The UK Singles Downloads Chart is a weekly music chart that ranks the most-downloaded singles in the United Kingdom. During the 2000s, the chart was compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British music industry, and was based solely on non-subscription music downloads from selected online music stores. It was compiled using weekly sales from Sunday to Saturday, and was published each Wednesday afternoon, so as not to clash with the Sunday evening announcement of the UK Singles Chart.
The chart was founded in September 2004 as the UK Official Download Chart, with the first single to top the chart being a live version of "Flying Without Wings" by Irish boy band Westlife. By the end of the decade, 109 further singles had topped the chart. The most downloaded single of the 2000s was "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga. Released in 2009, the song was downloaded 779,000 times, and topped the chart for three weeks. "Just Dance", also by Gaga, and "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon were the third and second highest selling downloads of the decade respectively. The single that spent the longest time at number one was "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, which spent 11 weeks at the top and became the UK's 18th best-selling download of the 2000s.
The most successful artist of the decade was Barbadian singer Rihanna, who featured on five different number-one singles for a total of 13 weeks. The most successful record label was Universal Music Group; with an artist roster that included Rihanna, The Black Eyed Peas and U2, Universal spent 110 weeks at number one with 40 different singles. The final number one of the 2000s was "Killing in the Name", a 1993 single by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, which was pushed to the top of the chart as a result of an online campaign to prevent Joe McElderry, the 2009 winner of the X Factor, from reaching number one. "Killing in the Name" sold over 500,000 copies in one week, making it the UK's fastest-selling digital download of all time.
Chart history
Before the inauguration of the download chart, only sales of physical formats—such as CD, vinyl and cassette tape—contributed towards a single's position on the UK music charts. From the late 1990s onwards, these sales began to significantly decline. By the start of 2004, they had dropped to their lowest level in over 35 years, with singles needing to sell only 35,000 copies to reach number one. One year later, a limited edition re-release of "One Night" / "I Got Stung" by Elvis Presley topped the chart with 22,000 copies, making it the lowest selling number-one single at that time. Conversely, the music download market was growing considerably: during the same 2004–05 period, sales of downloads grew by 743%, and overtook physical sales in December 2004. The following year, the UK's online music revenue reached .
As a result of this growth, the OCC were commissioned in 2004 to compile a new music chart based solely on the UK's download sales, which was initially sponsored by Coca-Cola. A "sample" download chart was trialled for 10 weeks, with the first number one being "Bam Thwok" by American rock band Pixies. After this ten-week period, the UK Official Download Chart was launched on 1 September 2004, with Westlife achieving the first official number one. The group topped the chart with a live version of their 1999 single "Flying Without Wings", a move that UK chart commentator James Masterton branded a "stunt".
By 2007 the UK had become Europe's largest consumer of online music, with almost 78 million tracks being downloaded that year – by the end of the decade this figure had nearly doubled. Sales of downloaded singles were finally incorporated into the UK Singles Chart in April 2005 – , the UK Official Download Chart continues to be published each week by the OCC, under the name the UK Singles Downloads Chart.
Number ones +Keynth single to top the UK Official Download ChartN/AReached number one on an unofficial, "sample" download chartreReturn of a single to number oneMost-downloaded single of the year-->Most-downloaded single of the decade 2004200520062007200820092010s → ArtistSingleRecord labelReached number oneWeeks atnumber onePixies"Bam Thwok"Not on label1Maroon 5"This Love"Sony1"Dry Your Eyes"Warner5Shapeshifters"Lola's Theme"EMI3Westlife"Flying Without Wings" (Live)Sony1"These Words"Sony4U2"Vertigo" Universal3Mouldy Lookin' Stain"Dogz Don't Kill People Wabbits Do"Warner1U2"Vertigo" Universal5Band Aid 20"Do They Know It's Christmas?"Universal4U2"Vertigo"Universal1"What You Waiting For?"Universal2Green Day"Boulevard of Broken Dreams"Warner1"Galvanize"EMI4Stereophonics"Dakota"V22McFly"All About You"Universal2 featuring Peter Kay"Is This the Way to Amarillo"Universal4Coldplay"Speed of Sound"EMI3"Don't Phunk with My Heart"Universal2Gorillaz"Feel Good Inc."EMI3"You're Beautiful" Warner3 and U2"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"Universal1"Electricity"Universal1"You're