The United World Chart is a worldwide chart issued every week by Media Traffic, using both sales (digital and physical) and airplay to determine the most popular albums and singles in "the world". The United World Chart uses the same system as the Billboard Hot 100, in which the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; meanwhile the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday. The newest weekly chart is therefore issued every Thursday.

In March 2007, Media Traffic ranked "Candle in the Wind 1997" as the most successful song in music history.

Starting in 1999, the first song to reach number one was "Believe" by Cher. As of June 16, 2007, the United World Chart has had 108 number one hits.

Media Traffic began displaying charts that traced back to 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.

• The current number one single is "1973" by James Blunt.
• The current number one album is Magic by Bruce Springsteen.

Countries

Media Traffic consults the charts of various countries, namely:

Albania Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Belarus Brazil Bolivia Canada Chile China Colombia Croatia

Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Ecuador El Salvador Faroe Islands Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Guam Hong Kong

Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kenya Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia Malaysia

Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Romania Russia Serbia Singapore

Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey Venezuela Ukraine United Kingdom United States

Number one singles

Main article: List of number-one hits (World)

Number one albums

Main article: Number-one albums on the United World Chart

Records: albums

• All Time Charts

1. Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
2. Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (1976)
3. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
4. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
5. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)
6. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
7. AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)
8. Soundtrack - Saturday Night Fever (1978)
9. Shania Twain - Come On Over (1997)
10. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)
11. The Eagles - Hotel California (1976)
12. Soundtrack - (1992)
13. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)
14. Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell (1978)
15. The Beatles - 1 (2000)

• Artists who have simultaneously occupied the top two positions at the album chart
• Ayumi Hamasaki is the only solo artist to simultaneously hold both the #1 and #2 positions at the album chart.
• March 17, 2007:

# Ayumi Hamasaki – "A Best 2 -White-"

# Ayumi Hamasaki – "A Best 2 -Black-"

• Orange Range is the only band to simultaneously hold both the #1 and #2 positions at the album chart.
• August 11, 2007:

# Orange Range – "Range"

# Orange Range – "Orange"

Additional Records

• Norah Jones' debut album "Come Away with Me" is the most successful album on the chart with 18,734,000 points.
• Both Dido and Evanescence hold the record for most weeks at #1, with "Life for Rent" and "Fallen."
• Norah Jones also holds the record for having an album stay the longest on the top ten, her debut album "Come Away with Me" stayed there for 61 weeks.
• Norah Jones also holds the record for having an album stay the longest on the top forty, "Come Away with Me" stayed there for 114 weeks.
• Norah Jones also holds the record for selling the most album units in a week, her album "Feels Like Home" sold 1,920,000 in its debut week.
• Ayumi Hamasaki's Greatest Hits albums A Best 2 White/Black made sure that it was the first time in the United World Chart's history that a solo female artist could top the chart with 2 albums landing at #1 and #2 at the same time.

Records: singles

Most Successful Artists

1. Madonna (Warner Bros)
2. Eminem (Interscope Records)
3. Robbie Williams (chrisalis)
4. Shakira (Epic)
5. Christina Aguilera (RCA)

Artists with the most number-one hits in the UWC history

1. Madonna (12)
2. Britney Spears (7)
3. Christina Aguilera & Jennifer Lopez (5)
4. Destiny's Child, Céline Dion, Michael Jackson & Pink (4)

Artists with most weeks at #1

1. 74 weeks - Madonna (with 12 Number One Singles)
2. 28 weeks - Britney Spears (with 7 Number One Singles) & Shakira (with 2 Number One Singles)
3. 26 weeks - Celine Dion (with 4 Number One Singles)

Artists with the most number-two hits

• 1 — Mariah Carey (4)
• 2 — Madonna (3) and Shakira (3)

Most number one singles in the 1960s

1. The Beatles (3)

Most number one singles in the 1970s

1. Michael Jackson (5)

2. ABBA (2)

2. The Eagles (2)

Most Number-One Singles in the 1980s

1. Madonna (4)

2. Michael Jackson (2)

2. George Michael (2)

Most Number-One Singles in the 1990s

1. Michael Jackson (3)

2. Mariah Carey (2)

2. Brandy (2)

2. Britney Spears (2)

2. Celine Dion (2)

2. Christina Aguilera (2)

2. Backstreet Boys (2)

Most Number-One Singles in the 2000s

1. Madonna (8)

2. Britney Spears (5)

3. Destiny's Child (4)

3. Pink (4)

Artists ever to have a number one-single in different decades

1. Michael Jackson 3 decades (2 in the 1980s, 3 in the 1990s and 1 in the 2000s)
2. Madonna - 2 decades (4 in the 1980s and 8 in the 2000s)
3. Bon Jovi - 2 decades (1 in the 1980s and 1 in the 2000s)
4. Britney Spears - 2 decades (2 in the 1990s and 5 in the 2000s)

