Talk:List of best-selling singles/Archive 6

Archive 1

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Archive 4

Archive 5

Archive 6

Revision using certifications

The list should be redone using certifications by country instead of misleading and inaccurate sales from ifpi and other unofficial sources Fierzig (talk) 02:51, 9 September 2020 (UTC)

@Fierzig: As far as I know, IFPI reports are considered reliable sources on Wikipedia and shouldn't be removed without a discussion first. You also need to provide better sources than chartmasters.org to support your changes instead of reverting over and over again. Synthwave.94 (talk) 02:58, 9 September 2020 (UTC)

Reliable Sources?

no credible sources.

Sales are not verified. I suggest using music certifications eg RIAA, BPI etc or Chart Compilers eg Soundscan, Orion of Official Charts Company.

You righy say Chartmasters is not a credible source but all these quotes you have are on claims neither broken down by country nor official sources. Coachtripfan (talk) 15:37, 19 November 2020 (UTC)

Silent Night - 30 Million Sales Or 10 Million?

If you look at the list of physical singles currently you will see Silent Night at 10 million sales. It used to be listed as 30 millions sales referencing The Book Of Golden Discs by Joseph Murrells from 1978 as a source. Then sometime in this last year, it references a news article from 2013 listing it at 10 million sales. That news article does not state any sources. While the 1978 source is outdated it lines up with what Crosby and the record company, Decca, were saying at the time. Both believed Silent Night to have sold more than the best selling single White Christmas. I believe White Christmas to have surpassed the Silent Night sales in the long run, however this was at a time when both were considered to have sold around 30 million. Other variations of this article use the Murrells source, and it is still a source cross referenced in multiple songs here.

I just wanted to point this out before I make any edits to hear the thoughts of others. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ModernBingFan0377 (talk • contribs) 23:56, 6 December 2020 (UTC)

Bing Crosby's Silent Night sold 30 millon not 10.

Bing Crosby's silent Night sold 30 million records worldwide is the third best-selling single, please correct that blunder. MasterCav (talk) 22:08, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 December 2020

- ModernBingFan0377 (talk) 22:05, 9 December 2020 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Melmann 22:16, 9 December 2020 (UTC)

As I am a bit new I'll try to explain using my words instead of the edits. What I was wanting to edit was to change Bing Crosby's version of Silent Night back to 30 million copies in physical salesas it was before early October when it was moved to 10 million in physical sales. I wanted to do this as the current source is a news article from 2013 that does not source where it got it's information on the sales. The original source used was Murrell's The Book Of Golden Discs in which it lists Silent Night as 30 million. If the Murrells book was not used for sources here anymore, I wouldn't care, however the Murrell's book is used many other times as a source. I would also like to add that in the '60s and '70s Crosby and the record company, Decca/MCA, claimed it had sold more than White Christmas, which supports the 30 million claim of the book as White Christmas became more popular than Silent Night. ModernBingFan0377 (talk) 03:12, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

It's a date very important for add. MasterCav (talk) 22:35, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

"información" MasterCav (talk) 22:36, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

"Information" MasterCav (talk) 22:36, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Bing Crosby - White Christmas 1942 10 inch.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 02:30, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

Spotlight Updated Sales Figures

Xiao Zhan's song 光点 (Spotlight) should have the latest sales figures of 46.3 Million. The current 33 Million is based on an article back in May 2020. The below is the source of the accumulated sales on 3 different Chinese music platforms and is timely updated. Ref: http://y.saoju.net/szzj/album/367/ Thanks. --Khinny1110 (talk) 10:00, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

The sales record for Spotlight (光点)

The sales record for Spotlight (光点）should be updated based on this webpage. http://y.saoju.net/szzj/album/367/ The sales figure from the above webpage is updated momentarily by collecting sales records from three Chinese music selling platforms. 47.6 million copies were sold as of January 9, 2021. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Qiezhilei (talk • contribs) 05:22, 9 January 2021 (UTC)

Citations

Hey everyone. I added the appropriate citations, however for some reason 2/3 of my sites it keeps saying Template:cite in red and not the actual link. I've checked many times and it's the same format I always use with no errors. If anyone could help me fix this problem I'd be truly grateful! :D — Preceding unsigned comment added by SeaBiscuit159 (talk • contribs) 00:08, 25 February 2021 (UTC)

Proposal to regard one person buy ten of millions of copies as invalid data

The song "光点" by Xiao Zhan, several person buy ten of million of copies, it's true but the data is not fear(fair) to others:

