Digital Songs

Billboard logo (From 2013)

The Digital Songs chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs)^[1] ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by Billboard. It debuted in the issue dated January 22, 2005, and merged all versions of a song sold from digital music distributors.^[2] Its data was incorporated in the Hot 100 three weeks later. Since October 2004, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboard's music singles charts.^[3] The decision was based on the dramatic increase of the digital market while commercial single sales in a physical format were becoming negligible.^[4]

The chart's current number one as of the issue dated December 10, 2016 is "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane.^[5]

Song records

Songs with most weeks at number one

• 13 weeks

Flo Rida featuring T-Pain – "Low" (2007–08)

Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – "Uptown Funk" (2015)

The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – "Closer" (2016)

• 11 weeks

Pharrell Williams – "Happy" (2014)

• 10 weeks

The Black Eyed Peas – "Boom Boom Pow" (2009)

The Black Eyed Peas – "I Gotta Feeling" (2009)

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz – "Thrift Shop" (2013)

Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell – "Blurred Lines" (2013)

Justin Timberlake – "Can't Stop the Feeling!" (2016)

• 9 weeks

Gwen Stefani – "Hollaback Girl" (2005)

Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx – "Gold Digger" (2005)

• 8 weeks

50 Cent featuring Olivia – "Candy Shop" (2005)

Carly Rae Jepsen – "Call Me Maybe" (2012)

Meghan Trainor – "All About That Bass" (2014)

• 7 weeks

Daniel Powter – "Bad Day" (2006)

Eminem featuring Rihanna – "Love the Way You Lie" (2010)

Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – "E.T." (2011)

Fun featuring Janelle Monáe – "We Are Young" (2012)

Taylor Swift – "Blank Space" (2014–15)

Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – "See You Again" (2015)

Adele – "Hello" (2015–16)

Top 10 single-week download sellers

1. Adele – "Hello" (1,112,000) November 14, 2015^[6]

2. Flo Rida – "Right Round" (636,000) February 28, 2009

3. Adele – "Hello" (635,000) November 21, 2015^[7]

4. Taylor Swift – "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (623,000) September 1, 2012^[8]

5. Kesha – "Tik Tok" (610,000) January 9, 2010

6. Taylor Swift – "I Knew You Were Trouble" (582,000) January 12, 2013^[9]

7. Bruno Mars – "Grenade" (559,000) January 8, 2011

8. Katy Perry – "Roar" (557,000) August 31, 2013^[10]

9. Taylor Swift – "Shake It Off" (544,000) September 6, 2014^[11]

10. Gotye featuring Kimbra – "Somebody That I Used to Know" (542,000) April 28, 2012^[12]

Biggest first-week sales

1. Adele – "Hello" (1,112,000) November 14, 2015

2. Flo Rida — "Right Round" (636,000) February 28, 2009

3. Taylor Swift — "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (623,000) September 1, 2012

4. Katy Perry — "Roar" (557,000) August 31, 2013

5. Taylor Swift — "Shake It Off" (544,000) September 6, 2014

6. Justin Bieber — "Boyfriend" (521,000) April 4, 2012

7. Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa — "Payphone" (493,000) May 5, 2012

8. The Black Eyed Peas — "Boom Boom Pow" (465,000) April 18, 2009

9. Lady Gaga — "Born This Way" (448,000) February 26, 2011

10. Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea — "Problem" (438,000) May 17, 2014

Biggest jump to number one

• 66-1: will.i.am featuring Britney Spears – "Scream & Shout" (December 15, 2012)
• 57-1: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Drew Seeley – "Breaking Free" (February 11, 2006)
• 50-1: Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris – "Break Your Heart" (March 20, 2010)
• 42-1: Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – "See You Again" (April 18, 2015)
• 38-1: Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean – "Hips Don't Lie" (June 17, 2006)
• 35-1: Kelly Clarkson – "Piece by Piece" (March 19, 2016)
• 28-1: Katy Perry – "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" (July 2, 2011)
• 26-1: Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar - "Bad Blood" (June 6, 2015)
• 23-1: Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys – "Empire State of Mind" (October 3, 2009)
• 17-1: Eminem – "When I'm Gone" (December 17, 2005)
• 16-1: Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane – "Black Beatles" (November 26, 2016)

Longest climb to number one

• 26 weeks

The All-American Rejects – "Dirty Little Secret" (2005–06)

