List of best-selling girl groups
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. Girl groups have been popular at least since the heyday of the Boswell Sisters beginning in the 1930s, but the term "girl group" also denotes the wave of American female pop singing groups who flourished in the late 1950s and early 1960s between the decline of early rock and roll and the British Invasion, many of whom were influenced by doo-wop style. This article covers only girl groups from that era and later. The term "girl group" also includes Japanese and Korean idol groups. In Japan, these groups began to gain popularity in the late 1990s, while in South Korea, they gained popularity in the 2000s and early 2010s. Korean girl groups make up a significant factor in the Korean Wave.
Sales figures records in most countries are not available before the 1990s, so it is difficult to accurately determine best-selling records, either by country or worldwide. Certification levels have been used for most countries, but certification was not common until the 1970s in the US and UK, and later in other countries. In addition, in many countries certification is for shipments of a record to retailers, rather than actual sales. Complicating matters further, the changes from 2010 onwards as certifications have become based on combined sales figures and streaming instead of sales alone.
As a result, these tables should not be considered finalized of the best-selling records by girl groups in each country.
Best-selling girl groups worldwide
Groups with claimed total record sales of more than 20 million:
| Artist | Country of origin | Number of members | Period active | Genre | Studio albums | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spice Girls | United Kingdom | 5 → 4 → 5 → 4 | 1994–2000, 2007–2008, 2012, 2018–2019 (9 years) | 3 | 100 million[3] | |
| The Supremes | United States | 4 → 3 | 1959–1977, 1983, 2000 (20 years) | 29 | 100 million[4] | |
| The Andrews Sisters | United States | 3 | 1925–1953, 1956–1967 (39 years) | 12 | 75 million[5] | |
| 2NE1 | South Korea | 4 → 3 → 4 | 2009–2016, 2024–present (10 years) | K-pop | 2 | 66 million[6] |
| TLC | United States | 3 → 2 | 1991–present (35 years) | 5 | 65 million[7] | |
| AKB48 | Japan | Rotational | 2005–present (21 years) | J-pop | 8 | 60 million[8] |
| Destiny's Child | United States | 4 → 3 | 1997–2006 (9 years) |
|
5 | 60 million[9] |
| The Pussycat Dolls | United States | 6 → 5 | 2003–10, 2019–2021 (7 years) |
|
2 | 54 million[10] |
| Little Mix | United Kingdom | 4 → 3 | 2011–2022 (11 years) |
|
6 | 50 million[11] |
| Twice | South Korea | 9 | 2015–present (11 years) | K-pop | 7 | 47 million[12] |
| Girls' Generation | South Korea | 9 → 8 | 2007–2017, 2022 (11 years) | K-pop | 10 | 45 million[13] |
| Davichi | South Korea | 2 | 2008–present (18 years) | K-pop | 3 | 42 million[14] |
| Bananarama | United Kingdom | 3 → 2 → 3 → 2 | 1980–present (46 years) | Pop | 11 | 40 million[15] |
| The Pointer Sisters | United States | 2 → 3 → 4 → 3 → 4 | 1969–present (57 years) |
|
16 | 40 million[16] |
| T-ara | South Korea | 6 → 7 → 8 → 7 → 6 → 4 | 2009–2017, 2020–present (15 years) | K-pop | 4 | 35 million[17] |
| Fifth Harmony | United States | 5 → 4 | 2012–2018, 2025 (7 years) |
|
3 | 33 million[18] |
| Wonder Girls | South Korea | 5 → 4 | 2007–2017 (10 years) | K-pop | 3 | 31 million[19] |
| The Nolans | United Kingdom / Ireland | 5 → 4 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 4 → 5 | 1974–2005, 2009, 2020–2022 (34 years) |
|
23 | 30 million[20] |
| Sistar | South Korea | 4 | 2010–2017 (7 years) | K-pop | 2 | 28 million[21] |
| Morning Musume | Japan | Rotational | 1997–present (29 years) | J-pop | 16 | 22 million[22] |
| Sister Sledge | United Kingdom | 4 | 1965-2020 (61 years) | R&B/disco | 10 | 20 million[23] |
| Blackpink | South Korea | 4 | 2016–present (10 years) |
|
2 | 20 million[24] |
| En Vogue | United States | 4 → 3 | 1989–present (37 years) |
|
8 | 20 million[25] |
| Speed | Japan | 4 | 1996–2001, 2003, 2008–2012 (10 years) | J-pop | 5 | 20 million[26] |
Best-selling girl group singles
Worldwide
