The best selling singles by the Beatles
Over the coming weeks, we will be posting complete, detailed data about the Beatles‘ sales, from their foundation to date, for both the band and it’s solo members. Yes, that’s correct, songs from Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr will be listed as well.
And what better way to start this journey, than with the best selling physical singles from the quartet. This list perfectly illustrates the notable moments the band went through, with their countless iconic titles.
How the Beatles’ singles are ranked
A little bit of methodology
In total, the band and its members issued 518 physical singles, with 306 distinct songs used as an A-side. Back in the day, many hits were issued with different B-sides in larger countries. For example, their monster breakthrough hit I Want to Hold Your Hand came out paired with I Saw Her Standing There in the US, but the flip side was This Boy in the UK, Roll Over Beethoven in Germany and She Loves You in Brazil.
Naturally, in order to get comparable worldwide numbers, all these versions are merged together in the list below. At times, the B-side was just as popular or even more popular than the A-side. In those situations, we will clearly mention that version inside the notes.
This article is entirely dedicated to physical sales, so digital units are not considered. The best selling downloads & ringtones from the Fab Four, will come as the next installment, in this run of articles. Also, EPs, which were popular in their early years, are excluded from these tallies. Sales of boxes, packaging various singles together are included into the tallies of their individual discs.
Giving a meaning to numbers
It may seem obvious, but numbers are based solely on physical singles. Obviously you will have read that I Want to Hold Your Hand sold 11, 12, or 13 million copies or that Elvis Presley‘s It’s Now or Never moved 20 million records, well you can forget about these numbers, as they are quite simply not true.
These totals came about due to the music industry looking at numbers from a royalties perspective, as they didn’t really care about the pure sales totals, of physical single, as they were getting money from sales of every album containing the song, studio or compilations, as well as covers from other artists, that were popular in the 60s. That’s how these inflated totals, in the tens of millions, were arrived at.
The reality of the market from the 60s to the 80s, which covers most of the Beatles hits, band or solo, is that it took a strong global smash to reach 2 million sales. Tracks hitting 3 or 4 million were the ones ranking in the upper region of annual charts all around the world. Finally, sales at 5 million or more came from tracks well known for their sales prowess, often linked to highly popular soundtracks.
Prime statistics
Off the 306 distinct tracks that were ever used in some place as a A-side by the Beatles or a solo member from the band, 116 sold upwards half a million units. Popular bands like Simon & Garfunkel, Dire Straits or Police didn’t even record that many songs in their career.
In an era when selling a million was the trademark of a successful career, they’ve hit this milestone 78 times. Conveniently for us, as many as 49 are multi-million sellers. Ready to go through all of them? A first hint: each solo member is present!
The best selling singles of the Beatles
49 Plastic Ono Bad – Give Peace A Chance – 2,000,000
Anti-war song Give Peace A Chance was the very first single by a solo Beatles. It came out in 1969, when the band was still active. And is credited to the Plastic Ono Band, a project centered around John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono.
While the song failed to reach the top 10 in the US (#14), also falling short of a million sales, it was a great seller elsewhere, especially in the UK (#2) and in GSA/Benelux area (#1 in the Netherlands, #2 in Austria and Belgium, #4 in Germany and Switzerland). It was just enough to reach 2 million, the first John Lennon song to appear in this ranking.
48 Paul McCartney & Wings – Jet – 2,005,000
Guitar loaded Jet, issued in 1973, came out when Paul McCartney and his Wings were already well established. A #7 hit in both the US and the UK, the global aura of the former Beatles pushed it to 2 million sales, with solid results from Japan to South Africa to Latin America. The track converted its parent album Band on the Run into a huge smash.
Another decoration for the song is the naming of Australian rock band Jet as per the song title. They got very famous after the release of the classic Are You Gonna Be My Girl in 2003, a sign of the Beatles‘ relevance through the world and over time.
47 George Harrison – What Is Life – 2,015,000
The monumental success of George Harrison‘s solo debut My Sweet Lord paved the way to heavy sales for its follow up, What is Life.
A top 10 hit in most large markets, including the US (#10), the song paired with B-side Apple Scruffs manages to pass 2 million sales despite the absence of a UK release. In fact, it was used as the B-side of the aforementioned My Sweet Lord there.