• 25 weeks

The Fray – "How to Save a Life" (2006)

Train – "Hey, Soul Sister" (2009–10)

• 24 weeks

Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis – "Just Dance" (2008–09)

• 23 weeks

Adele – "Set Fire to the Rain" (2012–12)

Biggest drop from number one

• 1-38: Jordan Smith - "Mary, Did You Know?" (January 9, 2016)
• 1-19: Glee Cast - "Teenage Dream" (December 4, 2010)
• 1-19: Prince & the Revolution - "Purple Rain" (May 21, 2016)

Song achievements

• "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas holds the record for biggest selling digitally downloaded song of all time, with current U.S. digital sales of over 8,000,000 copies sold. The song was also the first to pass the 6, 7 and 8 million of downloads ^[13]
• "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain was the first song to pass the 4 and 5 million of downloads. It was also named the Top Digital Song of the 2000s decade.^[14]
• Soulja Boy's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was the first song to pass the 3 million of downloads.^[15]
• Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" was the first song to pass the 2 million of downloads.^[16]
• "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani was the first song in history to surpass one million downloads.^[17]
• "Right Round" by Flo Rida holds the record for the largest debut/overall sales week for a male for a digital song with 636,000 downloads.^[18]
• "Payphone" by Maroon 5 (featuring Wiz Khalifa) holds the record for the largest debut/overall sales week for a group for a digital song with 493,000 downloads.^[19]
• "We Are Young" by Fun featuring Janelle Monáe is the first song to log seven weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales.^[20]
• "Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz is the first song to log eight and also nine weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales.^[21]
• "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell is the first song to log ten weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales and the first song to log four weeks of 400,000 or more in digital sales.
• "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra is the first song to log three weeks of 400,000 or more in digital sales.
• "Hello" by Adele surpassed the 4 million mark in its thirteenth week, faster than any other song in digital history.
• "Hello" by Adele holds the record for the largest debut/overall sales week for a digital song with 1,112,000 downloads and the largest non-debut sales week for a digital song with 635,000 downloads. It is also the first song to debut with 1 million downloads sold in a week and to log two weeks of 600,000 or more in digital sales.

Album records

• Teenage Dream by Katy Perry holds the record for most digital number-ones from one album, with five. "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" have all topped the chart.

Artist records

Artists with the most number-one hits

1. Rihanna (14)^[22]

2. Katy Perry (11)

3. Taylor Swift (10)

4. Eminem (9)

5. Britney Spears (7)

5. Bruno Mars (7)

5. Drake (7)

Artists with most weeks at number one

1. Rihanna (40)

2. Katy Perry (37)

3. Taylor Swift (29)

4. Bruno Mars (27)

5. The Black Eyed Peas (26)

Self-replacement at number one

• Mariah Carey – "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (one week) → "Don't Forget About Us" (one week) (December 31, 2005)
• T.I. – "Whatever You Like" (one week) → "Live Your Life" (one week) (October 18, 2008)
• Beyoncé – "If I Were a Boy" (one week) → "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (two weeks) (December 6, 2008)
• The Black Eyed Peas – "Boom Boom Pow" (ten weeks) → "I Gotta Feeling" (ten weeks) (June 27, 2009)
• Glee Cast – "Teenage Dream" (one week) → "Forget You" (one week) (December 4, 2010)
• Iggy Azalea – "Problem" (Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea) (three weeks) → "Fancy" (Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX) (four weeks) (June 7, 2014)
• Taylor Swift — "Shake It Off" (four non-consecutive weeks) → "Out of the Woods" (one week) (November 1, 2014)
• Jordan Smith — "Somebody to Love" (one week) → "Mary, Did You Know?" (one week) (January 2, 2016)
• Drake — "Pop Style" (one week)→ One Dance (one week) (April 30, 2016)

Simultaneously occupying the top two positions

• Mariah Carey: December 31, 2005

1. "Don't Forget About Us"
2. "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

• Beyoncé: December 6, 2008

1. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
2. "If I Were a Boy"

• The Black Eyed Peas: June 27, 2009 through July 4, 2009

1. "I Gotta Feeling"
2. "Boom Boom Pow"

• Kesha: January 23, 2010^[23]

1. "Tik Tok"
2. "Blah Blah Blah" (featuring 3OH!3)

• Taylor Swift: September 22, 2012^[24]

1. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
2. "Ronan"