It is extremely difficult to assess worldwide sales of singles, due to the lack of auditing in many countries, and that no country officially tracked sales before the 1990s. In the second edition of The Book of Golden Discs, author Joseph Murrell calculated a worldwide sales figure of 18 million singles for Baccara's "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie",[27] but this figure is disputed and has never been officially confirmed. Other claimed worldwide sales figures for singles by girl groups are shown in the table below:
| Released | Single | Group | Confirmed sales[a] | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Wannabe" | Spice Girls | 7 million[40] | |
| 2002 | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" | Las Ketchup | 7 million[53] | |
| 2005 | "Don't Cha" | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes | 6 million[62] |
A list of the best-selling singles, based on worldwide certified and confirmed unit sales (including both digital sales and equivalent track streams).
Notes:
- Sales figures obtained from certifying bodies alone
Australia
Singles certified platinum or more by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Only includes certifications since 1989, when ARIA took over compiling the Australian charts. From November 2014 onwards paid-for audio streams were included in the Australian singles chart and counted towards sales and certifications.
Certifications based on sales only
| Released | Single | Group | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "I Love It"[63] | Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX | 5× Platinum |
| 2002 | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"[45] | Las Ketchup | 3× Platinum |
| 2012 | "Wings"[63] | Little Mix | |
| 1995 | "Waterfalls"[64] | TLC | 2× Platinum |
| 1996 | "Wannabe"[33] | Spice Girls | |
| 1997 | "Never Ever"[65] | All Saints | |
| 2000 | "Say My Name"[66] | Destiny's Child | |
| "Poison"[66] | Bardot | ||
| "Independent Women"[67] | Destiny's Child | ||
| 2001 | "Whole Again"[67] | Atomic Kitten | |
| 2005 | "Don't Cha"[57] | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes | |
| 2013 | "Change Your Life"[63] | Little Mix | |
| 1994 | "Whatta Man"[68] | Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue | Platinum |
| 1998 | "C'est la Vie"[65] | B*Witched | |
| "Rollercoaster"[65] | |||
| "Finally Found"[65] | Honeyz | ||
| "Viva Forever"[65] | Spice Girls | ||
| "Goodbye"[69] | |||
| 1999 | "No Scrubs"[69] | TLC | |
| "Unpretty"[69] | |||
| 2000 | "Shackles (Praise You)"[66] | Mary Mary | |
| 2004 | "Lose My Breath"[70] | Destiny's Child | |
| 2005 | "Push the Button"[71] | Sugababes | |
| "Stickwitu"[71] | The Pussycat Dolls | ||
| 2006 | "Buttons"[71] |
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
| Released | Single | Group | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Work from Home"[72] | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | 6× Platinum |
| 2014 | "Ugly Heart"[73] | G.R.L. | 4× Platinum |
| 2014 | "You Ruin Me"[73] | The Veronicas | 3× Platinum |
| 2017 | "Shout Out to My Ex"[72] | Little Mix | |
| 2015 | "Worth It"[74] | Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink | 2× Platinum |
| "Black Magic"[74] | Little Mix | ||
| 2016 | "Secret Love Song"[74] | Little Mix featuring Jason Derulo | |
| "Hair"[74] | Little Mix featuring Sean Paul | ||
| 2017 | "Touch"[72] | Little Mix | |
| 2023 | "Cupid"[75] | Fifty Fifty featuring Sabrina Carpenter | |
| 2014 | "If You Love Someone"[76] | The Veronicas | Platinum |
| 2016 | "All in My Head (Flex)"[74] | Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap | |
| "In My Blood"[74] | The Veronicas | ||
| 2018 | "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"[75] | Blackpink | |
| "Kiss and Make Up"[77] | Dua Lipa and Blackpink | ||
| "Woman Like Me"[77] | Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj | ||
| 2019 | "Kill This Love"[75] | Blackpink | |
| 2020 | "How You Like That"[75] | ||
| "Ice Cream"[75] | Blackpink and Selena Gomez | ||
| 2025 | "Touch"[78] | Katseye |
Brazil
Based on certifications awarded by Pro-Música Brasil. Single certifications have only been awarded since 2008, and have included audio and video streaming from 2017 onwards.