All Time Charts (Singles)

1. Candle In The Wind 1997 - Elton John
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
3. Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
5. Hey Jude - The Beatles
6. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
7. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams
8. We Are the World - USA for Africa
9. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
10. Y.M.C.A. - Village People

Top 15 most successful tracks (1998-present)

1. Cher - Believe (10.455.000 points)
2. Shakira & Wyclef Jean- "Hips Don't Lie" (9.845.000 points)
3. James Blunt - "You're Beautiful" (9.469.000 points)
4. Madonna - "Hung Up" (8.698.000 points)
5. Britney Spears - "...Baby One More Time" (8.654.000 points)
6. Shakira - "Whenever, Wherever" (8.541.000 points)
7. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" (8.301.000 points)
8. Lou Bega - "Mambo No.5" (8.262.000 ponits)
9. Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" (7.964.000 points)
10. Maroon 5 - "This Love" (7.791.000 points)
11. Nelly Furtado - "Say It Right" (7.641.000 points)
12. Madonna - "Music" (7.414.000 points)
13. Christina Aguilera - "Genie in a Bottle" (7.397.000 points)
14. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z - "Umbrella" (7.097.000 points)
15. Santana & Rob Thomas - "Smooth" (7.031.000 points)

Most time spent at the number one spot by a song

• 17 Weeks At Number 1
• Los del Río - Macarena (1996) [1]
• 16 Weeks At Number 1
• Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On (1998)
• Shakra featuring Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie (2006)
• 15 Weeks At Number 1
• Elton John - Candle in the Wind (1997-1998)
• Cher - Believe (1998-1999)
• Madonna - Hung Up (2005-2006)
• 14 Weeks At Number 1
• Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart (1996-1997)
• 12 Weeks At Number 1
• Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 - I'll Be Missing You (1997)
• Madonna - Music (2000)
• Shakira - Whenever,Wherever (2002)
• Beyonce - Irreplaceable (2006-2007)
• 11 Weeks At Number 1
• Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine - (1998)
• Black Eyed Peas - Don't Phunk With My Heart (2005)
• Eminem - Without Me (2002)

Most time spent at the number-one spot by an artist in a year

• 20 Weeks
• Madonna — "American Pie"(8 Weeks) and "Music" in 2000(12 weeks).
• 16 Weeks
• Los del Río — "Macarena" in 1996.
• Celine Dion — "My Heart Will Go On" in 1998.
• Madonna — "Hung Up" (9 Weeks) and "Sorry"(7 Weeks) in 2006.
• Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean — "Hips Don't Lie" (16 Weeks) in 2006.
• 14 Weeks
• Elton John - " Candle In The Wind 1997" in 1997
• 13 Weeks
• Justin Timberlake - "Sexy Back" (10 Weeks) and "My Love" (3 Weeks) in 2006
• Maroon 5 - "This Love" (10 Weeks) and "She Will Be Loved" (3 Weeks) in 2004
• 12 Weeks
• Shakira - "Whenever, Wherever" in 2002
• Black Eyed Peas - "Don't Phunk With My Heart" (11 Weeks) and "Don't Lie" (1 Week) in 2005
• Beyonce - "Ireplaceable" in 2006/2007
• 11 Weeks
• Brandy & Monica - "The Boy Is Mine" (11 Weeks) in 1998
• Jennifer Lopez - "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (8 Weeks) and "Ain't It Funny"(3 Weeks)
• Eminem - Without Me in 2002
• 10 Weeks
• Britney Spears - "Born To Make You Happy" (1 Week) and "Oops!...I Did It Again" (9 Weeks) in 2000
• Rihanna - "Umbrella" (10 Weeks) in 2007

Artist with most consecutive weeks at #1

• 22 weeks
• Madonna (2005-2006) — With "Hung Up" and "Sorry"
• 17 Weeks
• Los del Río (1996) — With "Macarena"
• 16 Weeks
• Celine Dion (1998) — With "My Heart Will Go On"
• Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (2006) — With "Hips Don't Lie"
• 15 Weeks
• Elton John (1997-1998) — With "Candle in the Wind"
• Cher (1998-1999) — With "Believe"
• 14 Weeks
• Toni Braxton (1996-1997) — With "Un-Break My Heart"
• 13 Weeks
• Justin Timberlake (2006) — With "Sexy Back" and "My Love"

Tracks with most weeks in the Top 10

1. James Blunt - "You're Beautiful" (37 weeks)
2. The Spice Girls - "Wannabe" (31 weeks)
3. Harry Belafonte - "The Banana Boat Song" (30 weeks)
4. Coolio featuring L.V. - "Gangsta's Paradise" (29 weeks)
5. Nelly Furtado - "Say It Right" (29 weeks)
6. Los Del Rio - "Macarena" (28 weeks
7. Cher - "Believe" (28 weeks)
8. Toni Braxton - "Un-Break My Heart" (28 weeks)
9. Maroon 5 - "This Love" (28 weeks)
10. R. Kelly - "I Believe I Can Fly" (28 weeks)
11. Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved" (26 weeks)
12. Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie" (25 weeks)

