What is the top selling single of all time and who sang it?

mk2norwich

The best-selling single in the world is Elton John's re-recording of 'Candle In The Wind'. The most recent edition of Guinness British Hit Singles puts the sales figure at 4,860,000 units for the UK alone. Almost a year has passed since this book was published, so the figure may have grown since then. Apr 03 03, 9:28 PM

sequoianoir

Excluding 'charity' singles, Diana's 'Candle in the Wind', Band Aid 'Do they know its Christmas' etc... I believe the answer is 'Mull of Kintyre' by Paul McCartney and Wings Apr 03 03, 10:39 PM

Gnomon

White Christmas, sung by Bing Crosby, was the top selling single until it was ousted by Elton John's special Candle in the Wind, which I believe sold 38 million copies. Apr 04 03, 7:24 AM

sequoianoir

Gnomon is right about White Christmas outside of the UK. Mull of Kintyre still remains the top selling non charity record in the UK, spending 9 weeks at number 1. Incidentally Bing and White Christmas never made the top position in the UK. Much of it's 1977 success can be attributed to his death a few months previous and it reached number five in time for Christmas. The next time that Bing made the top 40 with this single was in 1998 when he made number 29. Apr 04 03, 12:54 PM