Mark Ronson’s smash hit Uptown Funk! has become the fifth biggest-selling singlein British history – as his UK label, Columbia, celebrates an impressive milestone of its own.
Columbia UK, jointly run by Alison Donald and Mark Terry at Sony Music, has surpassed more than eight million sales across just four releases from domestically-signed artists: (i) George Ezra’s Wanted On Voyage; (ii) Calvin Harris’s Motion; (iii) Mark Ronson’s Uptown Special; and (iv) The Script’s No Sound Without Silence.
Those sales incorporate streaming ‘equivalent’ sales, but Sony has approached this formula with an uncommon – and arguably more transparent – ‘Box Office’-style approach.
The major appears to have equated sales to streams on an income basis via a metric called REA (‘Revenue Equivalent Albums’), rather than on a unit-equivalent basis. (It qualifies that REA ‘incorporates physical and digital download sales of the album and its associated singles, plus streams of the album and its associated singles’).
Through this lens, George Ezra’s debut ‘Wanted On Voyage’ has now notched up more than 2.5 million REA (Revenue Equivalent Album) sales; Calvin Harris ‘Motion’ has hit 2.7 million; Mark Ronson has so far sold 2 million for ‘Uptown Special’ whilst The Script’s ‘No Sound Without Silence’ has more than 900,000 REA sales.
As for Ronson, not only has Uptown Funk! now surpassed two million UK sales, it’s overtaken the lifetime tally of Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1977 chart-topper Mull Of Kintrye/Girls’ School.
“THESE FIGURES ARE TRULY EXCEPTIONAL – AND ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE HUGELY EXCITING GLOBAL DEMAND FOR BRITISH MUSIC RIGHT NOW.”
JASON ILEY, SONY MUSIC UK
On a global basis, sales of the track have breached 14.6m TTE (total track-equivalent) sales – which incorporate downloads, audio and video streams.
It was officially the most streamed song in the UK and the US during the first half of 2015.
Jason Iley, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music UK, said: “Congratulations to Mark Ronson, Calvin Harris, George Ezra and The Script as well as Columbia UK for making such incredible records.
“These figures are truly exceptional – and also highlight the hugely exciting global demand for British music right now which supports Sony’s ongoing commitment to signing homegrown talent for global success.”
Mark Terry, Co-President of Columbia Records UK, said: “Congratulations to Mark, Calvin, George and The Script for their successes both at home and abroad as well as to the domestic and international labels who have helped to make it possible.”
Alison Donald, Co-President of Columbia Records UK, said: “Columbia UK are delighted with these results for our domestic artists.
“Our A&R focus and ambition remains to sign artists with global appeal and our track record speaks for itself.”
Sony artists are now responsible for the fourth and fifth biggest selling singles in UK chart history with Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ at No.4 and ‘Uptown Funk’ at No.5.
These are the only two tracks in the Top Ten released in this millennium.