46 The Beatles – The Long And Winding Road – 2,087,000
After going through three of its solo members, we meet with the Beatles for the first time with #47 ranked track The Long and Winding Road, from Let It Be. It was their final single, released after their breakup announcement. The song was highly controversial due to the addition of heavy overdubs by fall in grace producer Phil Spector, which Paul McCartney hated.
He cited it as a reason for the Beatles‘ split, went into a court case, and three decades later pushed for the release of the album Let It Be… Naked, which stripped the undesired modifications.
The song wasn’t so big in Europe except in Italy, but it did sell past a million in the US. It crossed 2 million after two decades thanks to the 1990 release of Paul McCartney‘s solo live version.
45 Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney – The Girl Is Mine – 2,125,000
We tend to forget it, but the best selling era of all-time, Michael Jackson‘s Thriller, kicked with a duet between the American superstar and Paul McCartney.
Coming off just after the super hit Ebony & Ivory with Stevie Wonder, The Girl Is Mine pursued the way of success. With nearly a million US sales and decent showings across Europe, its global tally was boosted by significant sales in areas like Spain, Japan and Latin America.
44 Wings – With A Little Luck – 2,260,000
A third entry for Paul McCartney, With a Little Luck was the follow-up of the insanely big single Mull of Kintyre. It topped the US chart, although sales remained a bit below a million US there, while reaching over 600,000 units in Europe. This song topped the 2 million mark thanks to the 500,000 copies issued in USSR through the Krugozor monthly magazine.
43 Ringo Starr – Photograph – 2,265,500
Drummer Ringo Starr was missing from the countdown – not anymore. His 1973 hit Photograph, which launched his biggest era Ringo, comes in with 2.27 million sales. It moved just over a million in the US, over 750,000 in Europe plus good sales elsewhere.
This success came with a shocker as it topped the US charts, leaving John Lennon as the only former member of the Beatles without a #1 solo hit, despite singles as strong as Instant Karma! and Imagine. The latter fixed this anomaly with Whatever Gets You thru the Night some months later, despite relatively weak sales – 700,000 in the US, 1.2 million globally – at this level.
42 Paul McCartney & Wings – My Love – 2,282,500
How many times do you heard a piano ballad dedicated to a person part of the backing vocals? Well, I guess it’s bound to happen when a couple belongs to the same band. My Love, a tribute to Linda by Paul, became his second US #1 hit after moving away from the Beatles.
It sold over a million stateside, and near 700,000 units in Europe, led by over 200,000 sales in Italy. The track gains a couple of positions in this list thanks to a 1980 reissue coupled with Maybe I’m Amazed.
41 Ringo Starr – You’re Sixteen – 2,375,000
As we get close to the top 40, we are faced with another track from Ringo Starr. Not getting anywhere near the credit of the remaining three members during the Beatles‘ tenure, Starr certainly exceeded expectations when he went solo.
Selling over 1.3 million in the US and over 300,000 in the UK, You’re Sixteen had already been a top 10 for rockabilly singer Johnny Brunette in 1960. It gave Starr an impressive back-to-back of chart toppers in the US, following Photograph.
40 The Beatles – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – 2,382,500
We enter the top 40 with Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, a relatively low ranking that may come as a surprise, albeit with huge sales. It’s down to the fact that it wasn’t released as a single in the US nor in the UK back in 1968. It did wonders in Japan and Italy, selling about 300,000 in both places, and close to 200,000 in both Germany and France, plus heavy sales in Australia.
In the US, it did move over 400,000 copies when ultimately coming out in 1976, while the fans from the UK were limited to imports.
39 The Beatles – Twist And Shout – 2,407,500
The list continues with another Beatles‘ popular song, Twist and Shout. Typical of their early days, the energy-charged cover sold 1.2 million in 1964 in the US, a tally increased to over 1.5 million thanks to later reissues, all of them using There’s a Place as the second track.
Distinct versions where released globally. The ones which sold predominantly in Germany (B-side Boys), Italy (Misery) and Japan (Roll Over Beethoven) moved 200,000 ish copies each. The song could have been higher, but this one too lacks a UK release as it came out as an EP there. The same happened in more countries. With these EPs, Twist And Shout would total north of 4 million sales.
