The Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2018

Featuring big hits from Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, Drake, Ariana Grande and Anne-Marie.
biggest-singles-of-2018.jpg

Congratulations to Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa, who claim the UK’s biggest single of 2018 on the Official Chart with One Kiss.

The track, which spent eight weeks at Number 1 between April and June, takes the top spot on the chart of the year with a combined sales figure of 1.57 million – made up of 137m audio streams, 15m video streams and 244,000 downloads.

MORE: Check out the Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2019 so far here

It was closely fought race for the top spot; Drake’s God’s Plan finishes just 7,000 combined sales behind (1.56m). The song, which trailed his fifth album Scorpion, spent nine weeks at the helm between February and April. Drake may have just missed out on the top spot, but he bags two more spots in the Top 40: fellow chart-toppers Nice For What and In My Feelings place at 7 and 15. God's Plan also finishes as the year's most streamed song with 147m plays. See Drake's full UK Chart history here.

Drake and Calvin's impressive streaming numbers comes as the British Phonographic Industry (BPI)’s annual report reveals that streaming was up 34% year-on-year in the UK last year, with 91 billion audio streams across the year. In December, a landmark 2 billion audio streams were served in a single week for the first time.

Shotgun by George Ezra was the official song of the summer, and it's the third biggest track of 2018 with 1.49m combined sales, while another George tune, Paradise, is at 8 (1.11m). Check out George Ezra's biggest songs on the Official Chart.

MORE: The Top 40 biggest albums of 2018 on the Official Chart

From w/e 05 July: George Ezra - Shotgun

After fourteen weeks scaling the chart, Shotgun finally rode to Number 1 with  6,500 more sales than its closest competitor.

Keala Settle’s This Is Me from The Greatest Showman soundtrack is at Number 4, with 1.4m combined sales – it's also the biggest song of 2018 based on pure sales, clocking up 277,000 downloads.

Rudimental’s These Days ft. Macklemore, Jess Glynne and Dan Caplen – Number 1 for a single week in April – has topped 1.39m combined sales and is the year's fifth biggest song so far. These Days was key to Jess Glynne breaking the record for being the British female soloist with the most Number 1 hits, now tallying at seven. Jess Glynne's full UK Chart history can be found here.

Portugal. The Man’s slow-burner Feel It Still – which took 33 weeks from its first entry point to finally peak at Number 3 – is tenth (1.02m), and Dua Lipa makes two more appearances in the Top 40 of 2018; IDGAF is at 11 (1.01m) and 2017 chart-topper New Rules was still a major player in 2018, placing 20th (837k). Check out all of Dua Lipa's biggest songs and albums here.

The year’s most popular song so far to miss the Official Chart Top 10 is The Greatest Show from, yes, The Greatest Showman, which peaked at 20, and is 18th in the countdown.

Video streams began to be counted toward the Official Chart from July 2018, and the most streamed clip is Maroon 5 and Cardi B's Girls Like You, with 61m plays – it's at 26 on the overall tally of the year.

Biggest breakthroughs of 2018

Aside from Portugal. The Man, the next top-selling breakthrough single is Lil Dicky viral Number 1 Freaky Friday, featuring Chris Brown, at Number 14 (953k).

More big breakthrough hits from 2018 come from: Benny Blanco's Eastside ft. Halsey & Khalid (20), Loud Luxury's Body (33) and Tom Walker's Leave A Light On (36).

It was a strong year for British acts on the Official Chart, with almost half (18) of the Top 40 made up of songs by (or featuring) British acts.