• Iggy Azalea: May 17, 2014 through June 21, 2014

1. "Problem" (Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea)
2. "Fancy" (Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX) (songs switched positions on June 7, 2014)

• Taylor Swift: November 1, 2014

1. "Out of the Woods"
2. "Shake It Off"

• Prince: May 14, 2016

1. "Purple Rain"
2. "When Doves Cry"

Artist achievements

• Katy Perry is the first artist in digital history to top 300,000 downloads in weekly sales with eight different songs. She has done it with "Hot n Cold", "California Gurls", "Firework", "E.T.", "The One That Got Away", "Part of Me", "Roar", and "Dark Horse".^[25]
• Rihanna was named the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade.^[26]
• David Cook holds the record for debuts and total songs charting in one week with 14.^[27]
• Miley Cyrus is the youngest female artist to debut at number one with 226,000 downloads with her song "Party in the U.S.A.". "Party" is also tied with Psy's "Gangnam Style" for the record of most weeks at #1 without topping the Billboard Hot 100, with six weeks each.^[28]
• Taylor Swift is the only artist to top 500,000 downloads in weekly sales with four different songs. She has done it with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", "I Knew You Were Trouble", "Shake It Off", and "Blank Space".
• Adele is the first and only artist to top 1 million downloads in weekly sales with a song. She has done it with "Hello".

See also

• Hot Digital Tracks
• Digital distribution
• Music download

References

1. Trust, Gary (2014-01-08). "Pitbull, Ke$ha Take 'Timber' to Top of Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
2. "New Mix for Digital Rankings". Billboard. 117 (4): 6. January 22, 2005. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
3. Grein, Paul (2013-03-20). "Week Ending March 17, 2013. Songs: The Great Chart Robbery Of 2013". Yahoo!. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
4. "Billboard updated album charts". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
5. "Rae Sremmurd's 'Black Beatles' Leads Hot 100 for Third Week". Billboard. November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
6. Trust, Gary (2015-11-02). "Adele Says 'Hello' to No. 1 Hot 100 Debut; First Song to Sell 1 Million Downloads in a Week". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
7. Trust, Gary (2015-11-09). "Adele's 'Hello' Tops Hot 100 for Second Week; Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor Hit Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
8. Caulfield, Keith (2012-08-21). "Official: Taylor Swift's 'Never' Song Sells 623,000; Sets Female Digital Record". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
9. Caulfield, Keith (2013-01-03). "Taylor Swift's 'Red,' 'Les Mis' Soundtrack Lead Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
10. Caulfield, Keith (2013-08-21). "Luke Bryan Nets No. 1 Album, Katy Perry's 'Roar' Tops Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
11. Caulfield, Keith (2014-08-27). "Wiz Khalifa Earns First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
12. Caulfield, Keith (2012-04-18). "Lionel Richie's 'Tuskegee' Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
13. Week Ending June 24, 2012. Songs: Elton & The Peas | Chart Watch (NEW) - Yahoo! Music
14. "Digital Songs of the decade". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
15. Grein, Paul (2013-06-26). "Week Ending June 23, 2013. Songs: Miley's Comeback Hit | Chart Watch (NEW) - Yahoo Music". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
16. Chart Watch Extra: Thank You, Daniel Powter | Chart Watch - Yahoo! Music
17. Mitchell, Gail (2005-12-17). "Green Day, 50 Cent Come Up Big In Vegas". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 117 (51): 21. ISSN 0006-2510.
18. "Flo Rida Topples Single-Week Download Mark". Billboard. 2008-01-12. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
19. Caulfield, Keith (2012-04-25). "Billboard 200: Lionel Richie Holds Off Jason Mraz, Stays At No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
20. Latest Music News, Band, Artist, Musician & Music Video News | Billboard
21. Caulfield, Keith (2013-03-13). "Luke Bryan Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
22. "Justin Bieber Replaces Himself at No. 1 on Hot 100 With 'Love Yourself'". Billboard. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
23. "Digital Songs: Jan 23, 2010". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
24. "Digital Songs: Sep 22, 2012". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
25. Week Ending April 10, 2011. Songs: It’s Katy’s World | Chart Watch - Yahoo! Music
26. "Digital Songs Artist of the decade". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
27. "David Cook Sizzles With Record Chart Debuts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
28. "Usher's 'OMG' Stands Pat Atop Hot 100, Miley Tames Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-11-09.

External links

• Current Billboard Digital Songs chart