38 Ringo Starr – It Don’t Come Easy – 2,482,500
And here he goes again! Ringo Starr doesn’t get one nor two but three multi-million selling singles. Issued in 1971, It Don’t Come Easy is his last entry in the list. After the modest showing of his first solo single Beaucoup of Blues, the smash of Easy left surprised even the biggest fans of the Beatles.
The #4 hit in both the US and the UK was produced by George Harrison, who also contributed to writing and guitar play. It cleared 1 million sales in the US comfortably, while shifting 800,000 units in Europe, selling almost 2.5 million in total.
37 The Beatles – Love Me Do – 2,541,000
The debut single of the Beatles, the cute Love Me Do famously peaked at a modest #17 position in the UK during its late 1962/early 1963 run. It was a much bigger, #1 hit in the US as it came out after their explosion. In their homeland, a 1982 reissue gave it a better resumé, reaching #4.
The 1.1 million plus US sales from its first year added to countless reissues and good performances around the world increased the total result of this former moderate hit to an impressive 2.5 million plus.
36 The Beatles – Please Please Me – 2,622,500
Early Beatles are in full force as the next in the line is no other than Please Please Me. Another 1.2 million seller in the US, it peaked at #3 in a time when most #1s weren’t crossing a million.
How is it possible? Well, the #2 song that week was their own She Loves You, while the leader was also signed by the British boys, I Want to Hold Your Hand. This was the peak of their utterly insane period of domination. They started 1964 without ever denting the American Hot 100, by the end of the year they had amassed 30 chart hits including 6 #1s.
The song moved roughly 1.3 million through its two main versions, paired with From Me To You (US, Brazil, Italy) and Ask Me Why (Europe, Japan, Australia).
35 Paul McCartney – Another Day – 2,625,000
In 1970, even before the final album of the Beatles (Let It Be) came out, Paul McCartney issued a self-titled album, recorded by himself at home while the secret of the band’s breakup was kept. No single came out from it though, so his single debut with a proper hit was highly anticipated.
It arrived the next year under the name of Another Day, and didn’t disappoint. A big hit, the track went to #1 in Australia and Spain, #2 in the UK, #5 in the US and top 10 virtually everywhere. This single moved more copies in Europe, in excess of a million, than in the US where it stopped at 800,000 sales. It did wonders in Japan and Latin America, combining for over half a million.
34 Paul McCartney & Wings – Live And Let Die – 2,695,000
What could go wrong if you pair two of the most popular British entertainment brands of all-time, the Beatles and James Bond? In this occasion at least, nothing. The 1973 movie song Live And Let Die smashed, selling especially well as it wasn’t part of a Paul McCartney studio set.
Climbing as high as 1.5 million sales in the US, it isn’t considered as a chart topper as it peaked at #2 in the Billboard Hot 100. It did crack the #1 position in both concurrent music industry trade magazines though, Cashbox and Record World.
33 The Beatles – Ticket To Ride – 2,790,000
No music artist ever got more tickets to ride than the Beatles. In a roll, when all the band’s major releases were going to the top of charts, Ticket to Ride did just that. Despite its #1 status, the 1965 single wasn’t their top seller stateside, although it came close to a million. It did sell 1.2 million in Europe, over half of which came from the UK.
32 Wings – Coming Up – 2,867,500
The longevity of Paul McCartney is often underrated. Responsible for sizable hits year after year after year since 1962, he was still scoring impressive sellers when he entered the 1980s, as shown by Coming Up. The craziest part is that even artists who last long tend to end up selling mostly albums. McCartney kept getting new hits again and again.
#1 in the US and Canada, #2 in the UK and Australia, Coming Up is one more song which sold well everywhere, including over 1.3 million in the US and 1 million in Europe.
31 Wings – Goodnight Tonight – 2,892,500
I just said that Paul McCartney was recording big hits every year. Just before the aforementioned 1980 smash, Goodnight Tonight was the 1979 winner. The songwriter could do no wrong, even with risky attempts. Goodnight Tonight mixes disco-infused sounds with flamenco guitar play, that could be seen as a turn off for most classic rock fans.
