Last night on UK TV there was the 100 best selling singles on the UK chart ( last 50 years ). Number 1 was Elton Johns Diana tribute, Candle in the Wind '97 which sold about 4.5 mill, second was Band Aid, 2.5 mill. Prince didn't feature and MJ had one appearance at no. 80 with Earth Song which sold 1 mill ( i dig this song ).

Anyway I wonder if anyone knows Prince's biggest selling UK single and what the figure was. Is it Batdance or TMBGITW ?
Or is there a link somewhere?

Cheers.

P.S - Boney M had two singles in the top 10 !!

Hi there,
try nme.com - they publish the uk singles charts. Though I don't know, if they keep record of older charts.
Peace and be wild,
JJ

i would imagine his biggest selling single in the uk would be "when doves cry" or "1999/little red corvette". they were big hits when singles sold more than they do now, i would guess maybe around 500,000 copies sold.

I'm with blackboab on this one, I'd say it would be When Doves Cry.

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I'd disagree with you on When Doves Cry. It wasn't much of a hit in UK at all.
The biggest seller will be one of:
1999/Little Red Corvette - Rereleased Double A side which stuck at Number 2
Batdance - Stuck at Number 2 for ages behind bloody Back to Life. I have always hated that song as a result of it hogging Number One for about 5 weeks whilst Prince was stalled at No.2.
TMBGITW - His only Number One. But for only one week, so I'd guess its between the other two.

Ok-this needs checking out.Gives me sumthing to do at work tomorrow now!!

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Don't forget "Kiss". Sales rather than placings may have hit harder back in his 80s peak so TMBGITW #1 and all was probably outsold.

Where did Nothing Compares 2 U chart in the list? I missed #20-#18, so one of those I'm guessing.

Essence said:

As I recall, Kiss hit Number 7, and I'd agree it probably did sell more than The Most Beautiful...
Damm, I wish I had me a Guiness Book. I feel like Paul Gambuccini without the hard facts...

PS - Getting back to last nights show. Can anyone believe that Boney M have 2 of the Top 10 best selling songs in British history. I feel so embarrased about the overall musical taste of English people..Which is why I'll always love America. Those guys have some fine taste in music

dewmass said:[quote]I'd disagree with you on When Doves Cry. It wasn't much of a hit in UK at all.

Ur, no. "Doves" made the UK top 3 in the summer of 1984. It was kept off the top by Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes", which was Number 1 for 9 weeks.

nas3110 said:[quote]

dewmass said:

Two Tribes - Now there's a song.
There aren't many songs better than Doves, but Two Tribes is one of them.

the most beautiful girl in the world

HEY HEY I KNOW THIS!!!
IT IS TMBGITW BUT...batdance ran out of pressings as wb didnt think it would be that big in the uk..so by default its batdance!

Thanks guys, though we haven't got any facts or figures yet.

Prince's best sellign singles:

1999 --- has been released 4 times in the uk
sold around 500,000 copies
(with all releases)

The Most Beautiful Girl In the World
sold around 350,000 copies

Batdance
sold around 300,000 copies

these are Prince's top 3 selling singles

others are
Kiss
Gett Off
Sexy MF
When Doves Cry

And When Doves Cry got to number 4 on the official chart, not number 3.
Also 1999 / LRC got to number 1 on two of the independent charts but not the official gallop charts.

Sales of singles in the UK have dropped dramatically since the 70s. There was a time when you'd need to shift a million copied to get to number 1. Nowadays a max of 200,000 in week one is enough (almost always manipulated by the record companies) and then they drop out of the charts quicker than you can say "one hit wonder".

from what i know i thionk that 1999 was prince biggest single seller due to the constant re-releases and purple rain was second and tmbgitw was third.