From the data here: https://www.zhihu.com/question/390590203/answer/1180696051, The top one bought 10 million copies, the second bought 5.4 million copies, and the third bought 1 million and so on, till the 500th bought more then 1.6 thousands

As calculate, the top 500 fans bought more than half of the totally 38 millions of copies be sold, this data is heavily unusual and maybe faked, and not fear(fair) to other musician — Preceding unsigned comment added by 三马 (talk • contribs) 01:30, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

The link above is from a forum (zhihu). Wikipedia deserves a better source. If some data is invalid. It is unfair for bots and fans boosting the number of sale of a digital copy. If the sale is real and valid, I would advice to keep the listing and make a note about this controversy. Guinness world record already recorded this sale. (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/616233-fastest-selling-digital-track-china). So I would say the sale is real and valid and we should keep the listing. According to my observation on Twitter fandom, fans buying multiple copies to boost sale of their idol/favourite singer is a common practice (6ix9ine actually asked his fan to buy multiple https://completemusicupdate.com/article/6ix9ine-urges-fans-to-buy-new-single-four-times-each-following-previous-chart-conspiracy-theory/)

I agree, it is not fair. Maybe we could remove the song from the list for now and waiting for next year's IFPI report..? I'm pretty sure that it will be this year's best selling single in next year's IFPI report, if nearly forty million copies have been actually bought. If so, I would "give up" and accept "光点" as one of the best selling singles ever released. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.62.78.63 (talk) 21:11, 19 August 2020 (UTC)

Those are still legitimate sales regardless if multiples were purchased by one person. If they buy multiple copies, they still paid for them. From memory, his fanclub was purchasing in bulk for international fans. Sach1kopyopyo (talk) 03:47, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

This part: "The top one bought 10 million copies, the second bought 5.4 million copies, and the third bought 1 million and so on, till the 500th bought more then 1.6 thousands" - these are actually groups, not singular people. The top group is actually his fan club, hence you can expect a lot of people inside, and this can be easily seen when checking the song in QQ Music. The sales are valid, and unless there are proof of faked data, this record should stay. Zhihu is an anonymous forum and should not be taken as a credible source. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Faeline (talk • contribs) 16:55, 4 September 2020 (UTC)

It doesn't matter how many they bought as long as they paid for them they are legitimate sales — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.176.85.223 (talk) 15:44, 13 September 2020 (UTC)

Because number of sales is a proxy for popularity it makes a difference whether 10 million distinct people buy a song or one person buys 10 million copies of a song. If we simply count units sold then the meaning of the information is changed significantly and the statistic becomes misleading. NEl3QA39JhgNZoJWy0S (talk) 23:09, 6 December 2020 (UTC)

The list is : Best-Selling which should be determined by the amount sold in total.If the amount for single buyer purchased was considered,the list would be The list of Most-Buyers.Otherwise how could we know buyers for all the other songs in the list only purchased one copy for their favorite song/singer? Confession1020 (talk) 02:22, 19 December 2020 (UTC)

It’s not bought by one person but rather purchased under one name (Fan Club). I myself wasn’t able to direct purchase this song, me being from outside China, hence had to request the my country’s fan club for the purchase. Also please note that it’s a thing in China where instead of purchasing individually, everyone collected money under one account/name (usually the fan club name - and the no. of members exceeding millions) and purchase from that one particular account/name to show the collective support. Khinny1110 (talk) 10:14, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

mass buying doesnt only happen in china but most other singles on the page here are mass bought too. its extremely sinophobic of you to only point this song out of others. besides 77% of the buyers only bought one copy. just because it's from china it doesn't mean it's not legitimate. and i think you have mixed up how sales work, every single sales count even if a person buys 1 or a 100 copies. in otyer countries, its also a very commonly seen matter why is it only a problem when it comes to a chinese artist??? besides according to this legitimate link he has sold 47 million copies http://y.saoju.net/szzj/album/367/ but someone is repeatedly editing it onto 30 million sales pushing him to #3 with a random malaysian blog link when he is #1. i hope you realize how hypocritical it is Petalshowers (talk) 11:09, 8 January 2021 (UTC)

you guys are also ignoring hua chenyu's 好想爱这个世界啊 (i really want to love this world) which sold 22.4m so far. it is not even on the list right now. in china mass buying happens but it also happens in other places in different formats like remixes etc so i don't understand why they would not qualify? people usually buy and sign it under a fanbase they like so it doesn't mean that one person bought millions of copies. you could maybe compensate for its price but then that is not relevant because americans etc are not buying on china's music platforms and many western artists are making bundle buys, remixes, and discounts on their singles anyway. it seems that you just don't wanna include them. Giantdeer (talk) 13:57, 17 January 2021 (UTC)