The Official Top 40 biggest singles of 2018

POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK
1 ONE KISS CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA 1
2 GOD'S PLAN DRAKE 1
3 SHOTGUN GEORGE EZRA 1
4 THIS IS ME SETTLE/GREATEST SHOWMAN ENS 3
5 THESE DAYS RUDIMENTAL/GLYNNE/MACKLEMORE 1
6 PERFECT ED SHEERAN 1
7 NICE FOR WHAT DRAKE 1
8 PARADISE GEORGE EZRA 2
9 NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY ARIANA GRANDE 2
10 FEEL IT STILL PORTUGAL THE MAN 3
11 IDGAF DUA LIPA 3
12 2002 ANNE-MARIE 3
13 FRIENDS MARSHMELLO & ANNE-MARIE 4
14 FREAKY FRIDAY LIL DICKY FT CHRIS BROWN 1
15 IN MY FEELINGS DRAKE 1
16 SOLO CLEAN BANDIT FT DEMI LOVATO 1
17 HAVANA CAMILA CABELLO FT YOUNG THUG 1
18 THE GREATEST SHOW JACKMAN/SETTLE/EFRON/ZENDAYA 20
19 EASTSIDE BENNY BLANCO/HALSEY/KHALID 1
20 NEW RULES DUA LIPA 1
21 BETTER NOW POST MALONE 6
22 PSYCHO POST MALONE FT TY DOLLA SIGN 4
23 I LIKE IT CARDI B/BAD BUNNY/J BALVIN 8
24 ROCKSTAR POST MALONE FT 21 SAVAGE 1
25 PROMISES CALVIN HARRIS & SAM SMITH 1
26 GIRLS LIKE YOU MAROON 5 FT CARDI B 7
27 LULLABY SIGALA & PALOMA FAITH 6
28 YOUNGBLOOD 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 4
29 BARKING RAMZ 2
30 RIVER EMINEM FT ED SHEERAN 1
31 SHAPE OF YOU ED SHEERAN 1
32 REWRITE THE STARS ZAC EFRON & ZENDAYA 16
33 BODY LOUD LUXURY FT BRANDO 4
34 I'LL BE THERE JESS GLYNNE 1
35 THE MIDDLE ZEDD/MAREN MORRIS/GREY 7
36 LEAVE A LIGHT ON TOM WALKER 7
37 A MILLION DREAMS ZIV ZAIFMAN/JACKMAN/WILLIAMS 22
38 ALL THE STARS KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA 5
39 BREATHE JAX JONES FT INA WROLDSEN 7
40 TASTE TYGA FT OFFSET 5

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Chart compiled combining sales, audio and video streams.

View the Official Top 100 Biggest Singles of 2018 in full

The Official Top 40 most streamed audio tracks of 2018

POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK
1 GOD'S PLAN DRAKE 1
2 ONE KISS CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA 1
3 SHOTGUN GEORGE EZRA 1
4 THESE DAYS RUDIMENTAL/GLYNNE/MACKLEMORE 1
5 THIS IS ME SETTLE/GREATEST SHOWMAN ENS 3
6 NICE FOR WHAT DRAKE 1
7 PERFECT ED SHEERAN 1
8 PARADISE GEORGE EZRA 2
9 IDGAF DUA LIPA 3
10 IN MY FEELINGS DRAKE 1
11 2002 ANNE-MARIE 3
12 NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY ARIANA GRANDE 2
13 FRIENDS MARSHMELLO & ANNE-MARIE 4
14 FREAKY FRIDAY LIL DICKY FT CHRIS BROWN 1
15 FEEL IT STILL PORTUGAL THE MAN 3
16 BETTER NOW POST MALONE 6
17 ROCKSTAR POST MALONE FT 21 SAVAGE 1
18 EASTSIDE BENNY BLANCO/HALSEY/KHALID 1
19 PSYCHO POST MALONE FT TY DOLLA SIGN 4
20 HAVANA CAMILA CABELLO FT YOUNG THUG 1
21 SOLO CLEAN BANDIT FT DEMI LOVATO 1
22 NEW RULES DUA LIPA 1
23 SHAPE OF YOU ED SHEERAN 1
24 THE GREATEST SHOW JACKMAN/SETTLE/EFRON/ZENDAYA 20
25 I LIKE IT CARDI B/BAD BUNNY/J BALVIN 8
26 BARKING RAMZ 2
27 YOUNGBLOOD 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 4
28 SAD XXXTENTACION 5
29 RIVER EMINEM FT ED SHEERAN 1
30 REWRITE THE STARS ZAC EFRON & ZENDAYA 16
31 LULLABY SIGALA & PALOMA FAITH 6
32 THE MIDDLE ZEDD/MAREN MORRIS/GREY 7
33 BODY LOUD LUXURY FT BRANDO 4
34 LUCID DREAMS JUICE WRLD 10
35 PROMISES CALVIN HARRIS & SAM SMITH 1
36 TASTE TYGA FT OFFSET 5
37 JUMANJI B YOUNG 13
38 ALL THE STARS KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA 5
39 I'LL BE THERE JESS GLYNNE 1
40 TASTE TYGA FT OFFSET 5