The result? Another big hit, nearing 3 million sales. While it peaked at #5 in both the US and the UK, the disco era also shot songs to higher grounds in many places. It was still massive to sell 3 million copies of a single, but not as impossible as in mid-60s. The song was especially big in France (over 350,000) and Italy (over 200,000).
30 Paul McCartney – Band On The Run – 2,967,500
As we reach the top 30, Paul McCartney continues to impress with his 9th entry on the list, so far more than the Beatles (6), Ringo Starr (3), and John Lennon and George Harrison (1 each). One of his signature songs, Band on the Run was massive upon release.
#1 in both the US and Canada, it wasn’t too far away from reaching 2 million sales in North America, which is incredible. In the UK, it did well at #3, but performances weren’t as good in continental Europe, with less than 300,000 sales overall.
29 Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band – Instant Karma! – 3,037,500
John Lennon returns with a banger as Instant Karma! tops the 3 million barrier. One of the earliest solo hits, 1970 song Instant Karma! peaked at #3 in the US and #5 in the UK.
Under its original version, the classic track moved 2.8 million copies, nearly half of which were sold in the US. An extra 230,000 copies came from a 1992 CD release coupled with Oh My Love. It’s another of these tracks that did well in France and Italy than in the UK, combining for nearly 600,000 copies in the former two countries.
28 John & Yoko / The Plastic Ono Band – Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – 3,141,000
A third entry for John Lennon with holiday classic Happy Xmas (War Is Over). Every Beatles singles enjoyed extra sales thanks to their song remaining on print for many years, and reissued several times. The nature of Happy Xmas (War Is Over) increases this bonus to the max. Out of the 2,524 vinyl copies in circulation on Discogs from the US, as many as 777 are from 1976 or later, while the song came out in 1971.
Not allowed to chart upon release in the US as Christmas songs were excluded in early 70s, the song still shifted 1.3 million copies there, plus over 700,000 from the UK. It amassed a stunning 250,000 plus sales in Brazil too, most of which came from 80s reissues.
27 Wings – Silly Love Songs – 3,210,000
Undoubtedly, nobody ever topped Paul McCartney at writing these Silly Love Songs. As part of the Wings, he wrote another of these tunes with their lovely lyrics, catchy harmonies and memorable chorus. Perfectly mastering the recipe for many years, he got another chart topper in the US with this 1976 single.
With over 1.5 million sales in the US and 700,000 in Europe – half from the UK – the difference maker to push this song over 3 million was the USSR. While international singles were rarely released these as only the state labels were in operation, this song did get a release there in 1983 through Melodiya. It added over half a million copies under this format.
26 The Beatles – The Ballad Of John And Yoko – 3,320,000
Presented as the last UK #1 of the Beatles for over 50 years, The Ballad of John and Yoko lost this status to 2023’s Now and Then. Covering the wedding of Lennon and Ono, the song cleared a million sales in the US despite a #8 peak when first released. It was a solid performer across Europe, with 1.3 million units sold.
As always with the Beatles, they enjoyed great extra sales from Japan and Latin America. Markets mostly closed to international products, their popularity provided them sales in 6 digits for most of their singles in Japan. In Brazil, Mexico or Argentina, they routinely sold anything from 25,000 to 100,000 per country with all their main singles. This is how good 2 million sellers end up crossing 3 million for the Fab Four.
25 John Lennon – Woman – 3,335,000
Woman provides John Lennon his first multi-million seller in this ranking, and while more are coming, chronologically speaking this was his last such release. The second single from the Double Fantasy era, it was the first to come out just weeks after his tragic murder in December 8, 1980.
#1 in the UK and Canada, #2 in the US, the song was huge. It sold 1.2 million in the US, and 1.7 million in Europe, with less than 600,000 coming from the UK. Released in January 1981, overall, it’s the third latest song to reach 3 million songs.
24 The Beatles – All You Need Is Love – 3,355,000
By 1967, the popularity and globalness of the Beatles was more than settled. The same singles were released everywhere, and only 3 or 4 were coming out per year. Also, countries like France or Brazil that had a strong tradition of issuing EPs rather than singles had moved into singles as well. It opened the way for larger worldwide totals.