References

ok Taranomtamjidi (talk) 20:53, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 March 2021 (2)

Under: Best-selling digital singles

15 million digital copies or more: Number 3: Xiao Zhan's numbers need to be changed. They don't reflect current number of digital sales. QQ music has the total at

44.6 million copies. The reference: http://y.saoju.net/szzj/album/367/ That's as up to date as possible, currently and it's still selling. Wcaddey (talk) 23:18, 9 March 2021 (UTC) Wcaddey (talk) 23:18, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

 Done Wcaddey Digital sales will always be selling, just a matter of how brisk the sales is. ~51 million copies as of 12 March 2021 per source. For other English editors: also to note that the saoju.net reference is utilised in the Malay Mail reference. A comparison of the numbers collated on saoju website correspond closely to the numbers on the individual digital music stores. – robertsky (talk) 15:34, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

@Synthwave.94: how is saoju.net unreliable under WP:BLOGS/WP:NEWSBLOG? Specifically http://y.saoju.net/szzj/. – robertsky (talk) 18:46, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

@Robertsky: See Wikipedia talk:Record charts/Archive 17. Synthwave.94 (talk) 18:52, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

@Synthwave.94: Hum... I believe while parts of saoju.net may fall under WP:SELFPUB, http://y.saoju.net/szzj/ does not as indications on that subsite show that the process collating the numbers from the various streaming sites are at least semi automated, if not automated. Nonetheless, I recognise the arguments that the database itself may not be authoritative enough as a source. Thanks for pointing out! – robertsky (talk) 19:45, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 25 March 2021

Spotlight by Xiao Zhan is the best selling digital single. Hope you’d correct it 117.196.147.126 (talk) 08:45, 25 March 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. ƒirefly ( t · c ) 19:20, 27 March 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 March 2021

Add Eminem to the digital sales list. Eminem featuring Rihanna - Love the way you lie 12.0 million sales Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Love+the+way+you+lie#search_section Eminem - Lose Yourself 10.0 million sales Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Lose+Yourself#search_section Eminem - Not Afraid 10.0 million sales Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Not+Afraid#search_section Straubinator (talk) 19:28, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

 Done Ferkijel (talk) 18:55, 30 March 2021 (UTC)

@Synthwave.94: I apologize if I made a mistake by adding certified singles according to RIAA to the table. Per https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/RIAA_certification I was under the impression that the certification is an independent, reliable source for sales under an agreed standard of what "sales" means for digital singles, as the distribution model has changed significantly in the last 10 years between physical and digital songs. Considering this, wouldn't it make sense to add to the article a definition of sales for digital, e.g. excluding streams/certification units? My thought process is the following: sales numbers were actually a good proxy for "revenue generated by an individual song", in a time when physical sales represented a very significant percentage of revenue created by that individual song. In a digital market, where the majority of the revenue a song creates is through streaming, wouldn't it make sense to somehow include it? I could understand if that was correct, but just out of scope for this article. Interesting topic to discuss. Cheers ! Ferkijel (talk) 07:29, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

@Ferkijel: It was already discussed here and as per this discussion, I agree that certifications should not be used as references for sales figures as per WP:SYNTH. I think you're right, however, and it would be a good idea to add more definitions to the article to make it more understandable to newcomers. Synthwave.94 (talk) 13:04, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

@Synthwave.94:Thank you for the link to the previous discussion. I have no intentions of discussing something that has already been covered, and I'm happy to follow all accepted conventions. The issue with sales numbers (and their definition) may have to be revisited in the future (I don't know if that's short, medium or long-term), as physical sales continue to drop in net numbers, and digital streaming (both free and paid) seem to become the dominant consumption mode. As I said, it's an interesting topic to keep an eye on. Cheers. Ferkijel (talk) 13:44, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

