List of best-selling singles

This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles, based on claimed sales by various sources, certified units by certifying authorities worldwide, as well as year-end singles charts by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

A precise list of best-selling singles is hard to determine, as no organization has consistently tracked global music sales throughout history. Although the IFPI has published year-end global singles charts since 2007, it has never provided comprehensive all-time worldwide sales figures for singles. It is also difficult to compare the commercial performance of singles from different eras, due to shifts of music consumption over time. From the late 19th century to the early 2000s, physical singles were the major metric to measure a song's success. Digital downloads became the most dominant format between the mid-2000s and the mid-2010s, before being overtaken by music streaming.

According to the IFPI, a digital track purchase is roughly equal to 0.3 of a physical single.^[a] During the physical era, it was uncommon for singles to achieve Multi-Platinum certification compared to the digital era. During the first 55 years of RIAA certification (1958–2013), Elton John's "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" was the only single to receive Diamond certification for physical release.^[2] After the inclusion of streaming for RIAA certifications in 2013, three digital singles were immediately certified Diamond that year.^[3] By October 2019, a total of 33 singles had been certified Diamond by the RIAA.^[4]

According to Guinness World Records, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" (1942) is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.^[5] The song's success was before the existence of certification systems, hence the accuracy is often disputed.^[6][7] Guinness World Records also states that John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies".^[5] In 2023, Guinness World Records declared "Spotlight" by Chinese singer Xiao Zhan as the best-selling digital single of all time, with 54.3 million downloads.^[8] In 2025, Guinness World Records declared that Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was the best-selling single worldwide by a female artist, with over 24 million copies sold.^[9] According to official certifications worldwide, Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" is the highest-certified single ever.