The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs)[1] ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by Billboard magazine. Although it originally started tracking song sales the week of October 30, 2004,[2] it officially debuted in the issue dated January 22, 2005, and merged all versions of a song sold from digital music distributors.[3] Its data was incorporated in the Hot 100 three weeks later. Since October 2004, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboard's music singles charts.[4] The decision was based on the dramatic increase of the digital market while commercial single sales in a physical format were becoming negligible.[5]
The first number one song on the Digital Songs chart was "Just Lose It" by Eminem.[2]
The chart's current number one as of the issue dated September 21, 2024 is "Neva Play" by Megan Thee Stallion and RM.[6]
"I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas holds the record for the biggest-selling digital download in the U.S., with sales of over 8 million copies by 2012. The song was the first to surpass 6–8 million downloads.[19]
"Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain was the first song to surpass 4–5 million downloads. It was also named the Top Digital Song of the 2000s decade.[20]
"Right Round" by Flo Rida holds the record for the largest debut/overall sales week for a male for a digital song with 636,000 downloads.[24]
"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele holds the record for the most digitally downloaded song in a calendar year.[25]
"Payphone" by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa holds the record for the largest debut/overall sales week for a group for a digital song with 493,000 downloads.[26]
"We Are Young" by Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe is the first song to log seven weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales.[27]
"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz is the first song to log eight and nine weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales.[28]
"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell is the first song to log 10 weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales and the first song to log four weeks of 400,000 or more in digital sales.
"Hello" by Adele holds the record for the largest debut/overall sales week for a digital song with 1.112 million downloads and the largest non-debut sales week for a digital song with 635,000 downloads. It is additionally the only song in history to debut with or achieve 1 million downloads sold in a week, and to log two weeks of 600,000 in digital sales. It surpassed the 4 million mark in its thirteenth week, faster than any other song in digital history.
"Lean on Me" by Bill Withers is the oldest song to reach number one on the Digital Songs chart. The song was released on April 21, 1972, and reached the top, following Withers' death, on the chart dated April 18, 2020.[29]
BTS was the first act to debut six songs in the top 10 and to occupy the top six spots for the same week. They achieved this in 2020 with "Life Goes On", "Blue & Grey", "Stay", "Telepathy", "Dis-ease" and "Fly To My Room", all tracks from their fifth Korean-language studio album, Be (2020).[49][50]
Taylor Swift is the only artist to have debuted ten songs in the top-10 region simultaneously and the only act to hold the entire top-10 spots of a week, achieving it with tracks from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022).[51]
^Trust, Gary (January 8, 2014). "Pitbull, Ke$ha Take 'Timber' to Top of Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
^ a b"Digital Song Sales Chart - October 30, 2004". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
^"New Mix for Digital Rankings". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 4. January 22, 2005. p. 6. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
^Grein, Paul (March 20, 2013). "Week Ending March 17, 2013. Songs: The Great Chart Robbery Of 2013". Yahoo!. Yahoo!. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
^"Billboard updated album charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
^"Digital Song Sales (The week of September 21, 2024)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
^McIntyre, Hugh (April 5, 2021). "BTS's 'Dynamite' Breaks The All-Time Record For Most Weeks At No. 1 On The Sales Chart". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
^McIntyre, Hugh (December 13, 2021). "BTS's 'Butter' Ties The All-Time Record For The Most Weeks At No. 1 On The Sales Chart". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
^Trust, Gary (September 9, 2024). "Shaboozey Notches Ninth Week Atop Billboard Hot 100, Sabrina Carpenter Continues With 3 in Top 5". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
^Trust, Gary (November 2, 2015). "Adele Says 'Hello' to No. 1 Hot 100 Debut; First Song to Sell 1 Million Downloads in a Week". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
^Trust, Gary (November 9, 2015). "Adele's 'Hello' Tops Hot 100 for Second Week; Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor Hit Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
