Highlights
- "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey has sold 16 million copies worldwide and still earns over $2 million per year.
- "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, the theme song of Titanic has earned the singer more than $60 million to date.
- "We Are The World" by USA for Africa brought together the greatest singers of the world and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid.
The 20th century was an amazing time for advances in music-based technologies and the creation of entirely new music genres. As lyrical prowess improved and distribution allowed for immediate access to songs by worldwide audiences, music sales exploded.
Some of the 20th century's bestselling songs have stuck around decades after their initial release and have become evergreen songs, that is, songs that have withstood the test of time and are still regularly heard on the radio even well into the 21st century.
Let's take a look at the legendary evergreen songs that are still loved and played on repeat well into modern times.
10 All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey (1994)
16 Million Copies Sold
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was released in 1994, with bell chimes, backing vocals, and synthesizers this fast-tempo love song becomes the perfect holiday song, especially in the Christmas holiday session. The song was a global success in the 20th century and remained top of 25 countries' music charts.
Carey’s first holiday-themed song is still very popular. In 2019, after 25 years of song release, All I Want For Christmas Is You topped the US Billboard Hot 100.
Grammy Award Winner's most famous song has broken several records like the longest number-one song on the charts. It is the “best-selling holiday song of all time”, selling 16 million copies worldwide and becoming the “first-holiday song” which sold 12 million copies in the United States.
Hello Magazine reports that the song still earns $2.5 to $3 million per year in royalties.
9 My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion (1997)
18 Million Copies Sold
The Titanic movie theme song “My Heart Will Go On” is still going on in the hearts of music lovers. Celine Dion’s signature song is the second best-selling single by a woman in entire music history and the world’s best-selling single in 1998. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) included Celine Dion’s masterpiece in the list of “Songs of the Century”
The Will Jenning’s written song was at the top of the charts in more than 25 countries and had more than 18 million buyers all over the world.
Celine Dion has earned an estimated $60 million from the song, and she's estimated to still earn $600,000 per year from the track.
8 If I Didn’t Care - The Ink Spots Featuring Bill Kenny (1939)
19 Million Copies Sold
Bill Kenny, regarded as the most influential high-tenor singer of all time, sang Jack Lawrence's “If I Didn’t Care” and he created history with the single. The Ink Spot Recording’s song became the first evergreen song added to the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
There are less than 40 songs in history with over 10 million physical copies sold. The album has sold more than 19 million copies all over the world. Bill Kenny’s star song has also been used in several movies including Shawshank Redemption, Get Low, and “Hyde Park and Hudson.”
Jack Lawrence wrote the song and mailed it to some of his friends for their feedback. The Jack Lawrence Songwriter website noted that "His friends' reaction to the song was almost unanimously negative, but he remained positive on it, and later it became one of his biggest successes."
7 We Are The World - USA for Africa (1985)
20 Million Copies Sold
This was the rare occasion when the greatest singers of the world gathered to create the charity single “We Are The World.” The song was written by legendary singers Micheal Jackson and Lionel Richie. They both sang on the track along with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Dary Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles.
We Are The World succeeded in raising more than $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa. The star-studded song also collected four Grammy Awards, One American Music Award, and a People’s Choice Award.
With 20 million sales Columbia Records' song became the first single to receive multi-platinum certification.
In 2023 dollars the song earned more than $130 million when adjusted for inflation. All of the song's profits were donated to charity, making it a truly special release.
6 It’s Now Or Never - Elvis Presley (1960)
20 Million Copies Sold
Elvis Presley famously known as “The King Of Rock And Roll” stands as the greatest cultural figure of the 20th century. And, his masterpiece “It’s Now Or Never” is the best-selling song of his entire collection with over 20 million copies sold. His collection is a treasure and “It’s Now or Never” shines the brightest among them all.
In 1960, Elvis' most successful song recorded number one in the USA for five weeks and topped the UK charts for eight weeks, becoming Elvis Presley’s bestseller.
During a press conference in 1961, Elvis talked about "It's Now Or Never," calling it the "favorite of the songs he recorded."
5 I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston (1992)
20.5 Million Copies Sold
“I Will Always Love You” was actually written by Dolly Parton for her mentor and business partner Porter Wagoner as a farewell song, as she decided to pursue a solo career. She recorded the song and released it in 1974. The song did well and appeared in the top spot on Billboard Hot Country Songs in 1974 and 1982.
