Current Best Selling Song of All Time
The best selling song of all time, based on the newest available public data, is "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, which has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide as a physical single. The track is widely cited by industry sources as the top selling single in history, driven by decades of holiday airplay and physical distribution across multiple formats. According to the RIAA and IFPI related reporting, "White Christmas" remains the benchmark for global single sales, with its figures consistently referenced in major music industry analyses Forbes music sales overview.
The song's sales dominance is reinforced by its release on Decca Records in 1942 and its continued presence on compilation albums, digital stores, and streaming platforms. While modern streaming equivalents complicate direct comparisons, historical sales data still places "White Christmas" at the top of the all time best selling songs list, ahead of later digital era hits.
Key Sales Figures and Industry Context
"White Christmas" is credited with over 50 million copies sold globally, making it the highest certified single in terms of physical sales, according to the IFPI and RIAA related data used in industry rankings. The figure includes sales across vinyl, shellac, cassette, and CD formats, with the bulk of units moved before the digital download era began.
By contrast, the best selling digital single of all time is "Rockstar" by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage, with over 18 million digital copies sold in the United States alone, as reported by the RIAA certification database RIAA certification database. Globally, streaming equivalents have not yet matched the pure sales volume of legacy physical singles, which is why "White Christmas" retains the all time top position in traditional sales rankings.
How Sales Are Measured and Ranked
Certification Bodies and Data Sources
Sales rankings rely on data from the RIAA, IFPI, and national chart authorities, which track physical shipments, digital downloads, and, increasingly, streaming equivalents. The RIAA certifies singles based on equivalent units that combine paid digital downloads, on demand audio and video streams, and physical sales, but pure sales figures remain the standard for all time lists IFPI official site.
Physical vs Digital vs Streaming Equivalents
Physical single sales dominated the 20th century, allowing songs like "White Christmas" to accumulate tens of millions of units over decades. Digital downloads introduced a new high-velocity sales channel in the 2000s, while streaming now contributes equivalent units, though at a much lower per stream value than a paid download or physical purchase.
Why Historical Sales Still Lead All Time Lists
Historical sales figures are still used for all time rankings because they reflect pure purchase volume without the dilution of free or ad-supported streams. As a result, pre digital era hits continue to top the best selling songs of all time lists, even as modern tracks achieve massive streaming numbers that are converted into certification units at a lower effective rate.