The combination of these factors saw All You Need Is Love go to #1 in the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Austria, etc. Naturally, sales numbers went very high. In the US, it just topped a million, while it climbed to 1.6 million in Europe, and 300,000 copies in Canada, Australia and Japan combined.
23 The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love – 3,436,000
The first new song released after the mass hysteria created by the pair of gigantic hits I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You was 1964’s Can’t Buy Me Love. The track was so anticipated that Capitol Records started to claim 2.1 million sales. In truth, this was the amount they were pressing worldwide. A lack of knowledge from journalists confused this number with US first week sales to consumers, leading to fanciful extrapolations, that still stand today.
The reality is very far from that, as the song needed various later reissues before hitting a proper million sales in the US. It did go through the roof in the UK with 1.3 million sales under its original format. The rest of Europe added 350,000 copies, en route to 3.4 million global sales.
22 The Beatles – Lady Madonna – 3,497,500
Despite a relatively disappointing #4 in the US (although the track charted at #2 in Cashbox and Record World magazines), 1968’s Lady Madonna sold 1.5 million units in the US. By that point, their fans were rushing to buy their records upon release. These singles that weren’t tied with studio albums were the hottest sellers, and sales often came in before the track had time to gather strong airplay, which led to a somewhat low peak.
Elsewhere the song did very well, with various #1 peaks and top 10 in most of the world. It sold at least 150,000 units in each the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan.
21 The Beatles – Yesterday – 3,505,000
Hurt by the EP-only release syndrome in various markets, including the UK, the Beatles‘ Yesterday still shifted a stunning 3.5 million copies as a single. Of course, it was a monster when first released in 1965. It remained on top for 4 weeks in the US, also going to #1 in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, etc.
The song was also a fan favorite from its release to mid-70s, adding significant catalog sales to its counter. In the US, it went up to a noteworthy 1.8 million, while moving over 200,000 in the UK thanks to imports during the 60s and the successful #8 reissue from 1976.
20 The Beatles – Paperback Writer – 3,517,500
The Beatles continue to pile super hits, this time with 1966’s Paperback Writer at 3.5 million. A 2-weeks #1 in both the US and the UK, Paperback Writer was their 12th and 10th chart topper in these countries, respectively. All inclusive, sales went up to 1.6 million in the former and 700,000 copies in the latter.
As usual, their ability to move 180,000 copies of this single in Japan, or 140,000 in Italy, was a game changer in terms of global sales. Massive numbers for anyone else, that’s still only enough to rank at the bottom of their top 20.
19 The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night – 3,730,000
Just like Can’t Buy Me Love, its follow-up A Hard Day’s Night was heavily anticipated. It lived to the hype much better though. Of course, on the surface, it spend 2 weeks at #1 in the US, to Can’t Buy Me Love‘s 5. But a more revealing factor is that it lasted 13 weeks on charts, against the incredibly short-lived 10 weeks of Love.
Sales-wise A Hard Day’s Night has the lead. In the US, paired with I Should Have Known Better, it did 1.2 million units back in the day, plus 375,000 from later releases and imports from the British version. That one had Things We Said Today as its B-side. It sold 1.7 million worldwide on its own, with below 800,000 units in the UK, and good showings in Europe and Japan.
18 The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine – 3,790,000
We notice that, now that we are on higher waters, most singles come from the Beatles, which got that universal appeal that solo members couldn’t hit effortlessly at every attempt as the band did. At 3.8 million stands Eleanor Rigby, of course paired with Yellow Submarine. In 1966, B-sides could chart still, Yellow Submarine went to #2 in the US, while Eleanor Rigby went to #11. The single moved 1.6 million copies to date there.
Elsewhere, the song topped charts in many places, including the UK, Germany, and Canada. It sold 1.5 million copies in Europe, north of 150,000 in Japan and about 100,000 in each Canada and Australia.
17 The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane – 3,860,000
Another famous double A-side, 1967’s Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Love had similar results as Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine. Both songs charted impressively high, at #8 and #1, respectively. The single moved 1.7 million copies in the US.
In Europe, this one too sold almost 1.5 million copies. The single infamously failed to top the UK chart, peaking at 2, with their string of 11 consecutive #1s coming to an end. It was more down to heavy competition, with 1.4 million seller Release Me by Engelbert Humperdinck peaking at the same time. Sales-wise, it was one of the many Beatles singles in the 600,000-800,000 units range from the 1966-1968 years.
