This timeline details the UK best-selling singles by year from 1952 to present day. UK yearly sales and total sales have been included where possible.
Data Source – Official Charts Company
See also: UK Best Selling Albums by Year
United States Best Selling Singles by Year
Australia Best Selling Singles by Year
Canada Best Selling Singles by Year
1952
Here in My Heart – Al Martino
1953
I Believe – Frankie Laine
1954
Secret Love – Doris Day
1955
Rose Marie – Slim Whitman
1956
I’ll Be Home – Pat Boone
1957
Diana – Paul Anka
1958
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Total UK sales – 985,500
Total UK sales – 985,500
1959
Living Doll – Cliff Richard
Total UK sales in 1959 – 770,000
Total global sales – 1,860,000
Total UK sales in 1959 – 770,000
Total global sales – 1,860,000
1960
It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
Total UK sales – 1,300,000
Total UK sales – 1,300,000
1961
Wooden Heart – Elvis Presley
1962
I Remember You – Frank Ifield
Total UK sales for 1962 – 1,100,000
Total UK sales for 1962 – 1,100,000
1963
1964
Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles
Total UK sales – 1,530,000
Total UK sales – 1,530,000
1965
Tears – Ken Dodd
Total UK sales in 1965 – 1,268,000
Total UK sales 1,523,690
Total UK sales in 1965 – 1,268,000
Total UK sales 1,523,690
1966
Green, Green Grass of Home – Tom Jones
Total UK sales in 1966 – 850,000
Total UK sales – 1,250,000
Total UK sales in 1966 – 850,000
Total UK sales – 1,250,000
1967
Release Me – Englebert Humperdinck
Total UK sales in 1967 – 1,000,000
Total UK sales – 1,380,000
Total UK sales in 1967 – 1,000,000
Total UK sales – 1,380,000
1968
Hey Jude – The Beatles
Total UK sales in 1968 – 1,060,000
Total UK sales in 1968 – 1,060,000
1969
Sugar, Sugar – The Archies
Total UK sales in 1969 – 1,020,000
Total UK sales in 1969 – 1,020,000
1970
In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
Total UK sales in 1970 – 750,000
Total UK sales in 1970 – 750,000
1971
1972
Amazing Grace – The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band
Total UK sales in 1972 – 650,000
Total UK sales in 1972 – 650,000
1973
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree – Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Total UK sales – 1,000,000
Total UK sales – 1,000,000
1974
Tiger Feet – Mud
Total sales in 1974 – 730,000
Total sales in 1974 – 730,000
1975
Bye Bye Baby – Bay City Rollers
Total UK sales 1975 – 1,000,000
Total UK sales 1975 – 1,000,000
1976
Save Your Kisses For Me – Brotherhood of Man
Total UK sales in 1976 – 1,006,000
Total UK sales in 1976 – 1,006,000
1977
Mull of Kintyre/Girls’ School – Wings
Total UK sales in 1977 – 2,000,000
Total UK sales – 2,086,183
Total UK sales in 1977 – 2,000,000
Total UK sales – 2,086,183
1978
Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring – Boney M
Total UK sales in 1978 – 1,995,000
Total UK sales – 2,032,656
Total UK sales in 1978 – 1,995,000
Total UK sales – 2,032,656
1979
Bright Eyes – Art Garfunkel
Total UK sales in 1979 – 1,155,000
Total UK sales in 1979 – 1,155,000
1980
Don’t Stand so Close to Me – The Police
Total UK sales in 1980 – 808,000
Total UK sales in 1980 – 808,000
1981
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Total UK sales – 1,350,000
Total UK sales – 1,350,000
1982
Come on Eileen – Dexys’ Midnight Runners
Total UK sales in 1982 – 1,200,000
Total UK sales – 1,310,000
Total UK sales in 1982 – 1,200,000
Total UK sales – 1,310,000
1983
Karma Chameleon – Culture Club
Total UK sales in 1983 – 1,390,000
Total UK sales – 1,528,498
Total UK sales in 1983 – 1,390,000
Total UK sales – 1,528,498
1984
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid
Total UK sales in 1984 – 3,000,000
Total UK sales 3,802,066
Total UK sales in 1984 – 3,000,000
Total UK sales 3,802,066
1985
The Power of Love – Jennifer Rush
Total UK sales in 1985 – 1,280,000
Total UK sales – 1,390,000
Total UK sales in 1985 – 1,280,000
Total UK sales – 1,390,000
1986
Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards
Total UK sales in 1986 – 745,000
Total UK sales in 1986 – 745,000
1987
Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
Total UK sales in 1987 – 759,000
Total UK sales 1,000,000
Total UK sales in 1987 – 759,000
Total UK sales 1,000,000
1988
Mistletoe and Wine – Cliff Richard
Total UK sales in 1988 – 750,000
Total UK sales in 1988 – 750,000
1989
Ride on Time – Black Box
Total UK sales in 1989 – 960,000
Total UK sales – 1,092,718
Total UK sales in 1989 – 960,000
Total UK sales – 1,092,718
1990
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Total UK sales in 1990 – 840,000
Total UK sales – 1,870,000
Total UK sales in 1990 – 840,000
Total UK sales – 1,870,000
1991
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
Total UK sales in 1991 – 1,520,000
Total UK sales – 1,848,154
Total UK sales in 1991 – 1,520,000
Total UK sales – 1,848,154
1992
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
Total UK sales in 1992 – 1,500,000
Total UK sales – 1,642,360