^Caulfield, Keith (August 21, 2012). "Official: Taylor Swift's 'Never' Song Sells 623,000; Sets Female Digital Record". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
^Caulfield, Keith (January 3, 2013). "Taylor Swift's 'Red,' 'Les Mis' Soundtrack Lead Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
^Caulfield, Keith (August 21, 2013). "Luke Bryan Nets No. 1 Album, Katy Perry's 'Roar' Tops Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
^Caulfield, Keith (August 27, 2014). "Wiz Khalifa Earns First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
^Caulfield, Keith (April 18, 2012). "Lionel Richie's 'Tuskegee' Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
^"Drake's 'In My Feelings' Leads Billboard Hot 100 for Seventh Week, Ariana Grande's 'God Is A Woman' Hits Top 10". Billboard. August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
^Pietroluongo, Silvio (May 27, 2010). "Usher's 'OMG' Stands Pat Atop Hot 100, Miley Tames Top 10". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
^"Week Ending June 24, 2012. Songs: Elton & The Peas". Yahoo Music Chart Watch. June 27, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
^"Digital Songs of the decade". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
^Grein, Paul (June 26, 2013). "Week Ending June 23, 2013. Songs: Miley's Comeback Hit | Chart Watch (NEW) - Yahoo Music". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
^Chart Watch Extra: Thank You, Daniel Powter | Chart Watch - Yahoo! Music
^Mitchell, Gail (December 17, 2005). "Green Day, 50 Cent Come Up Big In Vegas". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 51. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 21. ISSN 0006-2510.
^"Flo Rida Topples Single-Week Download Mark". Billboard. January 12, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
^"Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Adele break World Records with digital music sales". Guinness World Records. September 7, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
^Caulfield, Keith (April 25, 2012). "Billboard 200: Lionel Richie Holds Off Jason Mraz, Stays At No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
^Latest Music News, Band, Artist, Musician & Music Video News | Billboard
^Caulfield, Keith (March 13, 2013). "Luke Bryan Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
^Anderson, Trevor (April 14, 2020). "Bill Withers Has Top 2 Best-Selling Songs of the Week". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
^ a b"Taylor Swift - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
^"Nicki Minaj - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
^ a b"Rihanna - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ a b"Justin Bieber - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^"Drake - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ a b"BTS - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
^"Beyoncé - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
^Trust, Gary (June 10, 2024). "Post Malone & Morgan Wallen Lead Billboard Hot 100 for Fourth Week, Eminem Debuts at No. 2". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
^ a b"Katy Perry - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^"Bruno Mars - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
^"Digital Songs: Jan 23, 2010". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
^"Digital Songs: Sep 22, 2012". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
^Trust, Gary; Caulfield, Keith (August 21, 2023). "Oliver Anthony Music Had 37% of All Country Track Sales Last Week, Led by 'Rich Men North of Richmond'". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
^"Fans Make Jackson King of Record Sales". July 2009.
^Grein, Paul (April 13, 2011). "Week Ending April 10, 2011. Songs: It's Katy's World". Yahoo. Archived from the original on April 20, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
^"Digital Songs Artist of the decade". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
^Trust, Gary; Caulfield, Keith (November 4, 2015). "Adele's 'Hello' Has Biggest Sales Week for a Single Since Elton John's Princess Diana Tribute in 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
^Trust, Gary (January 17, 2017). "Ed Sheeran Debuts Atop Hot 100 With 'Shape of You' & in Top 10 With 'Castle on the Hill'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
^Asker, Jim (July 25, 2018). "Lauren Daigle's 'You Say' Soars to No. 1 on Hot Christian Songs Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
^Billboard [@billboardcharts] (December 1, 2020). ".@BTS_twt has the top 6 best-selling songs of the week" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Twitter.
^Billboard [@billboardcharts] (December 1, 2020). "As "Life Goes On" debuts at No. 1 on the #DigitalSongSales chart, BTS is the first act to rule the chart's entire top six spots simultaneously" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Twitter.
^Trust, Gary (October 31, 2022). "Taylor Swift Makes History as First Artist With Entire Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Anti-Hero' at No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2022.