16 The Beatles – I Feel Fine – 3,992,500
A typical feel good track from John Lennon‘s canon, I Feel Fine was another 1964 blockbuster for the Beatles. The song shoot to over 1.3 million sales in each the US and the UK, spending multiple weeks at #1 in all English-speaking markets.
As every early hit, it got a very limited release initially in markets favoring EPs at the time like France or Brazil, but big numbers in countries like Japan (200,000), Germany (180,000), Canada (150,000) and Australia (105,000) brought its global total to almost 4 million units.
15 The Beatles – Hello, Goodbye – 4,130,000
Up to the position #15, we reach the 4 million threshold with Hello, Goodbye. We lyrics that represent nicely today’s environment on social media, the 1967 track is one more of these transatlantic #1s. We get into this level of sales where the news would be a single that did not reach the top in the US or the UK.
Hello, Goodbye sold 1.4 million in the US, but it’s the more global environment that pushed it so high. It did three quarters of the road to the million goal in their homeland, and an average over 200,000 units in Germany, France, Japan, and Canada. It also moved in 6 digits or close in countries like Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
14 The Beatles – Help! – 4,175,000
Perhaps the most surprising fact about Help! is that it is the second highest selling Beatles song penned exclusively by John Lennon, and the highest that isn’t part of a double A-side, yet it features at 14 only. Of course it does so with astonishing sales at 4.2 million, despite once again the EP competition is some markets as it was the norm by 1965.
It reached #1 in every English-speaking country (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand), but also throughout Scandinavia, the Netherlands, etc. With 1.7 million US sales and almost a million in the UK, plus near 300,000 in Japan, we really get into the biggies. No need to say that hits as big as Help! would be a career-defining song for nearly every other artist. For the Beatles, that doesn’t get into their top 10.
13 The Beatles – Something / Come Together – 4,482,500
After the madness of their early years, when albums, EPs and singles were coming out at a very fast pace, the release schedule of the Beatles was almost mechanical. They were dropping one album every 6-9 months, and then extras in the form of non-album singles, which enabled them to move insane amounts.
When double A-side Something / Come Together, from Abbey Road, came out in the fall of 1969, it was the first time in over 3 years they issued songs from a studio album in single format. The last one had been Revolver‘s Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine in the summer of 1966. There was no guarantee the new single would sell that well with the competition of the album that was already in the market.
The music spoke by itself though, and both George Harrison‘s Something and John Lennon‘s Come Together were immensely popular. The single cracked the 2 million barrier in the US. Sales of the album did cap the single in the UK, where it peaked at 4 on 230,000 sales, which is slightly less than its sales in each Germany, France, and Japan, while it came close to 400,000 units in Italy.
12 The Beatles – We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper – 4,712,500
Another immensely popular double A-side, 1965’s We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper included the last two big hits written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon together. In later years, one of them – or less often Harrison or Starr – was the primary writer with no ambiguity.
This one was especially big in the US (just over 2 million) and the UK (1.4 million). It sold in the 150,000-180,000 in Germany, Italy, and Japan, and from 50,000 to 100,000 in Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, France, and Brazil.
11 John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over – 4,780,000
After 13 consecutive singles from the Beatles, we are back to a solo hit. John Lennon‘s (Just Like) Starting Over is just outside the top 10, with heavy sales of 4.8 million. Issued 6 weeks before the murder of the artist, the song was a great return to form after a 5-years pause to raise his son Sean Lennon. Peaking at #6 in the US and #8 in the UK, the death of John Lennon catapulted the track to the top in both countries.
It went on to sell 1.7 million in the US through 3 versions, close to half that number in the UK, over a million in the rest of Europe, plus half a million from USSR’s Krugozor distribution. It’s the 3rd highest selling Beatles track from the 80s.
10 Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson – Say Say Say – 4,952,500
We kick the top 10 highest selling Beatles physical singles with Paul McCartney‘s Say Say Say, recorded with Michael Jackson. The song closed a dream year for the latter, providing him his 7th top 10 hit of 1983. It was also the 9th and final US #1 hit for Paul McCartney in his post-Beatles years.
