The definition of a million-selling single, as regarded by the Official Charts Company (OCC), has changed in line with new technology for music consumption. Originally only physical record sales were counted since the start of the UK Singles Chart in November 1952. Digital downloads of a track were included from 2004 onwards and from 2014 onwards BPI-certified awards (Silver, Gold and Platinum) and the weekly charts include audio streaming. In 2017, the OCC included streaming in their definition of a million-seller and published a full list of the 311 songs which had achieved this. Certified awards can also include shipments (sales to trade). The OCC and Music Week regularly announce when a record becomes a million seller.

History Prior to the formation of the British Phonographic Industry in 1973, the only way to know if a record had sold a million copies in the United Kingdom was if the record company alerted the press. In addition, in many cases the record company would present the artist or group with Gold Records to commemorate the million sales. However, there was some controversy over whether certain singles had actually reached sales of one million copies in the United Kingdom.

In April 1973, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) began classifying singles and albums by the number of units sold to dealers. The highest threshold is "Platinum record" and was then awarded to singles that sold more than 1 million units. For singles released after 1 January 1989, the number of sales required to qualify for Platinum, Gold and Silver records was dropped to 600,000 units (Platinum), 400,000 units (Gold) and 200,000 units (Silver). In February 1987, the BPI introduced multi-Platinum awards so that if a single sold 1,200,000 units it was classified as double Platinum, 1,800,000 units as triple Platinum, etc.

Digital downloads have been counted towards singles sales from 2004 onwards: the first single to achieve a million digital sales was "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. Additionally, audio streaming has been included in the official chart and BPI awards since 30 June 2014, at a rate of 100 streams representing one unit sale; however, the OCC still compiles a 'sales' (only) chart.

In 1963, the Beatles' song "She Loves You" became the best-selling single of all time in the UK. This record was broken in 1977 when Paul McCartney's subsequent band Wings surpassed it with "Mull of Kintyre", which also became the first song to sell 2 million copies in the UK. In 1984, Band Aid released the charity-record "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in response to the famine in Ethiopia; it sold 1 million copies in the first week and soon became the best-selling single. This record was broken in 1997, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, when Elton John released "Candle in the Wind 1997", a re-write of the Marilyn Monroe tribute released in 1973. Selling more than 650,000 copies on its first day on sale and more than 1.5 million in its first week, it quickly became the UK's best-selling single. It was classified by the BPI as 9× Platinum (5.4 million) in October 1997, but more recent reports by the OCC put its total sales at 4.93 million.

Million-selling singles (paid-for sales) The following list is restricted to paid-for sales since the inception of a UK chart in 1952. Unless stated otherwise, sales figures from the OCC are correct as of 19 September 2017. At this date, the OCC started recording million-sellers using combined sales (including streaming), but published the paid-for sales figures as well.

, 180 singles have sold 1 million copies in the UK. Of these, 112 were originally released in the 20th century (70 of them selling 1 million before the year 2000) and the remainder were released between 2000 and 2014. The most recently released single to become a million-seller is "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, which was released in December 2014 and passed a million sales ten weeks later in February 2015. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the earliest release: originally 1942, although only sales from 1952 onwards are counted. The year in which the most million-sellers were released is 2011, with fifteen; while a record 40 releases in the 2010s have sold a million copies.

