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The biggest selling singles of every year revealed! (1952-2011)
18/11/2012
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By Dan Lane
As part of the Official Singles Chart’s 60th birthday celebrations, legendary DJ Tony Blackburn has been counting down the biggest selling single of each year on BBC Radio 2!
Yesterday (Saturday, November 17) Tony Blackburn revealed the final list of the biggest selling singles of each year since the Official Singles Chart began in 1952.
You can listen back to the countdown, which featured the biggest sellers from 1986 to 2011 via the BBC’s iPlayer Radio service.
The full list of the biggest selling singles of each year (from 1952 to 2011) is below:
| YEAR | SINGLE | ARTIST |
| 1952 | AUF WIEDERSEHEN (SWEETHEART) | VERA LYNN |
| 1953 | I BELIEVE | FRANKIE LAINE |
| 1954 | SECRET LOVE | DORIS DAY |
| 1955 | ROSE MARIE | SLIM WHITMAN |
| 1956 | I'LL BE HOME | PAT BOONE |
| 1957 | DIANA | PAUL ANKA |
| 1958 | JAILHOUSE ROCK | ELVIS PRESLEY |
| 1959 | LIVING DOLL | CLIFF RICHARD |
| 1960 | IT'S NOW OR NEVER | ELVIS PRESLEY |
| 1961 | WOODEN HEART | ELVIS PRESLEY |
| 1962 | I REMEMBER YOU | FRANK IFIELD |
| 1963 | SHE LOVES YOU | BEATLES |
| 1964 | CAN'T BUY ME LOVE | BEATLES |
| 1965 | TEARS | KEN DODD |
| 1966 | GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME | TOM JONES |
| 1967 | RELEASE ME | ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK |
| 1968 | HEY JUDE | BEATLES |
| 1969 | SUGAR SUGAR | ARCHIES |
| 1970 | THE WONDER OF YOU | ELVIS PRESLEY |
| 1971 | MY SWEET LORD | GEORGE HARRISON |
| 1972 | AMAZING GRACE | ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS |
| 1973 | TIE A YELLOW RIBBON | DAWN FEATURING TONY ORLANDO |
| 1974 | TIGER FEET | MUD |
| 1975 | BYE BYE BABY | BAY CITY ROLLERS |
| 1976 | SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME | BROTHERHOOD OF MAN |
| 1977 | MULL OF KINTYRE | WINGS |
| 1978 | RIVERS OF BABYLON/BROWN GIRL IN THE RING | BONEY M |
| 1979 | BRIGHT EYES | ART GARFUNKEL |
| 1980 | DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME | THE POLICE |
| 1981 | DON’T YOU WANT ME | HUMAN LEAGUE |
| 1982 | COME ON EILEEN | DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS |
| 1983 | KARMA CHAMELEON | CULTURE CLUB |
| 1984 | DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS ? | BAND AID |
| 1985 | THE POWER OF LOVE | JENNIFER RUSH |
| 1986 | DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY | COMMUNARDS |
| 1987 | NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP | RICK ASTLEY |
| 1988 | MISTLETOE & WINE | CLIFF RICHARD |
| 1989 | RIDE ON TIME | BLACK BOX |
| 1990 | UNCHAINED MELODY | THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS |
| 1991 | (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU | BRYAN ADAMS |
| 1992 | I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU | WHITNEY HOUSTON |
| 1993 | I'D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON'T DO THAT) | MEATLOAF |
| 1994 | LOVE IS ALL AROUND | WET WET WET |
| 1995 | UNCHAINED MELODY/WHITE CLIFFS... | ROBSON & JEROME |
| 1996 | KILLING ME SOFTLY | FUGEES |
| 1997 | SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK / CANDLE IN THE WIND | ELTON JOHN |
| 1998 | BELIEVE | CHER |
| 1999 | BABY ONE MORE TIME | BRITNEY SPEARS |
| 2000 | CAN WE FIX IT | BOB THE BUILDER |
| 2001 | IT WASN'T ME | SHAGGY FT RIKROK |
| 2002 | ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE / EVERGREEN | WILL YOUNG |
| 2003 | WHERE IS THE LOVE | BLACK EYED PEAS |
| 2004 | DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS ? | BAND AID 20 |
| 2005 | (IS THIS THE WAY) TO AMARILLO | TONY CHRISTIE FT. PETER KAY |
| 2006 | CRAZY | GNARLS BARKLY |
| 2007 | BLEEDING LOVE | LEONA LEWIS |
| 2008 | HALLELUJAH | ALEXANDRA BURKE |
| 2009 | POKER FACE | LADY GAGA |
| 2010 | LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE | EMINEM FT RIHANNA |
| 2011 | SOMEONE LIKE YOU | ADELE |
© 2012 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
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