Issued in October 1983, it’s the latest song of the list, the last time a Beatle sold multi-million units of a single. George Harrison‘s Got My Mind Set on You did hit #1 in the US following its 1987 release, but the weaker market by then left the song with only 1.65 million sales globally.
Back to Say Say Say, the song moved 1.8 million units in the US, and 2.4 million in Europe. This latter figure is especially huge, in good part thanks to France, where the track sold more than 800,000 copies. It was also a big hit in Eastern Europe, like in Yugoslavia, where singles were often not released at all.
9 John Lennon – Imagine – 5,378,850
Easily the most recognizable John Lennon song, Imagine ranks at 9th with a stunning total of 5.38 million sales. It’s hard to believe that this 1971 title wasn’t even released in his homeland until 1975, and at that time only peaked at 6. Imagine just got so popular that it kept getting issued again and again, building healthy totals everywhere.
In fact, the song went to #1 after Lennon‘s passing, and then again to #3 in 1999. The unreleased track ended up selling over 1.5 million copies there. It went over 1.3 million in the US, despite failing to reach a million when coming out in 1971 with a #3 peak. Similar situations pushed it to over 400,000 units in Germany, nearly as much in Italy, over 250,000 in France, Japan and Latin America, etc.
With Imagine, John Lennon scores his highest entry among the Beatles‘ top selling singles, ranking with a total of 6 solo songs, on top of course of the songs he wrote for the band.
8 The Beatles – She Loves You – 5,400,000
Half of the one-two punch that signaled to the world the arrival of the Beatles, She Loves You destroyed charts in both the US and the UK, with gigantic runs in the upper region of charts. It sold more than 2.5 million in the former country, with the former pushing the tally to over 4 million.
Sales elsewhere weren’t even that big relatively speaking, as again many markets that were going to become huge had yet to adopt singles. The song still sold 150,000 plus in markets like Japan, Canada, Germany or Italy, which by 1964 was really something.
7 The Beatles with Billy Preston – Get Back – 5,417,500
The only Beatles song to ever credit another artist, the group’s friend and genius keyboardist Billy Preston, Get Back was issued in the US and UK as the follow-up of Hey Jude / Revolution. At the climax of their popularity, they saw the song top charts not only in every English-speaking market, but also in countries usually dominated by local music like France or Germany.
Topping both US and UK charts for 6 weeks, it sold 2.2 million copies stateside, their fourth highest score ever. Get Back sold 2 million copies in Europe, while making huge wave in Japan too at 275,000 sales. Its sales were in 6 digits in both Brazil and Mexico, a very rare feat.
6 Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder – Ebony And Ivory – 5,452,500
Completing this quartet of 5.4 million selling songs charting 6-9 in this ladder is Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder 1982 collaboration Ebony And Ivory. The first ever duet with a high profile artist for McCartney, the pro-integration song was a monumental success, topping US charts for 7 weeks, selling 1.6 million units there.
It did wonders in Europe as well, at over 2.6 million, pushed by the UK (over 600,000), Germany (550,000), Italy (475,000), and France (375,000). Often listed among the worst songs ever nowadays, especially for its extremely simplistic approach of its theme and the lullaby-like harmony, its amazing initial success is undeniable.
5 Wings – Mull Of Kintyre – 6,190,000
From a contemporary perspective, or an American one, seeing Wing‘s Mull of Kintyre in the top 5 would left everyone saying “Whattt?”. Paul McCartney‘s band enjoyed a hit of a magnitude that nobody forecasted. In the UK, the 9-weeks #1 song sold a monstruous 2 million copies, topping the all-time records of 1.6 million set by the Beatles‘ She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand.
In the US, the story was completely different, with a modest #33 peak, mainly thanks to the B-side Girls’ School that gathered the most airplay out of the two. Mull of Kintyre failed to move really large units in more countries like Italy or Japan, yet it did get into the stratosphere in various places. It sold over 1.3 million in Germany with 10 weeks on top, and 200,000 in countries where hits move about 50,000 units like the Netherlands or Australia.
Mull of Kintyre closes counts for Paul McCartney‘s later career with an impressive 13 multi-million selling singles after his Beatles years.
