key:
2010 rank [2004 rank] :: artist -- total sales ä change since 2004 {rank in best sellers of the 00s}

1 [1] :: Cliff Richard -- 21,350k ä +381k
2 [3] :: Elvis Presley -- 20,840k ä +1,547k {27}
3 [2] :: Beatles -- 20,800k ä +0k
4 [4] :: Madonna -- 17,000k ä +2,437k {6}
5 [5] :: Elton John -- 14,725k ä +1,250k
6 [6] :: Michael Jackson -- 14,030k ä +2,719k {17}
7 [7] :: Queen -- 11,900k ä +1,565k
8 [8] :: ABBA -- 10,040k ä +36k
9 [9] :: Paul McCartney / Wings -- 9,910k ä +128k
10 [10] :: David Bowie -- 9,910k ä +518k
11 [11] :: Rod Stewart -- 9,500k ä +454k
12 [13] :: Kylie Minogue -- 9,200k ä +1,206k {14}
13 [12] :: Rolling Stones -- 8,990k ä +642k
14 [14] :: Stevie Wonder -- 8,290k ä +676k
15 [17] :: Whitney Houston -- 7,800k ä +807k
16 [15] :: Spice Girls -- 7,780k ä +273k
17 [26] :: Oasis -- 7,645k ä +1,419k {18}
18 [19] :: George Michael -- 7,475k ä +656k
19 [16] :: Shakin' Stevens -- 7,260k ä +152k
20 [18] :: Bee Gees -- 7,200k ä +256k
21 [20] :: Status Quo -- 7,000k ä +272k
22 [25] :: Boyzone -- 6,750k ä +314k
23 [24] :: Blondie -- 6,745k ä +288k
24 [22] :: Slade -- 6,720k ä +200k
26 [23] :: Olivia Newton-John -- 6,630k ä +137k
25 [21] :: Boney M -- 6,560k ä -27k
27 [37] :: Robbie Williams -- 6,560k ä +1,587k {12}
29 new :: Britney Spears -- 6,420k ä {3}
30 [28] :: Tom Jones -- 6,375k ä +483k
28 [47] :: U2 -- 6,345k ä +1,682k {34}
31 [27] :: UB40 -- 6,345k ä +348k
32 [44] :: Westlife -- 6,320k ä +1,594k {2}
33 [29] :: Celine Dion -- 6,140k ä +457k
34 new :: Mariah Carey -- 6,140k ä {31}
35 [30] :: Police -- 5,940k ä +323k
36 [31] :: Madness -- 5,850k ä +286k
37 [32] :: Diana Ross -- 5,675k ä +348k
38 [33] :: Wham! -- 5,660k ä +362k
39 new :: Prince -- 5,620k ä >+1,100k
40 new :: Eminem -- 5,540k ä {1}

Interesting that Prince is a new entry... I guess that would mean that they underestimated his singles sales prior to 2004 or that he is a really strong catalogue seller or the list is completely wrong because since 2004 he had just three singles charting in the UK Top 75: Cinnamon Girl #43, Black Sweat #43 & Fury #60. All three of them spent just 1 week in the Top 75... but hey I am happy for him
[Edited 3/30/10 14:52pm]

... now if there were a Top 100 or 50 that would be a "okay" spot. I was always under the impression that Prince was more loved over in the UK compared to the states.

Interesting ...

PurpleLove7 said:

I would say he was definitely more loved in the period 1988-1994. He had 'Lovesexy', 'Batman', 'Graffiti Bridge', 'Symbol' & 'Come' all hitting #1, he had his only UK#1 (TMBGITW) and he had many of his music video releases (including the video single for 'Sexy MF') hitting #1 too. The re-release of 'Controversy' hit #5 and he had half his UK Top 10 hits (8 out of 16) from that period and also half of his UK hits in general (20 out of 40) from that period too. But the US has been his major market both before and after those 7 years.

i think it's total uk singles sales EVER!

as Cliff was there when it started back in the 50s, so it makes sense as he has had hits in every decade.

with the plus bit sales since 2004???? although it needs to be updated as the beatles have had recent re-release/download hits (or was that just albums?).

INTERNET DOWNLOADS NOW COUNT SO That it why prince is a "NEW' entry (since the O2 gigs people got interested in him again - for instance if you download KISS from ITunes it will count as a singles sale). 100k since 2004 not bad eh?
SORRY IT MUST MEAN 1000???

also interesting to see no-one has hit a millon combined singles sales!
[Edited 3/30/10 16:09pm]
[Edited 3/30/10 16:11pm]
[Edited 3/30/10 16:13pm]
[Edited 3/30/10 16:14pm]

lotusflw3r said:

That's what I meant by strong catalogue seller. I still find it kind of weird to accept the idea that his catalogue sold 2/3s the a,ount of current & catalogue sales of acts such as Robbie Williams & US since 2004 and more than Eminem's. Come on now

yes there are some anomalies in that list that need better addressing
for instance the amounts are unclear what is 1,100k as apposed to 381k ???

bare in mind songs like pfunk did well on itunes as well as his back catalogue - but it's hard to see Robbie doing only a little better?

MJ did well, but that will have gone up 10 fold recently.

Eminem sells albums but i can't imagine anyone downloading (e.g. paying) for his singles.

lotusflw3r said:

I think you're misreading the numbers :

39 new :: Prince -- 5,620k ä >+1,100k

Notice the "k" after the numbers...it means 5.6million, having increased by 1.1million sales since 2004.

lotusflw3r said:

1,100k = 1.1million = 1,100,000
381k = 381 Thousand = 381,000

jiorjios said:

i remember that the black album also went straight to number 1 in the UK
on it's release but i can't recall if it was in late 1994 or one of the
first weeks of 1995.

mmm of course prince was more loved over here in the UK..... its obvious..

so prince has sold 1.1 singles in the uk since 2004! wow that's amazing for someone pretty much off the publics radar.

it proves that he is still a viable entity in the music business and remasters and proper itunes presence would only increase his popularity (obviously death seems to be the best way to sell more, but i hope that's a long way off!!!)

also a lot of those acts are defunct,dead or passed there sell by date, whereas Prince has still got a lot to give (concerts, new music, remasters, tv etc), so i can see him overtaking a lot of those acts if he can continue to inspire people in the uk - how he does that (does he even care?) is another thing.


.....

IstenSzek said:

No it didn't, it peaked at #36... you are probably confusing it with 'Come'

Actually a lot higher than I would've thought.

PurpleLove7 said:

He is ..... this is since 2004 and he's not done any promotion in the uk apart from his 21 Nights at o2 in 2007 so the sales since 2004 could be down to that one year 2007....

Good work P,
[Edited 4/1/10 12:06pm]