Ever since humans mastered the art of recording music performances, singles have become incredibly important. Since music has become part and parcel of our daily lives, acquiring it has been easened with digital sales and streams. Out of the concert hall and the broadcast studio, people are able to acquire music to their taste at their convenience. This list is based on total certified units sold. The requirements of certified units are designed to avoid inflated sales figures, which are frequently practiced by record companies for promotional purposes.
Here are top 20 best-selling music artists in history by single sales.
| Rank | Artist | Certified units |
| 1. | Drake | 163.5 million |
| 2. | Taylor Swift | 134 million |
| 3. | Rihanna | 129 million |
| 4. | Eminem | 107.5 million |
| 5. | Kanye West | 106 million |
| 6. | Katy Perry | 105 million |
| 7. | Justin Bieber | 92 million |
| 8. | Bruno Mars | 79.5 million |
| 9. | Lady Gaga | 78 million |
| 10. | Maroon 5 | 77 million |
| 11. | The Weeknd | 73 million |
| 12. | Lil Wayne | 70 million |
| 13. | Chris Brown | 69.5 million |
| 14. | Ed Sheeran | 68 million |
| 15. | Luke Bryan | 61 million |
| 16. | Post Malone | 56 million |
| 17. | Ariana Grande | 52.5 million |
| 18. | Future | 52.5 million |
| 19. | Flo Rida | 51.5 million |
| 20. | Elvis Presley | 50.5 million |
