The Official Charts Company today released the Top Selling Singles Acts of all time in the UK as follows:
The Top 12 were:
01 THE BEATLES 21.9m
02 ELVIS PRESLEY 21.6m
03 CLIFF RICHARD 21.5m
04 MADONNA 17.6m
05 MICHAEL JACKSON 15.3m
06 ELTON JOHN 14.8m
07 QUEEN 12.6m
08 ABBA 11.2m
09 DAVID BOWIE 10.6m
10 RIHANNA 10.4m
11 PAUL McCARTNEY 10.2m
12 KYLIE MINOGUE 10.1m
Regarding the above - The Official Charts Company have not given a source for their figures. I doubt that they can or will as most record companies keep such information confidential. I know Sony does. Point of sale scans and downloads are only part of the equation. A lot of Elvis' sales records have been lost in the mists of time e.g. his HMV sales for openers. I have e-mailed them requesting an official source.
Source; Brian Quinn / EpGold