...Baby One More Time (song) - Chart Performance

Chart Performance

The song was officially sent to the American radio stations on October 23, 1998. On November 21, 1998, "...Baby One More Time" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the chart two and a half months later for two consecutive weeks, replacing R&B-singer Brandy's "Have You Ever?". Simultaneously, it climbed to number-one on the Canadian Singles Chart. The song reached the top spot of the Hot 100 Singles Sales and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. This eventually propelled the single to a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. Though not as strong as its sales tallies, "...Baby One More Time" also experienced considerable airplay, becoming her first top ten hit on the Hot 100 Airplay, peaking at number eight. The single also became an all-around hit on Top 40 radio, going top ten on both the Top 40 Tracks and Rhythmic Top 40, and to number one for five weeks on the Mainstream Top 40. It spent 32 weeks on the Hot 100 and ended up at number five on Billboard magazine's year-end chart. As of June 2012, "...Baby One More Time" has sold 1,412,000 physical singles, with 511,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. It is Spears's best-selling physical single in the country. "...Baby One More Time" debuted at number 20 on the Australian Singles Chart, a month later reached number one and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks. The song eventually became the second highest-selling single of the year, only behind Lou Bega's "Mambo#5", and was certified three-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling over 210,000 copies. In New Zealand, the single spent four non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts and after shipping over 15,000 units to retailers the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified it platinum.

The track reached the top spot in every European country in which it charted. "...Baby One More Time" spent two consecutive weeks at number-one on the French Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique after selling over 500,000 units in the country. Additionally, the song topped the German Singles Chart for six consecutive weeks and sold over 750,000 copies, resulting in a three-times gold certification by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry In the United Kingdom, according Jive Records, the single "…Baby One More Time" has sold more than 250,000 copies in a mere three days. Spears broke a first-week sales record for a female act at the time when "...Baby One More Time" sold a total of 460,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The single went on to sell over 1.5 million units, making it the highest-selling single of the year and the 29th best-selling of all-time in Britain. Eventually, the British Phonographic Industry certified it two-times platinum on March 26, 1999. Additionally, "...Baby One More Time" is the third best-selling single by a female artist in the country, just behind Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Cher's "Believe".