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OCC reveals UK million sellers

By | Published on Tuesday 6 November 2012

Official Charts Company

With the previously reported 60th anniversary of the UK singles chart getting ever closer, the Official Charts Company has thrown a little more data in our direction.

You’ll remember the chart compiler recently confirmed that Madonna is the best selling female artist in the UK ever (in terms of single sales), but now faces tough competition from Rihanna. Well, now the OCC has revealed the 123 tracks that have sold over a million units in the UK, all of which are profiled in a new book called ‘The Million Sellers’.

When a similar list was released ten years ago for the chart’s 50th anniversary only 76 tracks appeared, proving, in case it needed proving, that the single is bigger than ever in the download era. Says OCC chief Martin Talbot: “It is apt that, as we prepare to celebrate sixty years of the Official Singles Chart in the UK, we do so at a time of unprecedented demand for the single, with this year set to be the biggest year on record for sales of the format. This demand is also translating into the largest number of million- sellers we have seen – this truly is the era of the super hit”.

And here they are, the list of tracks that have sold over a million units, biggest sellers first, with year of release in brackets.

1. Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight/Candle In The Wind 97 (1997)
2. Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (1984)
3. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)
4. Wings – Mull Of Kintyre/Girls’ School (1977)
5. John Travolta & Olivia Newton John – You’re The One That I Want (1978)
6. Boney M – Rivers Of Babylon/Brown Girl In The Ring (1978)
7. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (1983)
8. Beatles – She Loves You (1963)
9. Robson Green & Jerome Flynn – Unchained Melody/(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over The) White Cliffs Of Dover (1995)
10. Wet Wet Wet – Love Is All Around (1994)
11. Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord (1978)
12. Stevie Wonder – I Just Called To Say I Love You (1984)
13. Aqua – Barbie Girl (1997)
14. Will Young – Anything Is Possible / Evergreen (2002)
15. Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand (1963)
16. Cher – Believe (1998)
17. Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)
18. Wham! – Last Christmas/Everything She Wants (1984)
19. John Lennon – Imagine (1975)
20. John Travolta & Olivia Newton John – Summer Nights (1978)
21. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes (1984)
22. Puff Daddy & Faith Evans feat 112 – I’ll Be Missing You (1997)
23. Various Artists – Perfect Day (1997)
24. Human League – Don’t You Want Me (1981)
25. Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love (1964)
26. Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You (1992)
27. Baddiel/Skinner/Lightning Seeds – Three Lions (1996)
28. Ken Dodd – Tears (1965)
29. Britney Spears – Baby One More Time (1999)
30. Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On (1998)
31. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon (1983)
32. Village People – YMCA (1978)
33. George Michael – Careless Whisper (1984)
34. Bill Haley & His Comets – (We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock (1955)
35. Beatles – I Feel Fine (1964)
36. Seekers – The Carnival Is Over (1965)
37. Coolio feat LV – Gangsta’s Paradise (1995)
38. Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger (1982)
39. Jennifer Rush – The Power Of Love (1985)
40. Beatles – We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper (1964)
41. Engelbert Humperdinck – Release Me (1967)
42. Fugees (Refugee Camp) – Killing Me Softly (1996)
43. Adele – Someone Like You (2011)
44. Gareth Gates – Unchained Melody (2002)
45. Spice Girls – Wannabe (1996)
46. Tony Christie – (Is This The Way To) Amarillo (1972)
47. All Saints – Never Ever (1997)
48. Dexy’s Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen (1982)
49. Celine Dion – Think Twice (1994)
50. Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling (2009)
51. Shaggy feat Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent – It Wasn’t Me (2001)
52. Soft Cell – Tainted Love (1981)
53. Blondie – Heart Of Glass (1979)
54. Elvis Presley – It’s Now Or Never (1960)
55. Oasis – Wonderwall (1995)
56. Paul Anka – Diana (1957)
57. Run-DMC vs Jason Nevins – It’s Like That (1997)
58. Maroon 5 feat Christina Aguilera – Moves Like Jagger (2011)
59. Alexandra Burke – Hallelujah (2008)
60. Tom Jones – Green Green Grass Of Home (1966)
61. Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes (1979)
62. Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire (2008)
63. Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody (1973)
64. Harry Belafonte – Mary’s Boy Child (1957)
65. Steps – Heartbeat/Tragedy (1998)
66. Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz (1967)
67. Band Aid 20 – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2004)
68. Michael Jackson – Earth Song (1995)
69. Mr Acker Bilk With The Leon Young String Chorale – Stranger On The Shore (1961)
70. New Order – Blue Monday (1983)
71. David Soul – Don’t Give Up On Us (1976)
72. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (2001)
73. Gary Glitter – I Love You Love Me Love (1973)
74. Babylon Zoo – Spaceman (1996)
75. Whigfield – Saturday Night (1994)
76. Boyzone – No Matter What (1998)
77. Robson & Jerome – I Believe/Up On The Roof (1995)
78. Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are (Amazing) (2010)
79. Robbie Williams – Angels (1997)
80. Teletubbies – Teletubbies Say “Eh-Oh!” (1997)
81. Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (1978)
82. Rihanna FT Calvin Harris – We Found Love (2011)
83. Spice Girls – 2 Become 1 (1996)
84. Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (1997)
85. Lady Gaga – Poker Face (2009)
86. Frank Ifield – I Remember You (1962)
87. Shayne Ward – That’s My Goal (2005)
88. LMFAO/Lauren Bennett/Goonrock – Party Rock Anthem (2011)
89. Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters (1984)
90. Hear’Say – Pure & Simple (2001)
91. Pink Floyd – Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 (1979)
92. Take That – Back For Good (1995)
93. Eiffel 65 – Blue (Da Ba Dee) (1999)
94. Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones (1962)
95. The Beatles – Hey Jude (1968)
96. Abba – Dancing Queen (1976)
97. Jessie J feat BOB – Price Tag (2011)
98. Donna Summer – I Feel Love (1977)
99. Irene Cara – Fame (1982)
100. Black Box – Ride On Time (1989)
101. Eminem feat Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie (2010)
102. Righteous Brothers – Unchained Melody (1965)
103. Rihanna – Only Girl (In The World) (2010)
104. Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love (2007)
105. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy (2006)
106. Adam & The Ants – Stand & Deliver (1981)
107. Bob The Builder – Can We Fix It? (2000)
108. Billy Joel – Uptown Girl (1983)
109. Aerosmith – I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing (1998)
110. Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive (1979)
111. Rod Stewart – Sailing (1975)
112. Archies – Sugar Sugar (1969)
113. Brotherhood Of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me (1976)
114. Bing Crosby – White Christmas (1942)
115. New Seekers – I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (1971)
116. Julie Covington – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (1976)
117. Simon Park Orchestra – Eye Level (1972)
118. Tight Fit – The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1982)
119. Gotye feat Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know (2011)
120. Little Jimmy Osmond – Long Haired Lover From Liverpool (1972)
121. Showaddywaddy – Under The Moon Of Love (1976)
122. Dawn feat Tony Orlando – Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree (1973)
123. Matt Cardle – When We Collide (2010)



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