing her total certified record sales to 40.5 million as a lead act in the United States alone. She is also certified for a further 20.5 million digital singles as a featured artist, further bringing her total record certifications to 61 million overall in the country.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Phillips discography</span>

American rock singer Phillip Phillips has released four studio albums, one compilation album, three extended plays, ten singles, and seven music videos. He won the eleventh season of American Idol in 2012, earning a recording contract with Interscope Records. His winner's single, "Home", became the highest selling single from the Idol in the show's history, with 5.4 million in sales in the United States alone as of 2015.

References

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