Imo LIB was the most commercially successful Madonna single. Although it was released as the 5th single of the album, it managed to outsell all previously released with the exception of PDP which was released before the album release, which obviously boosted sales. Had it been the other way around, I believe the numbers would be like more than 5m for LIB and about 2 m for PDP. And if one takes into consideration that LIB, a summer anthem, as the 2nd single would be released in the beginning of summer 1986 and not in February, or the fact that the similar sounding Who’s that girl was released within only 4 months after LIB hindering the sales of the latter and exactly when LIB was selling like crazy in territories like France and Germany, or even the fact that LIB single cover is awful while any shot of her from the video would be much better, I could see it easily surpassing 6 m.

When compared with LAV, the fact that LAV was the first single released before its parent album, or that Madonna as a singer was not that popular yet and buyers would go for the single and not the album, while, when LIB was released, the album had already sold more than 10 or even 15m, so many would not care to buy the single, LIB is the winner.

Finally, if compared to ITG, the latter was released as a single without prior inclusion in the LAV album, months before it was finally included, which obviously rocketed sales though typically released as the fourth single.

On the other hand, I believe that if ITG was normally released in USA and Canada as a stand alone physical single, as it was handled in Europe, it would definitely sell additionally more than 1 m in US alone, and would probably end up as her biggest seller. If, even more, she bothered to release just one remix of it, as she did with all others previous singles, than the 5m goal would be easily surpassed.

Coming back to LIB achievements, I believe its success could only be compared with the success of MJ’s Thriller, which though released as the seventh single of the album, it also managed to surpass 3m sales. On the other hand, (maybe I’m wrong), I believe that THRILLER sales were much lower within the first year of its release when compared to LIB, while MJ’s single continued to sell substantially throughout the following 20 years much more than LIB.

All things considered, LIB could be regarded as the most commercially successful single of all time (I mean among singles being part of an album released by an already successful artist and not connected to a movie, or Christmas or a beloved celebrity death).

She’s a spent force , get over it. Most successful single of all time ? Your having a laugh l😂 😂😂😂😂😂😂

He said La Isla Bonita is Madonna’s most successful single, Not all time best.
You ARE SO BIASED!

Maybe that's what he meant but the last paragraph does state "the most commercially successful single of all time", not her most successful.

Your numbers for sales before 2010 are so incomplete!
I can't believe you're spreading false information this way!
Some of Madonna physical singles even sold twice what you wrote they did!

You should really contact her Record Labels to get the real info but not sure they have it available to get it to you (if they are lazy to even re-certify albums that sold multiple platinums more in some countries (for over 3 decades) I wouldn't be that helpfull.

Some of your single sales for Madonna are just US + UK and a little more sales (when those singles were some of the best sellers of those years in multiple big music markets and clearly sold a lot more).

Why don't you post your sources for these sales? If you have the "correct" information, then provide the sources to back it up.

Hi ChartGeek!

As Kris said, if you have numbers, you are welcome, feel free to post them and I'll have a look at them 😉

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-04-13.pdf/
http://golddisc.jp/award/05/index.html
I'm Breathless shipped 329k by 01/20/1991 according to RIAJ (Japan Gold Disc Award). However, according to Oricon, it scanned 322k copies in 15 charted weeks since its release in June 1990. Can it be inferred that imports were not actually sold and it had terrible catalog sales? Why is the total estimation set on 475k? I think it's a little overestimated. Thanx

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Delete "/" and then you have it

Has 4 Minutes really only sold 5 million?? That seems awfully low. Much lower than many other top hits of the time. And it went #1 almost everywhere and had very good placements in year-end lists. Was it all airplay? Very frontloaded sales? It just seems super low.

it makes total sense since he is puting candle in the wind, all the soundtracks and all the holiday songs a part.

But i do not think so, since Everithing i do i do it for you was really huge, so i do not know.

Why do you have to re-certify old discs? Those platinum and other discs are problem waste.
Graceland is full prolem waste.

Madonna isn't the most pirated artist in all times. Never heard about that. Led Zeppelin, Dylan, Pink Floyd, Bowie are most boolegged artists. First bootleg record was Great White Wonder by Dylan, price was 12-17 dollars! and year 1970. It sold 350 000 copies in US. Information from Clinton Heylin book about bootleg record history from 1960s.

isn't she the biggest female artist of all time already? Not much would change