Mismatched information

Yesterday I updated the sales of Hips don't lie since in its wikipedia page it specifies that it sold 13 million total copies, however in this table it is in 10 million digital sales and I wanted to update it with the correct information. I also did the same with Waka Waka since on their page they awarded 15 million digital copies so I also updated the total sales of that song in this box I hope and can return it to what I edited. Thank you here for both Hips don't lie verification links: https://www.sonymusicpub.com/en/songwriters/741/shakira and Waka Waka's: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/06/235646/shakira-waka-waka-this-time-for-africa-world-cup-song-history-meaning, thank you very much. Alejandro Ortiz 15 (talk) 17:32, 24 March 2021 (UTC)

Waka Waka and Hips don't lie

There is another comment that touches the same topic, why on the page of Hips don't lie and Waka Waka they have other numbers but here they downloaded them? I request that you please update the data well, Waka Waka is already at 15 million and Hips don't lie is already at 13 million. Links: https://www.sonymusicpub.com/en/songwriters/741/shakira for HDL and Waka Waka: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/06/235646/shakira-waka-waka-this-time-for-africa-world-cup-song-history-meaning — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlexanderShakifan29 (talk • contribs) 19:50, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

AlexanderShakifan29 has stated [1] that he is the same user as Alejandro Ortiz 15, but not Bey-have, the author of the following virtually verbatim copy of this request. Meters (talk) 22:10, 6 April 2021 (UTC)

Incorrect Numbers

Hey guys!, why on the page of Hips don't lie and Waka Waka they have other numbers but here they downloaded them? I request that you please update the data well, Waka Waka is already at 15 million and Hips don't lie is already at 13 million. Links: https://www.sonymusicpub.com/en/songwriters/741/shakira for HDL and Waka Waka: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/06/235646/shakira-waka-waka-this-time-for-africa-world-cup-song-history-meaning. Please if you can fixed that numbers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ‎ Bey-have (talk • contribs) 01:43, April 5, 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 April 2021 (4)

2601:240:109:84A4:33:7BFE:67CD:76A5 (talk) 04:44, 13 April 2021 (UTC) “YOUNG” —- Cai Xukun, 2019, Total sales 14,015,255

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. EpicPupper 21:21, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 13 April 2021 (3)

2601:240:109:84A4:33:7BFE:67CD:76A5 (talk) 04:33, 13 April 2021 (UTC) “我的世界守则(My rules)” —- Wang Yibo, 2020, Total sales 13,949,530  “说好不哭(Won't Cry)” —- Jay Chou, 2019, Total sales 10,868,233 

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. EpicPupper 21:22, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 13 April 2021 (2)

2601:240:109:84A4:33:7BFE:67CD:76A5 (talk) 04:18, 13 April 2021 (UTC) "好想爱这个世界啊(I Really Want to Love This World)" -- Hua Chenyu, 2019, Total sales 22,091,996 

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. EpicPupper 03:56, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 13 April 2021

2601:240:109:84A4:33:7BFE:67CD:76A5 (talk) 04:05, 13 April 2021 (UTC) "无感(No Sense)" —- Wang Yibo, 2019, Total sales 16,348,731 "光点(Spotlight)" —- Xiao Zhan, 2020, Total sales 48,541,891

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. EpicPupper 03:57, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 26 April 2021

Request to add Blinding Lights by The Weeknd to the best selling digital songs of all time (21.7M sales). The sources: https://www.ifpi.org/the-weeknd-wins-2020s-ifpi-global-digital-single-award-for-blinding-lights/ AND https://twitter.com/talkofthecharts/status/1369315789568843776 Zgouz (talk) 22:57, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. We don't use tweets as a source, and the ifpi source does not mention that number. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 11:44, 28 April 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 14 May 2021

Request to add Blinding Lights by the Weeknd to the best-selling digital singles section. Blinding Lights has accumulated over 18 million units in digital downloads and streaming equivalents. Sources: IFPI - Global Music Report 2021, Certification bodies including the RIAA, BPI, RIAJ, ARIA and IFPI LordeMadeMale (talk) 12:09, 14 May 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. See also above. Eggishorn (talk) (contrib) 17:57, 14 May 2021 (UTC)

Xiao Zhan - Spotlight

Xiao Zhan's single 'Spotlight' is incorrectly recorded on this page. This single has hit 47.9 million digital sales since its release. The number used in this article (33 million) is from May 2020 and is therefore quite incorrect as many more sales have been made since then. The website "statista.com" has new data up until January 2021 which records this single as reaching nearly 50 million digital sales

Alwayshungrypanda (talk) 15:41, 25 May 2021 (UTC)