Whitney Houston recorded a soul ballad arrangement of the song for the movie "The Bodyguard" and his version got all the attention and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Hundred for a record-breaking 14 weeks. This song was in the top charts in almost all countries of the world. Now this song is the best-selling ever single by a woman with 20.5 million copies sold.
In the 1990s, Whitney Houston made millions of dollars from the song, but the real winner was Dolly Parton who earned $10 million from the track. She continues to earn money from the track in 2023 and she used the proceeds from that track to buy a brand-new complex for her business . The complex when purchased was in a predominately black area which Parton thought was fitting given it was Whitney Houston who earned her that money.
4 Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets (1954)
25 Million Copies Sold
The 1950s was the era of Rock and Roll and one song that stands out among all of the others was Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets. This irresistible composition conquered the charts, reigning as the number-one single for an impressive two months, captivating both American and British audiences.
This is not the only time this song created an impact, the song re-entered the 1960s and 70s UK charts, and even now the song has been streamed millions of times. The Max C and Jimmy De Knight's written song has sold 25 Million copies all over the world.
Rock Around The Clock sold an estimated 75,000 copies when it was released. One year later the song was used in the 1955 film "Blackboard Jungle" and then it skyrocketed, selling more than one million copies after the movie was released. According to NPR, it was the movie's theme and the song's associations with it that are credited with Rock & Roll being attached from that point on to anti-social behavior .
3 Petit Papa Noel - Tino Rossi (1945)
30 Million Copies Sold
Petit Papa Noel is the third best-selling song of all time and the only French song that has sold 30 million copies globally.
The song has been recreated many times by other singers, some gained good traction but no one reached the caliber of Tino Rossi's version. It was originally performed by Rossi in Richard Pottier’s movie “Destins" and it went on to sell a mind-boggling 30 million copies worldwide.
Petit Papa Noel has been recorded by dozens of artists over year and has charted multiple times. The most recent success of the song was Josh Groban's remake in 2008 which debuted at number eight on the French SNEP Singles chart .
2 Something About The Way You Look and Candle In the Wind - John Elton (1997)
33 Million Copies Sold
In Sir Elton John’s 25th Album “The Big Picture” A-side-songs, Something About The Way You Look, and Candle In The Wind sold over 33 million times. Sir Elton Hercules John is among the top bestselling musicians of all time, having sold over 300 million copies in his musical career to date. Only Elvis Presley and Micheal Jackson are above him on the list with 500 million and 400 million sales respectively.
The Big Picture double A-side singles remained on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks and it peaked at the UK charts for 5 weeks. Elton John’s double A-side single is the best-selling single ever in the UK with almost 5 million sales, and it sold over 11 million copies in the US.
Elton John didn't make any money from the release of "Candle in the Wind," instead he set up a fund in Princess Diana's name. The song has made an estimated $47 million and his charity which closed in 2012 brought in an even more impressive $176.7 million .
1 White Christmas - Bing Cosby - 1942
50 Million Copies Sold
White Christmas is the bestselling music single ever according to the Guinness World Records and has sold 50 Million physical copies. If we add in digital copies the song has been sold more than 100 million times. Bing Cosby’s song is by far the most famous song of all time and no song is even close to this masterpiece.
Irving Berlin had written this song for the 1942 musical film “Holiday Inn.” This song not only tops the best-selling list, it was also the top-charting song for a record 11 weeks on the Billboard Chart in 1942. The song returned to number 1 in 1943 and 1944. Bing Cosby’s version returned 12 times in the Top 40 Billboard chart in the following years.
In 2016 the IBTimes reported that Bing Crosby's White Christmas single was still earning more than $500,000 per year from royalties . It had already reached over 100 million physical plus digital copies sold at that time. With the increase in streaming music in recent years, plus licensing, there's the possibility that White Christmas will earn even more in 2023.
With the 20th century behind us, these bestselling songs of the century are unlikely to change and we expect White Christmas to continue its dominance over the rest of the list, because, let's be honest, it's impossible to escape Bing Crosby's smash hit, even 81 years after its initial release.
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