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

The Official Top 40 most downloaded singles of 2018

POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK
1 THIS IS ME SETTLE/GREATEST SHOWMAN ENS 3
2 SHOTGUN GEORGE EZRA 1
3 ONE KISS CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA 1
4 THESE DAYS RUDIMENTAL/GLYNNE/MACKLEMORE 1
5 FEEL IT STILL PORTUGAL THE MAN 3
6 PARADISE GEORGE EZRA 2
7 PERFECT ED SHEERAN 1
8 PROMISES CALVIN HARRIS & SAM SMITH 1
9 NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY ARIANA GRANDE 2
10 SOLO CLEAN BANDIT FT DEMI LOVATO 1
11 FOR YOU (FIFTY SHADES FREED) LIAM PAYNE/RITA ORA 8
12 LEAVE A LIGHT ON TOM WALKER 7
13 GIRLS LIKE YOU MAROON 5 FT CARDI B 7
14 2002 ANNE-MARIE 3
15 GOD'S PLAN DRAKE 1
16 I'LL BE THERE JESS GLYNNE 1
17 LULLABY SIGALA & PALOMA FAITH 6
18 FLAMES DAVID GUETTA FT SIA 7
19 LOST WITHOUT YOU FREYA RIDINGS 9
20 SAY SOMETHING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FT STAPLETON 9
21 FREAKY FRIDAY LIL DICKY FT CHRIS BROWN 1
22 SHALLOW LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER 1
23 NEVER BE THE SAME CAMILA CABELLO 7
24 THE GREATEST SHOW JACKMAN/SETTLE/EFRON/ZENDAYA 20
25 MEANT TO BE BEBE REXHA FT FLORIDA GEORGIA 11
26 BODY LOUD LUXURY FT BRANDO 4
27 STRANGERS SIGRID 10
28 RIVER EMINEM FT ED SHEERAN 1
29 IDGAF DUA LIPA 3
30 BREATHE JAX JONES FT INA WROLDSEN 7
31 FRIENDS MARSHMELLO & ANNE-MARIE 4
32 YOUNGBLOOD 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 4
33 HAVANA CAMILA CABELLO FT YOUNG THUG 1
34 NEVER ENOUGH LOREN ALLRED 24
35 IN MY FEELINGS DRAKE 1
36 NICE FOR WHAT DRAKE 1
37 RISE JONAS BLUE FT JACK & JACK 3
38 IF YOU'RE OVER ME YEARS & YEARS 6
39 ANYWHERE RITA ORA 2
40 TASTE TYGA FT OFFSET 5

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

The Official Top 40 most streamed video tracks of 2018

POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK
1 GIRLS LIKE YOU MAROON 5 FT CARDI B 7
2 SHOTGUN GEORGE EZRA 1
3 EASTSIDE BENNY BLANCO/HALSEY/KHALID 1
4 TASTE TYGA FT OFFSET 5
5 RISE JONAS BLUE FT JACK & JACK 3
6 BABY SHARK PINKFONG 27
7 2002 ANNE-MARIE 3
8 PROMISES CALVIN HARRIS & SAM SMITH 1
9 I LOVE IT KANYE WEST & LIL PUMP 3
10 SOLO CLEAN BANDIT FT DEMI LOVATO 1
11 I LIKE IT CARDI B/BAD BUNNY/J BALVIN 8
12 NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY ARIANA GRANDE 2
13 YOUNGBLOOD 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 4
14 BODY LOUD LUXURY FT BRANDO 4
15 FEFE 6IX9INE/MINAJ/MURDA BEATZ 17
16 PERFECT ED SHEERAN 1
17 FUNKY FRIDAY DAVE FT FREDO 1
18 LET YOU LOVE ME RITA ORA 4
19 ONE KISS CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA 1
20 079ME B YOUNG 23
21 THESE DAYS RUDIMENTAL/GLYNNE/MACKLEMORE 1
22 DESPACITO (REMIX) LUIS FONSI/DADDY YANKEE/BIEBER 1
23 THANK U NEXT ARIANA GRANDE 1
24 OH MY DAPPY FT AY EM 23
25 LONDON AJ & DENO FT EO 45
26 LUCID DREAMS JUICE WRLD 10
27 I'LL BE THERE JESS GLYNNE 1
28 NO BRAINER DJ KHALED/BIEBER/QUAVO/CHANCE 3
29 WOMAN LIKE ME LITTLE MIX FT NICKI MINAJ 2
30 TAKI TAKI DJ SNAKE/GOMEZ/CARDI B/OZUNA 15
31 SICKO MODE TRAVIS SCOTT 9
32 BUTTERFLIES AJ TRACEY & NOT3S 19
33 RAP DEVIL MACHINE GUN KELLY 15
34 SHALLOW LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER 1
35 THIS IS ME SETTLE/GREATEST SHOWMAN ENS 3
36 JACKIE CHAN TIESTO/DZEKO/PREME/POST MALONE 5
37 GOD IS A WOMAN ARIANA GRANDE 4
38 PRAISE THE LORD (DA SHINE) ASAP ROCKY FT SKEPTA 18
39 PARADISE GEORGE EZRA 2
40 TASTE TYGA FT OFFSET 5

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

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avatar

Oscat Zapata

0

Hi, I'd like to retake the glory days of music. So anyone have idea where to get the Top 40 biggest songs of every year since 1980 until 2000. Obviously wikipedia is not the most reliable source for this matter. Thanks and best.

avatar

James Ian Penwell

1

A very poor year for music. Very few of these songs will live in the memory for long. Also, how come Thank U Next barely registers despite huge streaming numbers and 6 weeks at #1?