| Released | Single | Group | Certification[79] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Kill This Love" | Blackpink | 2× Diamond |
| 2015 | "Black Magic" | Little Mix | Diamond |
| 2018 | "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" | Blackpink | |
| "Woman Like Me" | Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj | ||
| 2020 | "Sour Candy" | Lady Gaga and Blackpink | |
| "How You Like That" | Blackpink | ||
| "Ice Cream" | Blackpink and Selena Gomez | ||
| 2022 | "Shut Down" | Blackpink | |
| 2016 | "Hair" | Little Mix | 3× Platinum |
| "Shout Out to My Ex" | |||
| 2017 | "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)" | CNCO and Little Mix | |
| 2020 | "Lovesick Girls" | Blackpink | |
| "Pretty Savage" | |||
| 2016 | "Touch" | Little Mix | 2× Platinum |
| 2017 | "Power" | Little Mix featuring Stormzy | |
| 2018 | "Forever Young" | Blackpink | |
| 2022 | "Pink Venom" | ||
| "Typa Girl" | |||
| 2012 | "Wings" | Little Mix | Platinum |
| 2013 | "Move" | ||
| 2014 | "Salute" | ||
| 2015 | "Love Me Like You" | ||
| 2016 | "Secret Love Song" | Little Mix featuring Jason Derulo | |
| 2017 | "No More Sad Songs" | Little Mix featuring Machine Gun Kelly | |
| 2018 | "Only You" | Cheat Codes and Little Mix | |
| 2019 | "Think About Us" | Little Mix | |
| 2020 | "Oh My God" | I-dle | |
| "Bet You Wanna" | Blackpink featuring Cardi B | ||
| "Crazy Over You" | Blackpink | ||
| "Love to Hate Me" | |||
| "Sweet Melody" | Little Mix | ||
| 2024 | "Armageddon" | Aespa |
Canada
Singles certified gold or more by the Music Canada.[80]
Certifications based on sales only
| Released | Single | Group | Certification | Sales
(Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Goodbye" | Spice Girls | 2× Platinum | 200,000 |
| 1986 | "Venus" | Bananarama | Platinum | 100,000 |
| 1984 | "Neutron Dance" | The Pointer Sisters | Gold | 50,000 |
| "Jump (For My Love)" |
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
| Released | Single | Group | Certification | Sales
(Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Work from Home" | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | 5× Platinum | 400,000 |
| 2023 | "Cupid" | Fifty Fifty | 3× Platinum | 240,000 |
| 2015 | "Worth It" | Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink | 2× Platinum | 160,000 |
| 2020 | "How You Like That" | Blackpink | ||
| 1995 | "Waterfalls" | TLC | Platinum | 80,000 |
| 2015 | "Black Magic" | Little Mix | ||
| 2016 | "All in My Head (Flex)" | Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap | ||
| "Shout Out to My Ex" | Little Mix | |||
| "Touch" | ||||
| 2018 | "Kiss and Make Up" | Dua Lipa and Blackpink | ||
| 2020 | "Ice Cream" | Blackpink and Selena Gomez | ||
| 2022 | "Pink Venom" | Blackpink | ||
| "Shut Down" | ||||
| 2024 | "Touch" | Katseye | ||
| 2025 | "Gnarly" | |||
| "Gabriela" | ||||
| "Jump" | Blackpink | |||
| 1994 | "Creep" | TLC | Gold | 40,000 |
| 2014 | "Sledgehammer" | Fifth Harmony | ||
| 2016 | "That´s My Girl" | |||
| 2017 | "Down" | |||
| 2018 | "Woman Like Me" | Little Mix | ||
| 2020 | "Sour Candy" | Lady Gaga and Blackpink | ||
| 2024 | "Debut" | Katseye |
Denmark
France
Certifications based on sales only
| Released | Single | Group | Certification | Sales
(Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Wannabe"[106] | Spice Girls | Diamond | 750,000 |
| 2001 | "Toutes les femmes de ta vie"[107] | L5 | ||
| 2002 | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"[108] | Las Ketchup | ||
| 1996 | "Say You'll Be There"[106] | Spice Girls | Gold | 250,000 |
| "2 Become 1"[106] | ||||
| 1997 | "I Wanna Be the Only One"[109] | Eternal featuring BeBe Winans | ||
| "Who Do You Think You Are"[106] | Spice Girls | |||
| "Spice Up Your Life"[106] | ||||
| "Too Much"[106] | ||||
| 1998 | "Stop"[106] | |||
| "Viva Forever"[106] | ||||
| 1999 | "No Scrubs"[110] | TLC | ||
| 2000 | "Pure Shores"[111] | All Saints |
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
| Released | Single | Group | Certification | Sales + streaming (Based on certifications) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Work from Home"[112] | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | Diamond | 250,000 |
| 2019 | "Kill This Love"[113] | Blackpink | Platinum | 200,000 |
| 2020 | "How You Like That"[114] | |||
| 2025 | "Jump"[115] | |||
| 2016 | "That´s My Girl" | Fifth Harmony | Gold | 100,000 |
| 2018 | "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"[116] | Blackpink | ||
| 2022 | "Pink Venom"[117] | |||
| "Shut Down"[118] | ||||
| 2025 | "Gabriela"[119] | Katseye |
Germany
Certifications based on sales only
| Released | Single | Group | Certification[120] | Sales (Based on certifications) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" | Las Ketchup | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000 |
| 2001 | "Whole Again" | Atomic Kitten | Platinum | 500,000 |
| "Daylight in Your Eyes" | No Angels | |||
| 1996 | "Wannabe" | Spice Girls | ||
| 2006 | "Shame" | Monrose | 3× Gold | 450,000 |
| 1996 | "Waterfalls" | TLC | Gold | 250,000 |
| "Don't Let Go (Love)" | En Vogue | |||
| 1997 | "Who Do You Think You Are"/"Mama" | Spice Girls | ||
| 1998 | "Viva Forever" | |||
| 2000 | "Overload" | Sugababes | ||
| 2005 | "Push the Button" |
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
| Released | Single | Group | Certification[120] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "All the Things She Said" | t.A.T.u. | 2× Platinum |
| 2005 | "Don't Cha" | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes | |
| 2016 | "Work from Home" | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | Platinum, 3× Gold |
| 2016 | "Worth It" | Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink | Platinum |
| 1982 | "It's Raining Men" | The Weather Girls | Gold |
| "I'm So Excited" | The Pointer Sisters | ||
| 1999 | "Say My Name" (Timbaland remix) | Destiny's Child featuring Static Major | |
| 2000 | "Independent Women Part I" | Destiny's Child | |
| 2001 | "Survivor" | ||
| 2004 | "Lose My Breath" | ||
| 2006 | "Beep" | The Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am | |
| 2007 | "About You Now" | Sugababes | |
| 2008 | "When I Grow Up" | The Pussycat Dolls | |
| 2016 | "Shout Out To My Ex" | Little Mix |
- Note: Certification levels in Germany have changed several times over the years – the certification level for a gold single was 250,000 until the end of 2002, 150,000 between 2003 and mid-2014, and 200,000 from mid-2014 onwards. These different levels are reflected in the table above.