References

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Bing Crosby - White Christmas 1942 10 inch.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 04:11, 17 August 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 November 2021

Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" has sold nearly 15M worldwide, and 10M in The United States alone. SOURCES: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Gotta_Feeling (worldwide) https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=The+Black+Eyed+Peas&ti=I+Gotta+Feeling&format=Single&type=#search_section (united states) Downpours (talk) 11:32, 17 November 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. – AssumeGoodWraith (talk | contribs) 05:24, 30 November 2021 (UTC)

All I Want for Christmas Is You Sales Update

The official sales of "all i want for Christmas is you" exceeded 20 million. The official certification volume of global charts is well over 20 million, heading toward 30 million, and actual sales have also exceeded 20 million.

References: https://twitter.com/ChartCertFreaks/status/1475440897030504451?s=20 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pewidiaki5464 (talk • contribs) 04:07, 10 January 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 February 2022

Barbra Streisand's "The way we were" sold 14,230,000 copies, "Woman in love" 13,440,000 copies, "Evergreen" 11,890,000 copies. Yet none of them can be seen on the page. LucasChermontt (talk) 16:09, 13 February 2022 (UTC)

You check the data on "charmasters" analysis on Barbra's sales, page 91 LucasChermontt (talk) 16:10, 13 February 2022 (UTC)

 Not done. Please provide a reliable source that details only physical sales or only digital sales of the songs. Chartmasters combines all sales, and upon further review, I had to undo the edit I made per this request. Thanks, Heartmusic678 (talk) 17:00, 18 February 2022 (UTC)

White Christmas by Bing Crosby

This song did sell over 50 million singles but summing up all versions released by the many different artists that record it (and it's what was written on old physical Guiness Book versions). Not sure mixed it up so baddly when they did that online update putting it as the Bing Crosby first version of the song sold all those singles. The single peaked #05 in UK after Bing Crosby dead and in US according to Billboard and RIAA sold over 1 million being certified platinum (after his death already). When it was released in the 50's didn't even chart in UK. It's impossible that the single sold much worlwdide when it only sold 1 million in US. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.94.23.209 (talk) 00:53, 24 February 2022 (UTC)

Is Sweet Mother by Prince Nico Mbarga well cited?

Its only one article that cites the sales number, and it's not a very in depth source. Does this pass muster? I ask because I was browsing this list and have never seen this song here before. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 06:31, 5 March 2022 (UTC)

While the sales aspect might be questionable, seeing all the sites that declare the song as “Africa’s Anthem” including one by the BBC in 2006, I wouldn’t doubt the validity of the sales. Also seeing as the BBC backs up an estimation of around 13 million here while also adding that the sales were primarily in Africa, I would say it holds, but if someone with more editing history/knowledge disagrees I would understand. |1Falco3&#124 (talk) 12:39, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

Rivers of Babylon

It is missing from the list. It sold 2 million in the UK. Over 1.5 million in Germany. Another million in France. 2.5 Million in South America. It was the biggest selling single of 1978 in South Africa and was number one in many other countries. Check the wikipedia for the song. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.34.235.215 (talk) 00:24, 18 March 2022 (UTC)

I took a look, and if you add up the numbers given at Rivers_of_Babylon#Sales_and_certifications, you only get about 8 million (though of course there are probably some sales missing). I think the reason is that although this was a huge hit in the UK (I remember it, it was everywhere at the time!) it failed to have such a big impact in the US or Canada. Without North America on board, it would be hard for it to break through the magic 10 million barrier. Thanks for suggesting this, though! Walkerma (talk) 20:52, 27 July 2022 (UTC)

Inflated Sales Figures

Many of the physical sales are inflated

1. Just because something appears in print doesn't make it true. White Christmas selling 50 million isca claim - and has never been broken down by country, for example. 2. There was no global authority compiling these figures. 3. Individual certifications are well short of the claimed figures. I recognise decades ago not many countries had them. But just follow your own rules and say that a minimum percentage of certificated sales have to be proven. Coachtripfan (talk) 17:48, 7 January 2023 (UTC)

I agree. Worst example is In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry (see previous comment)

I believe song should not be listed until we have a reliable source, not removed when we find reliable source number is incorrect Tillywilly17 (talk) 20:30, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

Call Me Maybe updated figures

Call Me Maybe has now sold over 20 million units according to her official website. Hope this helps !