4 The Beatles – Let It Be – 6,312,500
Paul McCartney is still with us as his Let It Be places at 4. The title track from the Beatles‘ final album, Another gargantuan hit with countless weeks on top of the charts, this one also maintained great steady sales up to the 90s.
Its tally went all the way up to 2.6 million in the US. Its entry at #6 in the Hot 100 remained the biggest debut ever until 1995. In the UK, results weren’t as good, with over 300,000 sales and a #2 peak. It sold less there than in France (nearly 400,000), Italy (over 450,000), and Japan (over 600,000). It also sold over 400,000 units in Latin America.
3 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand – 7,136,000
Billboard Hot 100 dated 1964, January 18, I Want To Hold Your Hand enters at 45, the Beatles first entry ever. Sixteen weeks later, they were up to 14 weeks on top thanks to 3 chart toppers. And the rest is history. Of course, in the UK the Beatles were already huge, making noise with Love Me Do in 1962 and demolishing charts the following year with Please Please Me, From Me To You and She Loves You.
But it’s still I Want To Hold Your Hand that made them so special right from the start. When it was so hard to sell a million in the US, it did 3 million straight away, and 3.4 million in the long run. Adding UK sales on top already make it a 5-million seller, something unbelievable. Only the smaller size of continental Europe, Latin America and Japanese markets somewhat cap its sales elsewhere, although that’s one hell of a cap, with a global total north of 7 million.
2 George Harrison – My Sweet Lord – 7,757,500
While George Harrison credit grew a lot in the latter years of the Beatles due to his contributions like Something and Here Comes the Sun, the phenomenal success of My Sweet Lord came as a bombshell. Barely 6 months after The Long and Winding Road was the Beatles‘ last #1, Harrison claimed his first chart topper ahead of Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
It wasn’t only the first, as it remains the biggest selling physical single by a solo Beatles. The song cracked 2 million in the US, and combined for as many sales in the UK, Germany and France alone. It was also an unreal seller in Italy (375,000), Japan (300,000), Australia and Canada (145,000), in Scandinavia. It cleared 100k in each of the 3 largest Latin American markets, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Finally, this song too got a 500,000 units shipment in USSR.
1 The Beatles – Hey Jude / Revolution – 9,472,500
And here comes the winner: the double A-side Hey Jude / Revolution. While Revolution was popular on its own – #12 in the US – the big one was obviously Hey Jude. Another McCartney penned ballad in the vein of Yesterday or the upcoming Let It Be, Hey Jude took global charts by storm.
The song sold a breathtaking 4.3 million in the US alone. Apart from a couple of charity songs and up to the end of the 80s, it’s one of the only two singles confirmed at over 4 million – the other being Hound Dog / Don’t Be Cruel by Elvis Presley. Reissues pushed it to a million in the UK, while in countries like Germany, Italy, France, and Canada it did 300,000-450,000. It almost reached this level in Australia, something unheard of at the time.
Add to that over 500,000 sales in Latin America, huge numbers across Europe and nearly 700,000 all told in Japan, and you are in front of the kind of success that happens once every decade or so. These sales totaling nearly 9.5 million are the result of sensational results upon release, but also two decades of significant catalog showings. New versions of the single were released in a country or another every year up to 1983, and then multiple times more until 1991.
Data by singer
The Beatles are responsible for just over half of the list, with 25 multi-million sellers out of 49. Paul McCartney is a solid runner up at 13, expectedly John Lennon is next with 6. Some kind of an upset, Ringo Starr bests George Harrison, with 3 listed singles against 2.
If we enlarge the scope to million sellers, the Beatles scored 33 of them, Paul McCartney 24, John Lennon 11, George Harrison 6 and Ringo Starr 4. They would need a 5-CD box set to combine their 78 million sellers. Not too bad, right?
Totals are mind-blowing. The Beatles sold 126 million physical singles, Paul McCartney 73 million, John Lennon 35 million, George Harrison over 20 million and Ringo Starr 14 million. A superb grand total of 268 million.
The following tables provide you with detailed figures single by single for each artist.
The best selling physical singles by the Beatles
The best selling physical singles by Paul McCartney
The best selling physical singles by John Lennon
The best selling physical singles by George Harrison
The best selling physical singles by Ringo Starr
We have more for you…
… about the Beatles
… about sales rankings