- From January 2014 onwards, paid-for audio streams were included in the German singles chart and counted towards sales and certifications.[121]
Italy
| Released | Single | Group | Certification[122] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Work from Home" | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | 3× Platinum |
| 2012 | "I Love It" | Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX | 2× Platinum |
| 2015 | "Worth It" | Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink | |
| 1996 | "Wannabe" | Spice Girls | Platinum |
| 1963 | "Be My Baby" | The Ronettes | Gold |
| "Sleigh Ride" | |||
| 1966 | "You Can't Hurry Love" | The Supremes | |
| 1999 | "No Scrubs" | TLC | |
| 2001 | "Survivor" | Destiny's Child | |
| 2002 | "All the Things She Said" | t.A.T.u. | |
| 2005 | "Don't Cha" | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes | |
| 2015 | "Black Magic" | Little Mix | |
| 2016 | "All in My Head (Flex)" | Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap | |
| "Sin Contrato" | Maluma featuring Fifth Harmony | ||
| "Shout Out to My Ex" | Little Mix | ||
| "Touch" | |||
| 2018 | "Kiss and Make Up" | Dua Lipa and Blackpink | |
| 2020 | "How You Like That" | Blackpink | |
| 2021 | "Heartbreak Anthem" | Galantis, David Guetta and Little Mix |
Japan
The ten biggest-selling girl group singles in Japan based on total sales (May 2020):
| Released | Single | Group | Detailed Sales | Total Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Downloads | Ringtones | ||||
| 2010 | "Heavy Rotation" | AKB48 | 880,761[123] | 1,500,000[124] | 750,000[125] | 3,130,761 |
| 2011 | "Flying Get" | 1,625,849[126] | 1,000,000[127] | 500,000[128] | 3,125,849 | |
| 2011 | "Everyday, Katyusha" | 1,608,299[129] | 1,000,000[127] | 500,000[130] | 3,108,299 | |
| 2018 | "Teacher Teacher" | 2,922,460[131] | — | — | 2,922,460 | |
| 2017 | "Negaigoto no Mochigusare" | 2,649,234[132] | — | — | 2,649,234 | |
| 2013 | "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie" | 1,533,955[133] | 1,000,000[134] | — | 2,533,955 | |
| 2016 | "Tsubasa wa Iranai" | 2,499,785[135] | — | — | 2,499,785 | |
| 2010 | "Gee" | Girls' Generation | 206,000[136] | 1,000,000[127] | 1,250,000[137] | 2,456,000 |
| 2012 | "Manatsu no Sounds Good" | AKB48 | 1,822,220[138] | 500,000[139] | — | 2,322,220 |
| 2011 | "Mr. Taxi" | Girls' Generation | 174,365[136] | 1,000,000[127] | 1,000,000[137] | 2,174,365 |
| 2009 | "Mister" | Kara | 145,000[140] | 1,000,000[141] | 1,000,000[137] | 2,145,000 |
| 2013 | "Sayonara Crawl" | AKB48 | 1,955,800[142] | 100,000[127] | — | 2,055,800 |
- From January 2014, RIAJ changed calculation method for Detailed Sales and the Gold Record.[143]
New Zealand
Singles certified platinum or more by Recorded Music NZ. Since November 2014 certifications for singles have included streaming, and therefore cannot be compared to certifications from before this date.
