Michael - Worldwide Singles/Tracks Sales


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Michael's single sales are much less well documented than his album sales.

On this page, we have listed Michael's solo singles - Motown and CBS/Epic/Sony - in order of release, together with known or estimated sales figures, plus all known certifications. Motown sales are official figures, as of 1990 (rounded to the nearest 100) - see HERE for full details.

No such figures have ever been released for Michael's post-Motown singles, and certifications - although a useful indicator - don't tell the whole story. For example, Billie Jean gained a RIAA Platinum Award in the States, denoting a shipment of 1 million - but the single actually sold closer to two million copies.

Note: singles such as Somebody's Watching Me & We Are The World, which featured Michael but weren't credited to him, are not included in this listing. Nor does the list include singles originally credited to the Jackson 5, but credited to Michael as well when reissued, e.g. I Want You Back.

Many thanks to Hanboo for posting SoundScan sales figures on ukmix, to MJDangerous for all his hard work on ukmix, and to Dean Ryan of mjinf.co.uk, for permission to quote the official UK CBS/Epic sales figures on his site.

KEY:
TOTAL = total estimated worldwide single sales (including digital downloads).
CERT. = total sales according to known certifications & sales figures.

    TOTAL     CERT.  Single/Track & Sales
     MOTOWN SINGLES
     2,500,000      2,343,860  Got To Be There
 Motown 1990 = 2,245,900 / USA Digital = 97,960
     3,160,000      3,013,740  Rockin' Robin
 Motown 1990 = 2,897,300 / USA Digital = 116,440
     1,400,000      1,321,600  I Wanna Be Where You Are
 Motown 1990 = 1,321,600
        300,000         278,900  Ain't No Sunshine
 Motown 1990 = 278,900
     3,300,000      2,994,340  Ben
 Motown 1990 = 2,865,000 / USA Digital = 129,340
          16,000           15,300  Morning Glow
 Motown 1990 = 15,300
        360,000         341,100  With A Child's Heart
 Motown 1990 = 341,100
          13,000           12,300  Music And Me
 Motown 1990 = 12,300
            5,000             5,000  Doggin' Around
 Motown 1990 = 5,000
        430,000         403,300  We're Almost There
 Motown 1990 = 403,300
        925,000         861,100  Just A Little Bit Of You
 Motown 1990 = 861,100
     1,900,000      1,756,200  One Day In Your Life
 Motown 1990 = 1,756,200 / UK = 797,100
        160,000         145,900  Happy (Love Song From 'Lady Sings The Blues')
 Motown 1990 = 145,900
        840,000         788,100  Farewell My Summer Love
 Motown 1990 = 788,100
          94,000           89,100  Girl You're So Together
 Motown 1990 = 89,100
            1,000             1,000  Touch The One You Love
 Motown 1990 = 1,000
          11,000           10,200  Twenty-Five Miles
 Motown 1990 = 10,200
   15,421,000    14,381,040  MOTOWN TOTAL
     
     CBS / EPIC / SONY SINGLES & TRACKS
        125,000    Ease On Down The Road
          62,500    A Brand New Day
          62,500    You Can't Win
     4,100,000      2,623,800  Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
 USA Platinum = 1 million, Digital = 1,259,000 / UK Silver = 250,000 /
 Japan = 18,000 / New Zealand Platinum = 20,000 / Europe Digital = 76,800
     3,450,000      1,533,410  Rock With You
 USA Platinum = 1 million,  Digital = 521,410 / Japan = 2,000 /
 New Zealand Gold = 10,000
     1,425,000         735,100  Off The Wall
 USA Gold = 500,000, Digital = 219,100 / Japan = 16,000
     1,360,000         598,470  She's Out Of My Life
 USA Gold = 500,000, Digital = 98,470
          40,000    Girlfriend
        100,000           88,330  Working Day And Night
 USA Digital = 88,330
     2,820,000      1,191,400  The Girl Is Mine
 USA Gold = 1 million, Digital = 121,400 / Japan = 60,000 / New Zealand Gold = 10,000
     9,190,000      5,188,600  Billie Jean
 USA Platinum = 1 million, Digital = 1,882,000  / UK = 738,000 /
 Canada 2 x Platinum = 200,000 / France Platinum = 1 million (Sales = 1,088,700) /
 Japan = 40,000 / New Zealand Gold = 10,000 / Europe Digital = 198,900
     7,035,000      4,385.900  Beat It
 USA Platinum = 1 million, Digital = 1,575,000 / Japan = 84,000 / UK Silver = 250,000 /
 Canada Platinum = 100,000 / France Platinum = 1 million (Sales = 1,182,000) /
 Holland Gold = 40,000 / New Zealand Gold = 10,000 / Europe Digital = 144,900
     2,775,000         602,720  Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
 Japan = 14,000 / USA Digital = 588,720
     1,660,000         439,300  Human Nature
 
USA Digital = 403,400 / Europe Digital = 35,900
     2,030,000      1,002,000  P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
 
