What is the best-selling digital single of all time?

Since the internet became a viable tool for musical promotion, there’s been a slight disconnect between physical and digital success. This disparity makes complete sense given how traditional media has always been the default measurement of success, but in the current age, when streaming platforms and social media reign supreme, this has created an entirely new game.

While physical formats like vinyl and even CD still prevail with unimaginable demand, sales of some digital formats have steadily declined against the popularity of streaming services. For instance, while the iPod was a popular device for sharing and downloading music around 15 years ago, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music soon shifted listener habits.

But while these dispersed, fragmented audience shifts have given rise to a can of worms worth of questions about how to appropriately measure success in the contemporary age, it also points to a more positive aspect of modern consumer habits, one that centres around greater diversity for listeners and more creative freedom for artists.

After all, with more avenues to choose from, musicians can shape their art as appropriate, exploring more ways of connecting with audiences than previously imaginable. However, while this also comes with greater diversity, there’s no ignoring the obvious monopoly of some of the best-selling singles of all time, especially when looking at digital formats and streaming platforms.

So, what is the best-selling digital single of all time?

Interestingly, the best-selling digital single of all time has a pretty chaotic backstory. Xiao Zhan’s ‘Spotlight’, the track that was seen as a response to his own boycott, is reportedly the most digitally downloaded, with over 54 million copies sold in China alone. The popularity was fuelled by Zhan’s own fanbase, which followed a significant controversy in 2020.

With the cultural rally, ‘Spotlight’ sold more than 25 million copies online in the first two days after its release, breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling digital track in China. Behind it is something far less surprising, with Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’ selling over 40 million digital copies above others like ‘Despacito’, Rihanna’s ‘Work’, and The Chainsmokers’ ‘Something Just Like This’.

By stream equivalents, which convert all digital formats into a single figure, The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ holds the top spot with more units than his other hit, ‘Save Your Tears’. However, others are just as expected, with Justin Bieber’s ‘Stay’ holding the third spot, in front of Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ and Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’.

While traditional formats continue to appeal, this just shows the worlds that digital formats have opened up and their place in shaping and nurturing modern hits. It might alienate some audiences, particularly the more nostalgic ones who prefer to consume media the traditional way, but it proves the evolving nature of the music industry and how its dynamics are constantly shifting.

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