Certifications based on sales only
| Released | Single | Group | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Whole Again"[144] | Atomic Kitten | 2× Platinum |
| 2002 | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"[52] | Las Ketchup | |
| 1995 | "Waterfalls"[145] | TLC | Platinum |
| 1996 | "Wannabe"[146] | Spice Girls | |
| "Say You'll Be There"[147] | |||
| 1997 | "I Wanna Be the Only One"[148] | Eternal featuring BeBe Winans | |
| "Spice Up Your Life"[149] | Spice Girls | ||
| 1998 | "Viva Forever"[150] | ||
| "Rollercoaster"[151] | B*witched | ||
| "Goodbye"[151] | Spice Girls | ||
| 1999 | "No Scrubs"[152] | TLC |
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
South Korea
- Prior to Gaon Music Chart establishment (pre–2010)wq
The Gaon Music Chart, which was later renamed the Circle Chart, was established in January 2010. As a result, there are no available official sales data for singles released prior to that time. Nevertheless, there are unofficial claimed sales for some earlier releases.
| Released | Song | Group | Claimed sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Gee" | Girls' Generation | 5,000,000[192] |
| 2008 | "Nobody" | Wonder Girls | 4,600,000[193] |
| 2009 | "I Don't Care" | 2NE1 | 4,500,000[192] |
- Prior to certification (2010–2017)
South Korea experienced a decline in digital music sales volume which began in late 2012.[194] The price of digital downloads was greatly inflated, and as a result, no girl group songs released since 2013 have surpassed the three million sales mark.
| Released | Song | Group | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Roly-Poly" | T-ara | 4,411,209[195] |
| "Don't Say Goodbye" | Davichi | 4,021,547[196] | |
| "So Cool" | Sistar | 4,011,945[197] | |
| "Be My Baby" | Wonder Girls | 3,919,684[198] | |
| "I Am the Best" | 2NE1 | 3,795,020[199] | |
| "Cry Cry" | T-ara | 3,783,925[200] | |
| 2012 | "Lovey-Dovey" | 3,758,864[201] | |
| 2011 | "The Boys" | Girls' Generation | 3,623,330[202] |
| "Good Bye Baby" | Miss A | 3,589,321[203] | |
| 2012 | "Loving U" | Sistar | 3,438,000[204] |
| "Alone" | 3,422,141[205] | ||
| 2010 | "Bad Girl Good Girl" | Miss A | 3,334,684[206] |
| 2011 | "Ugly" | 2NE1 | 3,324,861[207] |
| 2010 | "Oh!" | Girls' Generation | 3,316,889[208] |
| 2011 | "Hot Summer" | f(x) | 3,046,546[209] |
| 2010 | "I Go Crazy Because of You" | T-ara | 3,042,224[210] |
| 2011 | "Lonely" | 2NE1 | 3,040,386[211] |
| "Starlight Moonlight" | Secret | 3,016,717[212] |
- After certification (2018–present)
The Circle Chart stopped releasing download sales in December 2017. However, the chart began implementing record certifications in April 2018, at a level of 2,500,000 sales per Platinum level.[213] Every song released since 1 January 2018 is eligible for a certification.
| Released | Song | Group | Certification[214] | Sales (Based on certifications) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Bboom Bboom" | Momoland | Platinum | 2,500,000 |
| "Starry Night" | Mamamoo | |||
| "Travel" | Bolbbalgan4 | |||
| "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" | Blackpink | |||
| "Forever Young" | ||||
| "Bad Boy" | Red Velvet | |||
| "Power Up" | ||||
| "Dance The Night Away" | Twice | |||
| "What Is Love?" | ||||
| "Yes or Yes" |
Spain
Sweden
There were few certifications awarded in Sweden before 1996, so singles before this date are not represented in this list. There have been three different certification levels since 1996: from 1996 to June 2003 the gold/platinum levels for singles were 15,000/30,000, from July 2003 to September 2010 the levels were 10,000/20,000, and from October 2010 onwards, when streaming was included in the certification levels, the levels have been 20,000/40,000. The tables below reflect these changes in certification levels.
