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Top 10 Best-Selling Songs From All Music History (CD and Vinyl)

This list provides the biggest-selling songs of music history, referring to their estimated number of physical copies sold (CD and vinyl).

The top ten best-selling songs (CD and Vinyl) all come from the past decades, and notably, two of the top ten tracks are about Christmas.

Biggest artists of the music industry like Celine Dion, Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston are the holders of the best-selling physical songs from all time. The list also includes the famous charity group ‘USA for Africa’ and the rock n’ roll pioneers, Bill Haley & His Comets. Bing Crosby holds the honor of having two songs in Top 3 best-selling songs of all time, together with Elton John and his famous double-song, which was a tribute to the queen of hearts, Princess Diana.

These are the best-selling physical songs of all time, in ascending order.

10. ”My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion

Dion released the song in December 1997, becoming her biggest international hit. It ranks as the 10th biggest-selling song ever and as the 2nd best-selling song by a female artist, having sold more than 18 million physical copies worldwide. Celine Dion’s song “My Heart Will Go On” had phenomenal success as a result of being the main theme song, for the blockbuster film, Titanic.

9. “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” by Baccara

In 1977, Bacara recorded and released the disco song “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie,” which currently ranks as the 9th best sold song ever and as the best-selling song of ever by a female group, with global sales of 18 million physical copies. Bacara group was formed by the Spanish flamenco dancers Mayte Matee and Maria Mendilo. Before being discovered, they were performing songs for tourists on the island Fuerteventura.

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8. “If I Didn’t Care” by The Ink Spots

Their unique music style became famous due to this track, which is the 8th best-selling single of all time with worldwide sales of over 19 million physical copies. The Ink Spots released the ballad “If I Didn’t Care” in February 1939. In 1989, after 50 years since its release, “If I Didn’t Care” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and ranked at 271 on “Songs of the Century” list.

7. “We Are the World” by United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa

The charity anthem “We Are the World” ended up as the fastest-selling American pop single in history, and the 7th best-selling song ever with estimated worldwide sales of 20 million physical copies. USA for Africa released the charity single in 1985, for the victims of famine in Africa which surprisingly raised over $60M. Lionel Richie and MJ wrote the famous lyrics for “We Are the World,” and Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian produced the song.

6. “It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley

Released in 1960, Presley’s pop ballad “It’s Now or Never” is ranked as the 6th best-selling song of all time with worldwide sales of over 20 million physical copies. While the youthful Elvis served in Germany, he heard “‘O Sole Mio,” and then he got inspired by the melody of the famous Neapolitan song, deciding to borrow it for “It’s Now or Never.” E. Presley shared the new idea with his music publisher, who found the songwriters Aaron Schroeder and Wally G., who wrote the lyrics in half an hour.

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5. “I Will Always Love You (IWALY)” by Whitney Houston

“I Will Always Love You” is the best-selling single by a woman and ranks as the 5th best-selling song of all time with global sales of over 20 million physical copies. In 1993, became the tenth best-selling of 1990 in the UK. Released in 1992, Houston’s version of the song was used for her debut movie, The Bodyguard. The original version of the song “IWALY” was written and recorded by Dolly Parton in 1973.

4. “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets

Recorded in 1954 “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock,” it is the 4th best-selling single ever with global sales over 25 million copies. One year later was used as the opening theme for the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, marking the first time when this music genre would be used in the film industry. With his version of the soundtrack “Rock Around the Clock,” Bill Haley successfully brought the rock ‘n roll into mainstream culture around the world.

3. “Silent Night” by Bing Crosby

The song version of “Silent Night” by Bing Crosby is the 3rd world’s biggest-selling song of all time, with worldwide sales over 30 million physical copies. The original title of the famous Christmas carol is ‘“Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” and was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber for the poem lyrics written by Josep Mohr. It was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818, at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria.

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2. “Candle in the Wind”/”Something About

the Way You Look Tonight” by Elton John.

Elton John’s double A-side single its the 2nd best-selling song of all time, with worldwide sales of 33 million physical copies. Released in 1997, the double record its a charity tribute to Diana Princess of Wales, who lost her life that year. “Candle in the Wind”/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight” was regarded as “the biggest-selling song since UK & US singles charts began in the 1950s.”

1. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

Up to the present, Crosby’s version of “Christmas White” is the world’s best-selling song ever with worldwide sales of over 50 million physical copies.

Bing Crosby’s record was premiered in 1941, on Christmas Day at his NBC radio show The Kraft Music Hall.
Crosby’s “White Christmas” was released before the pop/rock singles-chart era and “indexed as the world’s best-selling single in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records (published in 1955).”
Here is a fact about the best-sold song ever — On 29 May 1942, Crosby recorded “White Christmas” in just 18 minutes, together with Ken Darby Singers and John Trotter Orchestra.