R.

redknapp .

2

What a pile of rubbish

avatar

Aka steve

2

Well said the glory days are long gone

P

Pelado

0

Agree

avatar

Piran

1

Actually really pleased that we had an excitingly close race for #1 this year & that 'One Kiss' came out on top ahead of 'God's Plan' (although both Calvin & Dua have done better).
I like George Ezra having two songs in the Top 10 & four songs from 'The Greatest Showman' in the Top 40! :)

SL

Shawn Li

0

So downloads are sinking very quickly. Sales of the best-selling according to OCC per year
2018: 244,000
2017: 787.000
2016: 530,000
2015: 1,114,000 according to source which has since been removed
...and streams weren't counted in 2014 so...

avatar

Aka steve

4

All the music in the charts is unlistenable, like nails down a chalkboard it gets worse each passing year

avatar

Foxes

2

Honestly, more people need to realise this. So many people are clinging to the sales chart and hailing it as the "proper" chart, when in reality it has very little influence anymore. I mean, paid-for sales have been under 1m sales per week since January 2018 (which hadn't happened since 2006 beforehand, in the transition period of physical and digital singles), and over 95% of the singles market has been made up by streams for almost a year as well. In 5 years the digital sales chart will likely have about as much relevance as the physical sales chart has now.

avatar

Robert Michael Todd

0

well said.

PK

Philip Kelly

0

I hope that Calvin Harris & Dua get the no 1
When I first heard gods plan is didn't like it but have started to now
Macklemore and George Ezra have returned in the top 5
Hope macklemore and Ryan Lewis make more songs with Thrift Shop & Can't hold us
No sign of Imagine Dragons with natural

avatar

Tosyma

0

IDGAF? Really???

avatar

Eoin Sioda

2

No sign of Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots, Blossoms, 30 Seconds to Mars, LCD Soundsystem...

R

RIME

0

6 months later, and it looks like they haven't addressed the formula yet. God's Plan was last confirmed to have ~100k sales in the UK, and the stream count is now good for 1.36m equivalent sales, meaning the total is right on the 1.46m total if 100:1 is still the formula. Again, why is the year-end on a different primary formula than the weeklies (150:1)? Doesn't that render it kinda arbitrary?

B

BrandonPenn

1

If we in the 90s knew what would happen in the 21st century (2010-2018)..., Id rather move to another planet.....

Those songs.... wtf...

MM

Man Machine

0

Agree somewhat where are the new acts? 2018 has been dismal for new musical talent. There's been a few good songs but from the list above I don't really like 70% of them that much. Streaming is the real problem if people had to actually buy music still for it to count the charts would look very different I would imagine.

TB

Tim Bar

0

It's !!! Despacito is not in the top 40??! What??! Really?!!!! C'mon man/lady/genderless person! Wtf!

JR

James Rhode

0

Loved these songs!! Get more tracks here: https://tubidy.tube

avatar

Piran

2

The Top 10 is looking fine in general, although I think 'God's Plan' will stay at #1 for the overall chart of 2018.
I also think 'One Kiss' will pass 'These Days' by the end of the year & 'Shotgun' will end up in the Top 10.

R

RockGolf

0

Song titles re so short these days. The top ten titles total only 16 words.

SB

Samuel Baker

0

It's due to streaming and a lack of space on screens.

R

RIME

-1

Why is this going by 100:1 when the weekly chart itself uses 150:1? This has been an issue ever since 2016 and I don't get why it hasn't been acknowledged or addressed.

LM

Lee Moore

0

I totally agree, it's absolutely crazy; the 1:100 Is allowing songs to achieve overinflated sales totals - how many million sellers are we gonna have this year?! Historically, the all time list will look ridiculous.

PA

Paul Archer

0

Especially as youtube views, streams can still be 'gamed'.There may be efforts to stop this happening, but it obvious it has not been eliminated or ever will be totally for that matter.
Electronic money laundering still goes on & there has been billions spend to try to prevent it.If you except electronic money laundering goes on, which is much easier to trace, it is obviously hard to dismiss my 'gaming' of music plays claim.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencoleman/2017/09/21/behind-the-numbers-the-controversy-around-music-stream-calculations/#55e3d6cb1702
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/12/05/spotify-fake-plays/