Source: https://www.carlyraemusic.com/content/about

First need reliable source not artists own website!Tillywilly17 (talk) 20:33, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

Divide this page into Digital Era and Pre-Digital

The only thing in common is both are music. But once medium changed, the numbers can't be compared. For songs with both, keep in original category Tillywilly17 (talk) 20:39, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry

There is no way that this track is the fourth best song of all-time. The first citation is a biog of lead singer Ray Dorset which claims the song sold 30 million copies worldwide. Included in this 30 million are a claimed 6 million sales in the UK. According the the official record (officialcharts.com) only 178 songs have ever sold a million in in the UK, and In The Summertime isn’t one of them. In fact there were no million sellers in the UK that year. If it had sold 6 million in the UK it would the biggest selling song ever in this market. The biog used is in the citation is wildly inaccurate. 86.167.157.75 (talk) 20:14, 27 October 2022 (UTC)

last.fm states that the total sales in 1970 were ‘estimated’ being 6 million. It shares the following info also: the 7 weeks atop the UK charts, 2 weeks in Canada and reaching number 3 on Billboards Hot 100. If correct it never did the 6 million in the UK alone. Guessing the 30 million is a fabrication, not fact. Will continue to investigate. THX1136 (talk) 01:02, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

While there is no source listed songfacts.com claims worldwide sales of 16 million. Seems high to me, but possibly more likely than 30 million.THX1136 (talk) 01:10, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

"there is no source listed"

Missing the magic ingredient! Next case, bailiff Tillywilly17 (talk) 20:43, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

I contacted songfacts.com

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/mungo-jerry/in-the-summertime

"This sold over 16 million copies worldwide and was Britain's biggest-selling single in 1970."

What is source and what convinced you to put on your website?

will post reply Tillywilly17 (talk) 21:09, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

Sales for the Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" and "Save Your Tears" are incorrect

The sales are listed in the billions, which should immediately make it obvious that it is incorrect as that would make easily make them the two best selling songs of all time. The article linked as a source for the information actually gives those figures as streams not sales.

I'm not sure of the actual sales figures, but the one's listed are incorrect. ' 67.51.183.252 (talk) 01:26, 3 February 2023 (UTC)

Rock Around the Clock

I recently obtained a copy of the 1999 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, one of the final editions to carry a "best selling singles" category. It actually had Rock Around the Clock listed at 43 million, but as always noted it was unaudited. I added it as a footnote rather than mess with the chart. There is some debate over whether the number is cumulative and includes versions by others, or adds up all recordings of the song made by Haley over his career. Anecdotally verbal claims of 50 or even 100 million have been made but obviously there's no source to back that up. 23skidoo (talk) 13:40, 2 May 2023 (UTC)

All I Want For Christmas - Sales Innacuracy

The sales listed here for this song includde ALL HER SALES (also digital songs and stream equivalents) and not only physical sales for this single.

This single physical sales were as 2003 less than 3 million physical copies and the 16M (over 25M now already) are not even just pure sales and even less physical singles but mostly digital songs and stream equivalents as can be seen by her sales certifications in most world countries (but especially in US and UK).

The single physical version was certified gold in UK (for 400.000 units sold) and the 2004 digital single is certified 7xPlatinum (4.2 million units) that include digital song sales and stream equivalents. In US it's the same. The single was not even certified Gold (500.000 units sold) before the digital era gaining the first certification in 2006 (2 years after the digital single was released) but was never re-issued in physical singles later except for small limited editions.

This single physical sales are residual compared to the single digital song sales and streaming equvialents (that represent over 80% of this single sales. It should be removed from this list as only US and UK sales represent almost 16M sales and at best only 1 million are pure sales from those countries. The link used as source to keep this single here doesn't say the 16M sales are physical singles but it says are overall sales (so include digital songs and stream equivalents as well).

Certified sales are not the same with actual sales. --Apoxyomenus (talk) 13:03, 3 June 2023 (UTC)

Hence why the 22 million figure has been subject to a disclaimer but kept to its current place, seeing as though the vast majority of the song's sales are from actual sales. Cucas1234 (talk) 10:47, 4 June 2023 (UTC)

You're simply doing original research, and trying to make it a circular reporting from both this list and song's article, based on your "conclusion". What you're doing is a big violation of Wikipedia's guidelines without providing a source. In a counter-conclusion, it can also be proved that this song has strong streaming certified figures. See two of the top three markets. USA: All Platinum certs came from post-streaming era, from 2019 to 2022... 3.7 million of the song have been sold up to 2021, compared to a 12x Platinum (digi) status. In the UK, the song hasn't sold half of its certified units (4 million) and we can continue. If you keep feeling this is not a fan POV, please prove it (source), and then, you could opt for reach a consensus. Otherwise, your edits are becoming disruptive. --Apoxyomenus (talk) 19:08, 6 June 2023 (UTC)

Petition to remove In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry

please refer to prior section

I contacted songfacts.com https://www.songfacts.com/facts/mungo-jerry/in-the-summertime "This sold over 16 million copies worldwide and was Britain's biggest-selling single in 1970." What is source and what convinced you to put on your website?

reply

Hi Dave.

