What is the most selling song of all time

Released in 1960, Presley’s pop ballad “It’s Now or Never” is ranked as the 6th best-selling song of all time with worldwide sales of over 20 million physical copies. While the youthful Elvis served in Germany, he heard “‘O Sole Mio,” and then he got inspired by the melody of the famous Neapolitan song, deciding to borrow it for “It’s Now or Never.” E. Presley shared the new idea with his music publisher, who found the songwriters Aaron Schroeder and Wally G., who wrote the lyrics in half an hour.

They're the very top of the pops – the UK's million-selling singles, the tracks that have achieved one million paid-for sales, whether they be physical singles or downloads. It's still a relatively rare feat, with currently only 178 songs making it to seven figures.

Not all of them managed to make it to Number 1 – 28 million-sellers never hit the top spot – but they've earned their place in British pop history.

Way out in front, with 4.93 million sales is Elton John's double-A Candle in the Wind 97/Something About the Way You Look Tonight, released after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Another charity record is in second, the original Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas? on 3.8 million, and the next five songs have all sold over two million copies.

The biggest selling cover version is Boney M's Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring from 1978, shifting 2.03 million, although the originals never charted – the most popular cover version of a song that had already charted is Wet Wet Wet's redo of the Troggs' Love Is All Around, on 1.9 million.

Look back over every Number 1 on the Official UK Singles Chart

The top selling song released in the 21st century goes to Pharrell Williams' Happy, which is eighth with 1.95 million sales, while in 10th is the top selling song never to reach Number 1 – Wham!'s Last Christmas, which was blocked by Band Aid in 1984 and has sold 1.9 million. Cher's Believe, the best-selling song by a female artist, is 17th in the rundown, with 1.84 million.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax claims the best-selling debut single by a group (2.07m) and Will Young takes the prize for a solo artist with Anything Is Possible/Evergreen. (1.79m)

Some stars are just greedy and bag more than one million-seller: 22 acts have two or more entries in the list of the UK's all-time bestselling singles. Way out in front, with an astonishing six, are the Beatles, with their top-selling honour going to 1963 chart-topper She Loves You, on 1.92 million.

Rihanna is up next – she appears on four, with We Found Love (feat Calvin Harris) her biggest, shifting 1.43 million copies. Adele and Pharrell Williams have three million-sellers each – Someone Like You from 2011 is Adele's big one (1.66m) and Pharrell's is Happy.

The UK's best-selling songs of all time (physical single and download sales)

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* Sales for White Christmas have only been counted since the inception of the chart in 1952.