Pharrell Williams’ hit single Happy has been named as the UK’s most downloaded song ever, taking the crown from Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines, which Pharrell also co-wrote.
According to the Official Charts Company, Happy has sold 1.62 million copies since its release in June 2013 as part of the soundtrack to the film Despicable Me 2.
Pharrell’s has demonstrated that he has the talent to write hit pop songs on a number of occasions, but he is not complacent and admitted that he rewrote Happy from scratch nine times before he was finally happy with the result.
Discussing the accolade, Williams said:
“I would just like to say thank you, first and foremost, to the people, because the charts are determined by them. I have a lot to be thankful for because they’ve chosen these things and it’s resulted in Happy being what it’s become.
“The people of the UK have been so supportive of me over the years, allowing me to be an artist and allowing me to work with other people and supporting what it is that I do. That’s the lifeline, without them you’re just a musician with a couple of ideas but with them, that is the thing that changes everything when they get involved, your little idea can become something, so…thank you!”
Alongside Happy and Blurred Lines, a third single featuring Pharrell, Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, has also sold more than a million copies and is the sixth most downloaded track ever.
UK’s top ten most downloaded singles
- Pharrell Williams – Happy
- Robin Thicke/TI/Pharell Williams – Blurred Lines
- Adele – Someone Like You
- Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – Move Like Jagger
- Gotye ft. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know
- Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams – Get Lucky
- Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
- Avicii – Wake Me Up
- Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love
- Kings of Leon – Sex On Fire