Total UK sales in 1992 – 1,500,000
Total UK sales – 1,642,360
1993
I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meat Loaf
Total UK sales for 1993 – 720,000
Total UK sales for 1993 – 720,000
1994
Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
Total UK sales for 1994 – 1,783,000
Total UK sales – 1,898,790
Total UK sales for 1994 – 1,783,000
Total UK sales – 1,898,790
1995
Unchained Melody – Robson and Jerome
Total sales for 1995 – 1,840,000
Total UK sales – 1,867,755
Total sales for 1995 – 1,840,000
Total UK sales – 1,867,755
1996
Killing Me Softly – The Fugees
Total UK sales for 1996 – 1,200,000
Total UK sales – 1,457,000641
Total UK sales for 1996 – 1,200,000
Total UK sales – 1,457,000641
1997
Candle in the Wind 1997/ Something About The Way You Look Tonight – Elton John
Total UK sales in 1997 – 4,770,000
Total UK sales – 4,935,426
Total UK sales in 1997 – 4,770,000
Total UK sales – 4,935,426
1998
Believe – Cher
Total sales for 1998 -1,740,000
Total UK sales – 1,826,573
Total sales for 1998 -1,740,000
Total UK sales – 1,826,573
1999
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Total UK sales for 1999 – 1,445,000
Total UK sales – 1,558,054
Total UK sales for 1999 – 1,445,000
Total UK sales – 1,558,054
2000
Can We Fix It? – Bob the Builder
Total sales for 2000 – 853,000
Total UK sales – 1,200,000
Total sales for 2000 – 853,000
Total UK sales – 1,200,000
2001
It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy featuring Rikrok
Total UK sales for 2001 – 1,151,000
Total UK sales – 1,428,204
Total UK sales for 2001 – 1,151,000
Total UK sales – 1,428,204
2002
Anything is Possible/ Evergreen – Will Young
Total UK sales for 2002 – 1,783,919
Total UK sales – 1,795,213
Total UK sales for 2002 – 1,783,919
Total UK sales – 1,795,213
2003
Where Is The Love – The Black Eyed Peas
Total UK sales for 2003 – 625,198
Total UK sales = 954,000
Total UK sales for 2003 – 625,198
Total UK sales = 954,000
2004
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid 20
Total UK sales for 2004 – 1,065,000
Total UK sales – 1,184.000
Total UK sales for 2004 – 1,065,000
Total UK sales – 1,184.000
2005
Is This The Way to Amarillo? – Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay
Total UK sales for 2005 – 1,100,200
Total UK sales – 1,280,000
Total UK sales for 2005 – 1,100,200
Total UK sales – 1,280,000
2006
Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
Total UK sales for 2006 – 820,053
Total UK sales for 2006 – 820,053
2007
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
Total UK sales for 2007 – 788,000
Total UK sales – 1,040,000
Total UK sales for 2007 – 788,000
Total UK sales – 1,040,000
2008
Hallelujah – Alexandra Burke
Total UK sales for 2008 – 888,000
Total UK sales – 1,297,000
Total UK sales for 2008 – 888,000
Total UK sales – 1,297,000
2009
Poker Face – Lady Gaga
Total UK sales for 2009 – 882,059
Total UK sales – 1,110,000
Total UK sales for 2009 – 882,059
Total UK sales – 1,110,000
2010
Love the Way You Lie – Eminem featuring Rihanna
Total UK sales for 2010 – 1,050,000
Total UK sales – 1,576,000
Total UK sales for 2010 – 1,050,000
Total UK sales – 1,576,000
2011
2012
Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye featuring Kimbra
Total sales for 2011 – 1,318,000
Total UK sales – 1,515,527
Total sales for 2011 – 1,318,000
Total UK sales – 1,515,527
2013
Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams
Total UK sales for 2013 – 1,472,681
Total UK sales – 1,667,615
Total UK sales for 2013 – 1,472,681
Total UK sales – 1,667,615
2014
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Total UK sales for 2014 – 1,500,000
Total UK sales – 1,930,000
Total UK sales for 2014 – 1,500,000
Total UK sales – 1,930,000
2015
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
Total UK sales for 2015 – 1,560,000
Total UK sales – 1,647,310
Total UK sales for 2015 – 1,560,000
Total UK sales – 1,647,310
2016
One Dance – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
Total UK sales for 2016 – 553,000
Total UK sales – 2,344,981
Total UK sales for 2016 – 553,000
Total UK sales – 2,344,981
2017
2018
One Kiss – Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa
Total UK sales for 2018 – 1,570,000
Total UK sales for 2018 – 1,570,000
2019
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Total UK sales for 2019 – 1,800,000
Total UK sales for 2019 – 1,800,000
2019
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Total UK sales for 2019 – 1,800,000
Total UK sales for 2019 – 1,800,000
2020
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Total UK sales for 2020 – 1,460,000
Total UK sales for 2020 – 1,460,000
2021
Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran
Total UK sales for 2021 1,700,000
Total UK sales for 2021 1,700,000
Published Dec 07, 2019 @ 8:26 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2019 – 2022). UK Best Selling Singles by Year 1952 – Present. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/uk-best-selling-singles-by-year-1952-present. Last accessed [date]