Best-Selling Singles in U.S. History Cert. by the Recording Industry Association of America (Feb2024)

"The music single format was born out of technical limitations—at the turn of the 20th century, gramophone discs could only carry a small amount of music. The three-minute song became the standard format for musicians. The tradition continued long after record formats could store more than three minutes—through 7-inch records, tape cassettes & CDs, the singles chart remained the place to see which artists were getting the most commercial traction. Now no longer tied to a physical sales alone, the Billboard Hot 100 chart ranks songs by radio airplay, sales data & streaming activity data provided by online music sources. The Recording Industry Association of America has tracked U.S. recording sales, both physical & digital. Artists who pass a landmark sales number—up to 12 million units—get to join their ranks by receiving a Single Certification. They've released a list of the best-selling U.S. singles of all time." - Newsweek.com; all songs listed have sold more than 10 million units