USA Digital = 1,002,000
     3,650,000      1,862,470  Say Say Say
 USA Platinum = 1 million, Digital = 84,470 / Canada Platinum = 100,000 /
 Japan = 178,000 / France Gold = 500,000
     6,705,000      4,884,400  Thriller
 USA Platinum = 1 million, Digital = 2,343,000 / Japan = 103,000 /
 UK Silver = 250,000 / France Platinum = 1 million / Europe Digital = 188,400
        100,000           69,400  The Lady In My Life
 USA Digital = 69,400
     2,910,000      1,423,370  I Just Can't Stop Loving You
 USA Gold = 1 million, Digital = 86,370 / Japan = 32,000 / New Zealand Silver = 5,000 /
 UK = 300,000
     2,470,000         985,610  Bad
 France Silver = 200,000 (Sales = 298,000) / Japan = 32,000 / UK = 235,000 /
 USA Digital = 346,310 / Europe Digital = 74,300
     2,575,000      1,440,850  The Way You Make Me Feel
 USA Digital = 1,094,000 / Japan = 5,000 / UK = 275,000 / Europe Digital = 66,850
     2,330,000      1,552,820  Man In The Mirror
 Japan = 3,000 / UK = 50,000 / USA Digital = 1,281,000 / Europe Digital = 205,600
        225,000    Get It
     1,920,000        563,640  Dirty Diana
 UK = 130,000 / USA Digital = 308,240 / Europe Digital = 97,800
     1,100,000        120,140  Another Part Of Me
 
UK = 65,000
     2,555,000      1,511,250  Smooth Criminal
 USA Digital = 1,015,000 / France Silver = 200,000 / UK = 175,000 /
 Europe Digital = 121,250
        700,000         329,350  Leave Me Alone
 UK = 250,000 / USA Digital = 79,350
        220,000           60,000  Liberian Girl
 UK = 60,000
     3,700,000      2,588,320  Black Or White
 USA SoundScan = 758,000, Digital = 616,870  / UK = 345,000 / Australia
 2 x Platinum = 140,000 / Canada Gold = 50,000 / France Silver = 125,000 (Sales = 267,400) /
 Germany Gold = 250,000 / Japan = 34,000 / New Zealand Platinum = 20,000 /
 Europe Digital = 107,050
     2,000,000      1,020,960  Remember The Time
 USA SoundScan = 576,000, Digital = 259,960  / Australia Gold = 35,000 /
 UK = 150,000
        860,000         440,080  In The Closet
 USA SoundScan = 272,000, Digital = 73,080 / Australia Gold = 35,000 / UK = 60,000
        680,000         326,390  Jam
 USA SoundScan = 246,000, Digital = 35,390 / UK = 45,000
        720,000         269,570  Who Is It
 USA SoundScan = 180,000, Digital = 39,570 / UK = 50,000
     2,250,000      1,418,280  Heal The World
 USA SoundScan = 304,000, Digital = 115,780 / UK = 455,000 / Germany Gold = 250,000 /
 France Silver = 125,000 (Sales = 204,000) / Europe Digital = 89,500
        420,000           80,890  Give In To Me
 
Australia Gold = 35,000 / New Zealand Gold = 5,000 / USA Disgital = 40,890
     1,600,000         888,680  Will You Be There
 USA SoundScan = 493,000, Digital = 265,680 / New Zealand Gold = 5,000 /
 UK = 125,000
        125,000           62,340  Gone Too Soon
 UK = 20,000 / USA Digital = 42,340
     2,690,000      1,452,630  Scream / Childhood
 USA SoundScan = 719,000, Digital = 187,630 / UK Gold = 400,000 / Japan = 4,000 /
 Australia Gold = 35,000 / New Zealand Gold = 5,000 / France = 93,000
     4,250,000      2,743,850  You Are Not Alone
 USA SoundScan = 1.056 million, Digital = 295,900 / UK = 650,000 / Australia
 Platinum = 70,000 /France Gold = 250,000 (Sales = 291,700) / Germany Gold = 250,000 /
 New Zealand Gold = 5,000 / Switzerland Gold = 25,000 / Austria Gold = 25,000 /
 Europe Digital = 85,250
     4,120,000      2,578,500  Earth Song
 UK = 1.073 million / France Gold = 250,000 / Germany 2 x Platinum = 1 million /
 Switzerland Platinum = 50,000 / Norway Gold = 10,000 / Austria Platinum = 50,000 /
 USA Digital = 52,800 / Europe Digital = 93,700
     2,420,000      1,639,780  They Don't Care About Us
 USA SoundScan = 327,000, Digital = 161,280 / UK = 270,000 / Australia Gold = 35,000 /
 France Silver = 125,000 (Sales = 209,500) / Germany Platinum = 500,000 / Norway
 Gold = 10,000 / Austria Gold = 25,000 / Europe Digital = 102,000
        600,000         160,000  Why
 
France Silver = 125,000 (Sales = 160,000)
        700,000         255,000  Stranger In Moscow
 USA SoundScan ~ 90,000 / UK = 165,000
          75,000           46,540  Smile
 USA Digital = 46,540
     1,250,000         664,000  Blood On The Dance Floor
 USA SoundScan = 189,000 / Australia Gold = 35,000 / Germany Gold - 250,000 /
 New Zealand Gold = 5,000 / UK = 185,000
        475,000         150,000  History / Ghosts
 UK = 150,000
     1,320,000         723,730  You Rock My World
 France Gold = 250,000 / Australia Gold = 35,000 / Japan = 8,000 / Norway Gold
 = 10,000 / UK = 250,000 / USA Digital = 170,730
          60,000           20,000  Cry
 UK = 20,000
        100,000           77,070  Butterflies
 USA Digital = 77,070
        290,000         110,000  One More Chance
 USA SoundScan = 30,000 / UK = 80,000
        350,000         280,000  Visionary - The Video Singles (20 dual-disc reissues released individually)
 UK = 200,000 / Italy = 80,000
        200,000    The Girl Is Mine 2008
        200,000           77,770  Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008
 
USA SoundScan Downloads = 77,770
         50,000    Billie Jean 2008
         60,000    Beat It 2008
         75,000           49,050  We Are The World (Demo)
 USA Digital = 49,050
     
   96,728,270    51,315,140  CBS / EPIC / SONY TOTAL
     
 112,149,270    65,696,180  TOTAL SOLO SINGLE SALES