Best-Selling Singles in U.S. History Cert. by the Recording Industry Association of America (Feb2024) - Page 2

"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