Certifications based on sales only
| Released | Single | Group | Certification[237] | Sales (Based on certifications) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"[47] | Las Ketchup | 4× Platinum | 120,000 |
| 1998 | "Spice Up Your Life"[238] | Spice Girls | Platinum | 30,000 |
| 1999 | "Unpretty"[239] | TLC | ||
| 2001 | "Need to Know (Eenie Meenie Miny Moe)"[240] | Excellence | ||
| "Independent Women Part 1"[240] | Destiny's Child | |||
| 2002 | "All the Things She Said"[241] | t.A.T.u. | ||
| "Never Let It Go"[241] | Afro-dite | |||
| 2005 | "Push the Button"[242] | Sugababes | 20,000 | |
| 1996 | "Wannabe"[238] | Spice Girls | Gold | 15,000 |
| 1997 | "I Wanna Be the Only One"[238] | Eternal featuring BeBe Winans | ||
| 1997 | "Mama"[238] | Spice Girls | ||
| 1998 | "Viva Forever"[238] | |||
| "Goodbye"[238] | ||||
| 1999 | "No Scrubs"[243] | TLC | ||
| 2001 | "Survivor"[240] | Destiny's Child |
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
| Released | Single | Group | Certification[237] | Sales + streaming (Based on certifications) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Work from Home" | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | 4× Platinum | 160,000 |
| 2015 | "Emergency" | Icona Pop | 2× Platinum | 80,000 |
| 2012 | "I Love It" | Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX | Platinum | 40,000 |
| 2014 | "Sledgehammer" | Fifth Harmony | ||
| 2015 | "Worth It" | Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink |
Switzerland
| Released | Single | Group | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "All The Things She Said" | t.A.T.u[244] | 40,000 |
| 1996 | "Wannabe" | Spice Girls[37] | 25,000 |
| 1998 | "Viva Forever" | ||
| 1997 | "Never Ever" | All Saints[245] | |
| 2001 | "Whole Again" | Atomic Kitten[246] | 20,000 |
| 2004 | "Lose My Breath" | Destiny's Child[247] | |
| 2005 | "Don't Cha" | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes[248] | |
| 2016 | "Shout Out to My Ex" | Little Mix[249] | |
| 2017 | "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)" | CNCO and Little Mix[249] | |
| 2018 | "Woman Like Me" | Little Mix feat. Nicki Minaj[249] | 10,000 |
United Kingdom
Since July 2014, certifications have included audio streams so they cannot be compared to sales-only certifications before this date. The ten biggest-selling girl group singles in the United Kingdom:
Physical and digital sales only (before July 2014)
| Released | Single | Group | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Wannabe" | Spice Girls | 1,400,000[250] |
| 1997 | "Never Ever" | All Saints | 1,363,504[251] |
| 1996 | "2 Become 1" | Spice Girls | 1,150,000[252] |
| 2001 | "Whole Again" | Atomic Kitten | 1,021,465[251] |
| 1996 | "Say You'll Be There" | Spice Girls | 968,244[253] |
| 1998 | "C'est la Vie" | B*Witched | 925,000[254] |
| 1998 | "Goodbye" | Spice Girls | 896,000[255] |
| 1997 | "Spice Up Your Life" | 887,000[256] | |
| 2000 | "Pure Shores" | All Saints | 815,000[257] |
| 1997 | "Mama"/"Who Do You Think You Are" | Spice Girls | 732,000[258] |
Physical and digital sales + on-demand digital streaming (after July 2014)
The following singles have been certified platinum or higher by the BPI in the UK.
United States
Sales figures of records in the US were not tracked accurately until May 1991, when Nielsen SoundScan started recording sales of singles and albums electronically at point of sale, rather than relying on figures provided to them by record store staff.[270] As a result, there are no reliable sales figures available before this date, and therefore it is not possible to rank the best-selling singles by girl groups in the US in sales order.
Since 2013 certifications have included legal on-demand digital streams – separate figures for the pure sales component of singles released after 2013 are not available so they cannot be compared to sales-only certifications before this date.
Certifications based on sales only
RIAA sales certifications began in the US in 1958 – there are very few records with certifications before this date. Until 1988 a million-seller received a gold certification (and a two million-seller received a platinum certification). From 1989 onwards the levels were revised so that a million-seller received a platinum certification instead, with multi-platinum awards for multiple million sales.[271][272] However, these pre- and post-1989 certification levels are not currently reflected in the RIAA database.