Artist Single (two songs separated by / denotes a double A-side) Date released Date certifiedPlatinum Date sold1 million Copies sold Order in which songs reached1 million "White Christmas" 2010–12 1,047,349 117 "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" 1955 1,439,196 1 "Diana" 1957 1,253,486 "Mary's Boy Child" 1957 1,187,752 with The Jordanaires "It's Now or Never" 1960 1,272,271 "Stranger on the Shore" 1961 1,186,534 and The Shadows "The Young Ones" 1962 1,068,368 "I Remember You" 1962 1,106,190 "She Loves You" 1963 1,930,000 Gerry and the Pacemakers "You'll Never Walk Alone" 2016 1,011,244 165 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" 1963 1,810,829 "Can't Buy Me Love" 1964 1,547,454 "I Feel Fine" 1964 1,423,196 "Unchained Melody" (re-issue) 2004–10 1,101,570 "Tears" 1965 1,523,690 "The Carnival Is Over" 1965 1,426,218 "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" 1965 1,402,308 "Green, Green Grass of Home" 1966 1,257,737 "Release Me" 1967 1,384,673 "The Last Waltz" 1967 1,184,163 "Hey Jude" 2010–12 1,141,635 116Frank Sinatra"My Way"March 1969N/A20181,000,000176–177 "Sugar, Sugar" 1,040,461 "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" 2004–10 1,016,440 "Eye Level" 1978 1,008,481 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" 2004–10 1,006,661 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" 2010–12 1,011,658 118 "I Love You Love Me Love" 1973 1,146,051 Slade "Merry Xmas Everybody" 1980 1,306,566 "Sailing" 2010–12 1,064,038 120 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody""Bohemian Rhapsody" / "These Are the Days of Our Lives" 1975"Bohemian Rhapsody" has sold 1 million copies and been certified Platinum both in its original 1975 release and in its 1991 re-release as a double 'A' side following the death of Freddie Mercury. 2,630,000 "Imagine" 1981 1,714,351 Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 2010–12 1,014,475 121 Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses for Me" 1976 1,025,364 and Kiki Dee "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" 2013 1,029,242 134 ABBA "Dancing Queen" 2004–10 1,133,288 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" 2004–10 1,032,296 "Don't Give Up on Us" 1976 1,167,371 "I Feel Love" 2012 1,127,511 115 Wings "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" 1978 2,100,000 Boney M. "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" 1978 2,032,656 and Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want" 1978 2,080,000 and Olivia Newton-John "Summer Nights" 1979 1,640,672 "I Will Survive" 2010–12 1,082,038 119 Boney M. "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" 1978 1,885,274 Village People "Y.M.C.A." 1979 1,513,677 "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" 2004–10 1,129,369 Blondie "Heart of Glass 1979 1,322,316 "Bright Eyes" 1979 1,222,230 Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" 2004–10 1,146,548 Adam and the Ants "Stand and Deliver" 2004–10 1,060,856 Soft Cell "Tainted Love" 1981 1,356,094 "Don't You Want Me" 1982 1,637,503 Journey "Don't Stop Believin'" 2014 1,105,177 151 Tight Fit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" 2010–12 1,045,051 122 Dexy's Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express "Come On Eileen" 1982 1,425,474 "Fame" 2004–10 1,079,222 Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" 2004–10 1,650,293 New Order "Blue Monday" 2005 1,239,137 UB40 "Red Red Wine" 2014 1,063,106 150 Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" 1983 1,528,498 "Uptown Girl" 2004–10 1,066,141 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax" 1984 2,066,230 Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" 1984 1,629,287 "Careless Whisper" 1984 1,523,852 "I Just Called to Say I Love You" 1984 1,874,225 "Ghostbusters" 2004–10 1,170,587 Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 1984 3,830,000 Wham! "Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants" 1985 1,825,115 "The Power of Love" 1985 1,456,087 "Never Gonna Give You Up" 2018 1,002,000 172–175 featuring Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale of New York" 2012 1,217,112 126 Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan "Especially for You" 2014 1,008,057 154 Black Box "Ride on Time" 2004–10 1,092,718 "" 1991 1,848,154 "I Will Always Love You" 1993 1,642,360 Wet Wet Wet "Love Is All Around" 1994 1,898,790 Whigfield "Saturday Night" 1994 1,193,115 "Think Twice" 1994 1,374,888 "All I Want for Christmas Is You" 2013 1,172,436 142 Robson Green & Jerome Flynn "Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover" 1995 1,867,755 Take That "Back for Good" 2004–10 1,119,470 featuring Bubbler Ranx "Mysterious Girl" 2013 1,040,672 135 Cooliofeaturing L.V. "Gangsta's Paradise" 1995 1,585,504 Robson Green & Jerome Flynn "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof" 1995 1,121,703 Oasis "Wonderwall" 2004–10 1,502,270 172–175 "Earth Song" 1995 1,210,297 Babylon Zoo "Spaceman" 1996 1,161,286 Oasis "Don't Look Back in Anger" 2018 1,000,000 172–175 "Three Lions""3 Lions '98" 1998"Three Lions" and "3 Lions '98" were each treated as individual songs and classified Platinum by the BPI. The OCC's list of million-sellers grouped them as the same song, thus making it a million-seller. 1,577,260 Fugees "Killing Me Softly 1996 1,457,641 Spice Girls "Wannabe" 1996 1,385,211 Spice Girls "2 Become 1" 1996 1,137,775 No Doubt "Don't Speak" 2015 1,017,532 163 Puff Daddy and Faith Evansfeaturing 112 "I'll Be Missing You" 1997 1,663,303 "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" 1997 4,940,001 Aqua "Barbie Girl" 1997 1,844,310 "Torn" 2004–10 1,197,721 Various artists "Perfect Day" 1997 1,550,017 All Saints "Never Ever" 1998 1,363,504 Teletubbies "Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"" 1997 1,110,708 "Angels" 2009–10 1,228,319 "My Heart Will Go On" 1998 1,583,276 Run-DMC vs. Jason Nevins "It's Like That" 1998 1,322,898 Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" 2020 1,030,000 178 Boyzone "No Matter What" 1998 1,157,952 Aerosmith "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" 2012 1,190,480 113 Cher "Believe" 1998 1,826,573 Steps "Heartbeat" / "Tragedy" 1999 1,212,288 "...Baby One More Time" 1999 1,558,054 "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of ...)" 2014 1,029,722 155 Eiffel 65 "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" 2000-02 1,130,082 Bob the Builder "Can We Fix It?" 2001 1,029,644 Atomic Kitten "Whole Again" 2013 1,021,465 131 Shaggyfeaturing Rikrok "It Wasn't Me" 2001 1,428,204 Hear'Say "Pure and Simple" 2001 1,100,356 "Can't Get You Out of My Head" 2002 1,195,229 "Hero" 2015 1,036,015 159 "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen" 2002 1,795,213 "Unchained Melody" 2002 1,345,850 Eminem "Lose Yourself" 2015 1,077,213 162 "Where Is the Love?" 2017 1,018,056 168–170 "Mr. Brightside" 2018 1,010,000 176-177 Band Aid 20 "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 2004 1,184,396 featuring Peter Kay "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" 2005 1,354,478 "That's My Goal" 2006 1,112,671 Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" 2010–11 1,131,184 104 Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars" 2013 1,159,099 139 "Bleeding Love" 2010 1,114,596 103 Take That "Rule the World" 2014 1,070,725 152 Kings of Leon "Sex on Fire" 2010 1,386,171 101 Adele "Make You Feel My Love" 2017 1,002,171 168–170 Kings of Leon "Use Somebody" 2013 1,115,392 133 "Hallelujah" 2009 1,310,017 "Poker Face" 2010 1,180,377 102 "I Gotta Feeling" 2010 1,477,778 100 "Fight for This Love" 2012 1,040,958 125 "Bad Romance" 2013 1,045,372 138 Eminemfeaturing Rihanna "Love the Way You Lie" 2011 1,258,763 107 "Fuck You" 2017 1,002,504 168–170 "Just the Way You Are (Amazing)" 2011 1,331,684 106 Rihanna "Only Girl (In the World)" 2011 1,162,460 108 Katy Perry "Firework"