List of 1980s UK Singles Chart Number Ones - Million-selling and Platinum Records

Million-selling and Platinum Records

The British Phonographic Industry classified singles and albums since 1973 by the number of units sold, with the highest threshold being a "platinum record". Before 1989, a platinum record was given to singles that sold over 1,000,000 units, a gold record for 500,000 unit sales and a silver record for 250,000. For singles released after 1 January 1989, the number of sales required to qualify for platinum, gold and silver records was dropped to 600,000 units (platinum), 400,000 units (gold) and 200,000 units (silver). Fifteen records were classified platinum in the 1980s. These include two songs from the 1970s that were classified platinum in the 1980s: Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody", released in 1973, re-entered the charts and was classified platinum in 1980 and sold over one million copies in 1985. Pink Floyd's 1979 release "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" was classified platinum at the beginning of 1980 and, although certified as selling 0.995 million units, is believed to have surpassed a million copies in the 1980s when sales not "over-the-counter" are included.

Although John Lennon's song "Imagine" charted in 1975, the record had greater success following his death, reaching number one in 1981 and selling over a million units. In the 1980s, twelve songs were released that were classified platinum in the decade; ten of these records also sold one million units. The double A-side, "Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants" by Wham!, is notable for being the only million-selling single of the decade not to reach number one. This was due to the best-selling single of the decade – Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? – being released at the same time. A new version of Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid II was released in December 1989 and was classified platinum in 1990.

Nine other songs originally released in the 1980s are listed as having sold one million units. Two were later re-released in the subsequent decade: "Blue Monday" by New Order was released in 1983 but was re-released in 1988 and 1995. New Order's label, Factory Records, were not a member of the British Phonographic Industry so they never received any sales certifications but the record is believed to have sold over one million units. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell was released in 1981 and certified "gold" (500,000 units) that year. It was re-released in 1991 and, although it is not listed as being classified platinum, it is believed to have sold over one million units following its re-release. The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" was classified as a silver record (250,000) in March 1988, Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver", Irene Cara's "Fame", Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger, Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl", and Ray Parker, Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" were all classified as a gold records (500,000 units) – in June 1981, July 1982, September 1982, November 1983 and October 1984, respectively – and Black Box's "Ride on Time" was classified as a platinum record (600,000) in October 1989. Each sold their millionth copy following the introduction of music downloads in 2004.