That info came from a book called 1000 UK Number Ones, which we've found to be very well researched.

Be Well, Carl Songfacts

Meanwhile, I checked UK and US certifications

https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/

ARTIST TITLE LABEL AWARD FORMAT CERTIFIED RELEASED

Mungo Jerry In The Summertime Sanctuary Silver Single 06.03.2020 27.11.2005

Mungo Jerry Alright, Alright, Alright Dawn Silver Single 01.08.1973 22.06.1973

US

MUNGO JERRY IN THE SUMMERTIME JANUS SINGLE 0.5

We need some compelling evidence or this has to be removed Tillywilly17 (talk) 05:48, 18 January 2023 (UTC)

312

They decided on the name Mungo Jerry only two weeks before

the disc was released on 12 May. Their recording debut also

launched the new series of Dawn 'Maxi-Singles'. lt proved to be

a colossal runaway success, due to the new craze for the group's

jug-blues-rock-folk-country music, as opposed to the so-called

progressive pop music. The disc features Paul King who actually

blows over the jug - an empty cider jar - the Mungo Jerry style

being rather more contemporary than that used by the jug bands

which originated in Chicago in the 1'920s.

The disc was No 1 for seven weeks in Britain and stayed in

their bestsellers for 20 weeks. In the U.S.A. it was No 1 for a

week and sold over a million there, with Gold Disc award from

R.I.A.A. by August, just two months after release. British sales

were around 800,000. The disc was No 1 in 26 countries includ­

ing Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Holland, Norway, Finland,

West Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Italy, Malay­

sia and France, selling 400,000 in France in the first month, just

about the fastest seller ever known there, and subsequently a

million. The group were presented with a Gold Disc on 23

November 1971 at the Olympia, Paris, by Vogue International

label for the French million sale. Global sales totalled over six

million by the end of the year.

Mungomania was possibly the most startling and unexpected

pop phenomenon to hit Britain since the Beatles. Mungo Jerry

made their first trip to the U.S.A. in September 1970. Tillywilly17 (talk) 08:24, 18 January 2023 (UTC)

So "six million in the first year" became "16 million total" (the ten-million bump being an unlikely fate for a near-novelty single) became "30 million total." This seems to be completely unsubstantiated and so it seems wise to remove this; plenty of songs are the biggest of their year in the UK without being one of the all-time biggest worldwide. Calbaer (talk) 21:31, 5 July 2023 (UTC)

Tino Rossi

It's impossible that this French song sold 30 million: it charted only in France, where it sold 5 million. Moreover, the source is affirmative for the 5 million in France, but not for the 30 million. ​ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.215.134.14 (talk) 06:14, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

Remove Mundiya Tu Bachke

Mundiya Tu Bachke by Punjabi MC has no way sold 10 million units. Just this one inclusion is enough to not take this entire list seriously. Tintin1407 (talk) 22:11, 2 June 2023 (UTC)

The citation for that number only says:

"Because so much of bhangra music sales is a bootleg business, it's impossible to estimate how many copies of "Mundian To Bach Ke" have been sold in the past five years, but it's very likely that the number after the number would be "million," and a conservative estimate would be 10 million."

So that appears to be not much more than a guess from the journalist writing the article rather than a legitimate source. Secondly if you broaden the definition of sales to include bootleg copies I suspect many other songs in the list would get vastly higher numbers as they are popular tunes. Mivens (talk) 08:52, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

This inaccurate entry is now being used, presumably, to perpetuate this myth that Mundiya Tu Bachke by Punjabi MC has sold ten million records, why is this fake entry not being removed. The myth is now perpetrated by a BBC article, which equally could now be used as a source reference from a "reliable" source, hence how fake news is created via Wikipedia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67913510 OHemmings (talk) 00:25, 18 February 2024 (UTC)