10 Best Selling Digital Singles Of All Time

Prior to the rise of streaming platforms and digital music, the best selling singles of all time was Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” performed by Bing Crosby, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies World Wide. The Song was listed as the world’s best-selling single in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records (published in 1955) The song held the record for over 55 years.

The rise of digital music platforms made it easier to distribute and sell music in different parts of the world in a  very short period of time.  Although Bing Crosby still holds the record for the World’s best selling physical single (CD and vinyl), it is not so digitally. He was, however, dethroned by  Xiao Zhan, a Chinese singer whose single, “spotlight” has sold more than 54 million digital copies since 2020, followed by Ed Sheeran’s Shape of you. So, without much ado, here is a list of the top 10 best selling digital singles of all time.

Top 10 Best Selling Songs of All-Time

1. Spotlight by Xiao Zhan

“光点” (Spotlight) was released by Xiao Zhan on April 25, 2020. The song sold over 25.48 million copies within 24 hours of its release. It set the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling digital track in China. It went on to become the highest-selling digital single of all time with over 54 million copies sold.  On March 9, 2021, the single was named the 7th best selling digital single of 2020 globally by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), having amassed 1.48 billion subscription stream equivalents worldwide. The song was also listed as one of the 10 biggest-selling digital singles worldwide by Guinness World Records.

2. Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You is the second best selling digital single of all time. The song was released on January 6, 2017, as one of the double lead singles from Ed’s third studio album “Divide”.  The Song peaked at number one on the singles charts of 34 countries, including the US, UK, Australian and Canadian singles charts. It also sold 227,000 combined units in its first week.  “Shape of You” became the first song to hit 2 billion streams on Spotify and is currently the most-streamed song on the service since 21 September 2017 when it surpassed “One Dance” by Drake.

“Shape of You” which was the best-selling song of 2017 became the second best-selling digital song in the same year after it sold over 26.6 million units worldwide. In 2018, it added 14.9 million units in sales totaling 42 million units sold worldwide

3. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee

Despacito was released on January 12, 2017, by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee. After its release, the song topped the charts of 47 countries and reached the top 10 of six others. In the United States, it became the first song primarily in Spanish to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Los del Río’s “Macarena” in 1996. It also became the first Latin song to receive a diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, and the most-viewed YouTube video of all time from August 2017 to November 2020. “Despacito” which was the second best-selling single of 2017 across the world, sold  24.3 million units in the same year, then sold another 11.8 million units the following year. Selling a total of 13 million copies worldwide.

4. Work by Rihanna featuring Drake

Rihanna‘s Work featuring Drake takes the 4th position in the best selling digital singles of all time. The song was released on January 27, 2016, as a lead single for her eighth studio album, Anti. The song debuted at number one on the US Digital Songs chart with over 126,000 copies sold in only just over a day. It debuted at number 9 on the billboard hot 100, number 27 on the US Radio Songs chart with 44 million audience impressions and number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The following week, “Work” sold an additional 156,000 copies and eventually moved to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its fourth week. As of the time of this report, Rihanna’s Work has accumulated billions of streams on several streaming platforms and about 32.5 million copies sold worldwide. 

5. Something Just Like This by Chainsmokers and Coldplay

Something Just Like This by Chainsmokers and Coldplay was released February 22, 2017, as the second single from The Chainsmokers debut album, Memories…Do Not Open, and as the lead single from Coldplay’s thirteenth EP Kaleidoscope. The Song with over 23 million copies sold as of the time of this report, reached the top ten of many charts around the world, including number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and the Australian ARIA chart, and number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.  The song reached its millionth sales mark in July 2017 It was the sixth best-selling song of 2017 in the US, with 1,348,000 copies sold in 2017, and 4,000,000 units in the UK.

6. Perfect by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran makes the list again with another song from “Divide”, his third studio album. Just like “Shape of You”, “Perfect” peaked at number one on the singles charts of 17 countries, including the UK, Australian and Canadian singles charts. It also became the UK Christmas number-one song for 2017. The song, after several rise and fall on charts across the world, emerged as the best-selling song of 2017 in the US, with 1,340,000 copies sold. Furthermore, it became the best-selling song of 2018, with an additional 1,300,000 copies sold. Over time, the song “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran has sold over 21.4 million copies worldwide.

7. See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

“See You Again” is a song by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. It was commissioned for the soundtrack of the 2015 film “Furious 7″ as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, who died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013. According to Wikipedia, the song remains Khalifa’s and Puth’s biggest single to date. It spent 12 non-consecutive weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100. The music video was the most viewed video on YouTube from July 10 to August 4, 2017, and the best selling song of 2015 worldwide, with combined sales and track-equivalent streams of 20.9 million units according to IFPI.

8. Closer by the Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey was released on July 29, 2016. The song topped the charts in eighteen countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, making it both the Chainsmokers’ and Halsey’s first chart-topping song in all Seven countries. The song went on to become the first song to spend 26 weeks in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also became the second song in the history of the Hot 100 chart to spend 32 weeks in the top ten of the chart. The Song which is s currently the sixth most streamed song on Spotify has sold over 20.7 million units worldwide.

9. Rolling in the Deep by Adele

Rolling in the Deep by Adele makes the list with over 20.6 million units sold worldwide. The song was released on  November 29, 2010, as the lead single from Adele’s second studio album 21. The song reportedly propelled Adele to her global superstardom. The song topped the charts in twelve countries and reached the top 10 in over twenty territories. It was Adele’s first number-one song in the United States, reaching the top spot on many Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 where it was number one for seven weeks. By February 2012, “Rolling in the Deep” had sold over 8.7 million copies in the United States, making it the best-selling digital song by a female artist in the US and the fifth-best-selling digital single of 2011 with sales of 8.2 million copies.

10. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, rounds up the list with over 20 million copies sold world wide. The song was released on November 10, 2014, as the lead single for Mark Ronson’s fourth studio album, Uptown Special. After its release, “Uptown Funk” topped the music charts in 19 countries  and made the top 10 in 15 others. In the United States, it topped the billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks and was certified 11 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). While in the United Kingdom, it  spent 7 weeks on the top of the  Singles Chart and was certified six times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

Meanwhile, you might want to check out Forbes Top 10 Richest Musicians in the World. Or, the shocking list of 7 Popular Artists Who Has Never Won A Grammy.