The following singles have been certified by RIAA as selling one million copies or more in the US.
Certifications based on sales + on-demand digital streaming
| Released | Single | Group | Certification | Certified sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certifications issued from 2013 onwards | ||||
| 2016 | "Work from Home"[329] | Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign | Diamond | 10,000,000 |
| 2015 | "Worth It"[329] | Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink | 8x Platinum | 8,000,000 |
| 1999 | "No Scrubs"[299] | TLC | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000 |
| 2005 | "Don't Cha"[317] | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes | ||
| 2006 | "Buttons"[317] | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg | ||
| 1963 | "Sleigh Ride"[330] | The Ronettes | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000 |
| 1993 | "Weak"[331] | SWV | ||
| 1999 | "Say My Name"[306] | Destiny's Child | ||
| 2005 | "Stickwitu"[317] | The Pussycat Dolls | ||
| 2014 | "Boss"[329] | Fifth Harmony | ||
| 2014 | "Sledgehammer"[329] | |||
| 2016 | "All in My Head (Flex)"[329] | |||
| 2016 | "That´s My Girl" | |||
| 1993 | "Just Kickin' It"[332] | Xscape | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000 |
| 1992 | "Right Here"[331] | SWV | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
| 1993 | "I'm So into You"[331] | |||
| "Understanding"[332] | Xscape | |||
| 1995 | "Who Can I Run To"[332] | |||
| 1999 | "Bills, Bills, Bills"[306] | Destiny's Child | ||
| 2000 | "Jumpin', Jumpin'"[306] | |||
| "Independent Women Part I"[306] | ||||
| "Shackles (Praise You)"[333] | Mary Mary | |||
| 2001 | "Survivor"[306] | Destiny's Child | ||
| "Bootylicious"[306] | ||||
| 2004 | "Lose My Breath"[306] | |||
| "Cater 2 U"[306] | ||||
| 2005 | "Soldier"[306] | Destiny's Child featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne | ||
| 2006 | "Beep"[317] | The Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am | ||
| "Wait a Minute"[317] | The Pussycat Dolls featuring Timbaland | |||
| 2025 | "Strategy"[334] | Twice | ||
In addition, the following singles have been stated as selling one million copies or more in the US – however, they have not been certified by the RIAA.
| Released | Single | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | "Mr. Sandman"[335] | The Chordettes |
| 1958 | "Lollipop"[335] | |
| 1961 | "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"[336] | The Shirelles |
| 1962 | "Soldier Boy"[336] | |
| "He's a Rebel"[337] | The Crystals | |
| 1963 | "He's So Fine"[338] | The Chiffons |
| "Da Doo Ron Ron"[337] | The Crystals | |
| "My Boyfriend's Back"[339] | The Angels | |
| "Be My Baby"[340] | The Ronettes | |
| 1964 | "Chapel of Love"[312] | The Dixie Cups |
| "Where Did Our Love Go"[322] | The Supremes | |
| "Come See About Me"[322] | ||
| "Leader of the Pack"[341] | The Shangri-Las | |
| 1965 | "Stop! In the Name of Love"[342][343] | The Supremes |
| "Back in My Arms Again"[322] | ||
| "Nothing but Heartaches"[344][325] | ||
| "I Hear a Symphony"[322] | ||
| 1966 | "My World Is Empty Without You"[342] | |
| "You Can't Hurry Love"[322] | ||
| "You Keep Me Hangin' On"[322] | ||
| 1967 | "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone"[322] | |
| "The Happening"[322] | ||
| "Reflections"[295] | Diana Ross and the Supremes | |
| 1968 | "Love Child"[295] | |
| 1970 | "Up the Ladder to the Roof"[345][346] | The Supremes |
| 1971 | "Stoned Love"[295][345] | |
| "Nathan Jones"[345] | ||
| "Floy Joy"[347] |