Beautiful" Warner2"Bad Day"Warner5 featuring Busta Rhymes"Don't Cha"Universal3Sugababes"Push the Button"Universal4Madonna"Hung Up"Warner7Nizlopi"JCB"FDM1"That's My Goal"Sony2Nizlopi"JCB"FDM2 featuring Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge and Avery Storm"Nasty Girl"Warner2"Boys Will Be Boys"Warner1Meck featuring Leo Sayer"Thunder in My Heart Again"Universal2"Put Your Records On"EMI2Orson"No Tomorrow"Universal1Gnarls Barkley"Crazy"Warner11"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)"Sony1"Maneater"Universal4Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean"Hips Don't Lie"Sony4"SexyBack"Sony1Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean"Hips Don't Lie"Sony1Scissor Sisters"I Don't Feel Like Dancin'"Universal7Razorlight"America"Universal3McFly"Star Girl"Universal1"Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit"Ministry of Sound1All Saints"Rock Steady"EMI1Take That"Patience"Universal5"" Sony2Take That"Patience"Universal1Mika"Grace Kelly" Universal6Kaiser Chiefs"Ruby"Universal3 featuring Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"EMI3"Girlfriend"Sony1 featuring Daniel Merriweather"Stop Me"Sony1Beyoncé and Shakira"Beautiful Liar"Sony3Gym Class Heroes"Cupid's Chokehold"Warner1Rihanna featuring Jay-Z"Umbrella"Universal8Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.""Universal2"Foundations"Universal2"Stronger"Universal2"Beautiful Girls"Sony2Plain White T's"Hey There Delilah"EMI3Sugababes"About You Now"Universal4"Bleeding Love"Sony7"All I Want for Christmas Is You"Sony1"When You Believe"Sony2Timbaland presents OneRepublic"Apologize"Universal1Basshunter featuring DJ Mental Theo's Bazzheadz"Now You're Gone"Ministry of Sound3Adele"Chasing Pavements"Beggars1Nickelback"Rockstar"Warner1Duffy"Mercy"Universal5Estelle featuring Kanye West"American Boy"Warner4Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake"4 Minutes"Warner4Rihanna"Take a Bow"Universal1"That's Not My Name"Sony1Rihanna"Take a Bow"Universal1Mint Royale"Singin' in the Rain"Sony2Coldplay"Viva la Vida"EMI2Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome"Dance wiv Me"Dirtee Stank4Kid Rock"All Summer Long"Warner1"I Kissed a Girl"EMI5Kings of Leon"Sex on Fire"Sony3Pink"So What"Sony3Girls Aloud""Universal1"Hero"Sony2T.I. featuring Rihanna"Live Your Life"Warner1Beyoncé"If I Were a Boy"Sony1Take That"Greatest Day"Universal1"Run"Sony2"Hallelujah"Sony3Lady Gaga"Just Dance"Warner3""EMI4"My Life Would Suck Without You"Sony1Flo Rida featuring Kesha"Right Round"Universal2Lady Gaga"Poker Face" Warner3"I'm Not Alone"Sony2Tinchy Stryder featuring N-Dubz"Number 1"Universal3"Boom Boom Pow"Universal1Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden"Bonkers"Dirtee Stank2"Boom Boom Pow"Universal1"Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)"Universal1 featuring Kelly Rowland"When Love Takes Over"EMI1La Roux"Bulletproof"Warner1Cascada"Evacuate the Dancefloor"Universal2JLS"Beat Again"Sony2"I Gotta Feeling"Universal1Tinchy Stryder featuring Amelle Berrabah"Never Leave You"Universal1"I Gotta Feeling"Universal1 featuring Akon"Sexy Chick"EMI1Dizzee Rascal"Holiday"Dirtee Stank1Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West"Run This Town"Sony1 featuring Akon"Sexy Chick"EMI1100"Break Your Heart"Universal3101Chipmunk"Oopsy Daisy"Sony1102 featuring Flo Rida"Bad Boys"Sony1103"Fight for This Love"Universal2104JLS"Everybody in Love"Sony1105"Meet Me Halfway"Universal1106"You Are Not Alone"Sony1107"Whatcha Say"Warner1108Rihanna"Russian Roulette"Universal1109Lady Gaga"Bad Romance"Warner1110Rage Against the Machine"Killing in the Name"Sony2 2004200520062007200820092010s →
By artist
Fifteen different artists spent seven or more weeks at the top of the UK Official Download Chart during the 2000s. The totals below include only credited performances, and do not include appearances on charity ensembles such as Band Aid 20 or The X Factor Finalists. ArtistNumber-one singlesThe totals count only singles that reached number one on or after 1 September 2004.Weeks at number one47Dizzee Rascal37Gnarls Barkley111Jay-Z29The totals for Peter Kay include a credit as Brian Potter.27Lady Gaga37311Madonna211Rihanna513Scissor Sisters17Shakira28Sugababes28Take That27U221037
By record label Nine different record labels released chart-topping singles during the 2000s. Record labelNumber-one singlesWeeks at number oneBeggars Group11Dirtee Stank37EMI1234FDM Records13Ministry of Sound24Sony BMG3165Universal Music Group40110V2 Records12Warner Music Group1953
Download sites During the 2000s, the UK Official Download Chart was compiled by the OCC using data from the following music download websites:
7digital Big Noise Music Bleep City 16 easyMusic HMV iTunes KarmaDownload Metacharge MSN Music The Music Engine Service MyCokeMusic Napster OD2 Playlouder Recordstore Sonic Selector Tesco Tiscali Music Virgin Wanadoo Wippit Woolworths
Notes
References
External links The Official Download Chart at MTV UK Singles Download Chart at the Official Charts Company