Ask Billboard is updated every Friday. As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.


WHO HAS THE MOST MILLION-SELLING DOWNLOADS?

Hi Gary,

I read in the last "Ask Billboard" that Katy Perry has the most 4 million-selling digital songs (five) but I have no idea who has the most 1 million-selling downloads. I'm sure that Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga have quite a few.

Could you please post a list of the top 10 artists with the most million-selling downloaded songs?

Thanks very much,

Theodore Richert
Seattle, Washington


Hi Theodore,

You're correct about Swift and Gaga having notched multiple million-selling downloads.

But, who leads the list for the most such tracks?

After combing through Nielsen SoundScan's archives, here is a look at the artists (including lead and featured billings) who have tallied the most million-selling downloaded songs in the digital era:

Total million-selling downloads, artist, top-seller (in millions)

24, Lil Wayne, "Lollipop" (4.3)
19, Rihanna, "Love the Way You Lie" (5.1)
17, Eminem, "Love the Way You Lie" (5.1)
15, T-Pain, "Low" (6)
15, Kanye West, "E.T." (4.7)
12, Taylor Swift, "Love Story" (5.1)
12, the Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling" (7.5, the all-time best-selling download)

10, Britney Spears, "Womanizer" (3.2)
9, Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (4.7)
9, Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2.5)
9, Ke$ha, "TiK ToK" (6)
9, Lady Gaga, "Poker Face" (6.4)
9, Ludacris, "Break Your Heart" (3.5)


Perry just misses the top 10, having banked eight million-selling downloads, led by "Hot N Cold," which, at 5,026,000, just outranks "California Gurls" (5,013,000).

A special mention, too, of Michael Jackson. Eight songs by the late King of Pop have passed a million downloads despite all having been released long before the dawn of the digital era. "Thriller" is first at 2.8 million, followed by "Billie Jean" (2.2 million) and "Beat It" (1.9 million). Of course, sales of Jackson's songs spiked following his June 25, 2009, passing.

As for the Beatles, the Fab Four haven't racked any million-sellers since their catalog was made available digitally, but "Let it Be" (mop) tops their tally (421,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (387,000) and "Hey Jude" (293,000).

For more about Lady Gaga, read on.