Tracks with most weeks in the Top 40

1. James Blunt — "You're Beautiful" (52 weeks)
2. The Rasmus — "In The Shadows" (47 weeks)
3. The Fray - "How To Save A Life" (47 weeks)
4. Nelly Furtado — "Say It Right" (43 weeks)

Tracks with most points in a week

1. Madonna - "Hung Up" (548,000 points (week 51/2005))
2. Madonna - "Hung Up" (545,000 points (week 49/2005))
3. Madonna - "Hung Up" (541.000 points (week 50/2005))

Artists with three or more number-one hits in the same year

• 1987
• Madonna (Open Your Heart, La Isla Bonita, Who's That Girl)
• 2001
• Destiny's Child (Independent Women, Survivor, Bootylicious)
• 2003
• Madonna (Die Another Day, American Life, Me Against The Music)
• 2004
• Britney Spears (Me Against The Music, Toxic, Everytime)

Artist with most number one singles from one single album

• Madonna holds the record with three number one singles from her 1987 album True Blue (True Blue, La Isla Bonita and Open Your Heart).
• Britney Spears later tied up with Madonna's record with her 1999 album ...Baby One More Time (...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy and Born To Make You Happy); Later in 2004, Britney did it again, with 2003's In The Zone (Me Against The Music, Toxic and Everytime).

Artists with more than one single of the year

• The Beatles are the artist (and group) with more than one single of the year on the year-end charts with 4: "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Yellow Submarine", "Hey jude" and "Let It Be" in 1963, 1966, 1968 and 1970 respectively.
• The male artist with more than one single of the year on the year-end charts is Elvis Presley with 2: "Hound Dog" and "It's Now Or Never" in 1956 and 1960 respectively.
• The female artist with more than one single of the year on the year-end charts are Madonna and Shakira with 2: Madonna with "Like a Prayer" and "Music" in 1989 and 2000, and Shakira with "Whenever, Wherever" and "Hips Don't Lie" in 2002 and 2006 respectively.

Artists to replace themselves at the number-one spot

As rare as it is for an artist to earn two singles of the year, only three artists have had the distinction of replacing themselves at the number-one spot. Michael Jackson achieved the feat for the first time in 1987, in the height of his popularity when he released the follow-up to Thriller, Bad. Madonna accomplished the same achievement in 2006 followed by Justin Timberlake in the same year.

• Michael Jackson: "Bad" replaced "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" the week of October 3, 1987.
• Madonna: "Sorry" replaced "Hung Up" the week of March 11, 2006.
• Justin Timberlake "My Love" replaced "SexyBack" the week of November 25, 2006.

Artists who have simultaneously occupied the top two positions at the track chart

• The Beatles, Madonna and Justin Timberlake are the only artists to hold onto both the #1 and #2 positions.
• The Beatles in April 1, 1967
• "Penny Lane"
• "Strawberry Fields Forever"
• Michael Jackson in October 3, 1987
• "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
• "Bad"
• Madonna in March 11, 2006
• Sorry
• Hung Up
• Justin Timberlake in November 25, 2006.
• My Love
• SexyBack

Number-one debuts

• Elton John — "Candle in the Wind 1997" (September 27, 1997)

Another Highest Debut

• Eminem's Without Me debuted at number 2 on the chart.
• Mariah Carey's Honey debuted at number 3 on the chart, making it the highest debut for a female artist on the chart.^[1]
• Monica and Brandy's The Boy Is Mine and Beyoncé and Shakira's Beautiful Liar debuted at number 8 on the chart making is the highest debut for an all-female duet.
• Utada Hikaru's Flavor of Life debuted at number 11 on the chart, making it the highest debut for any Asian artist on the chart, as well the highest charting position on the chart for an Asian artist.

Artists who hit number one posthumously in the UWC

• Elvis Presley is the only artist who has number one singles posthumously. The first time was with "Way Down" after his death in 1977 and then 25 years with "A Little Less Conversation" (August 31, 2002).

Artist with most number one singles

• Madonna is the artist with most #1s (and female artist with the record), with 12 in total ("True Blue", "Open Your Heart", "La Isla Bonita", "Who's That Girl", "American Pie", "Music", "Don't Tell Me", "Die Another Day", "American Life", "Me Against the Music", "Hung Up", "Sorry") and Madonna is the only one artist to have a number one hit in all the years since 2000 to 2006.
• Destiny's Child are the group with most #1s, with 4 in total ("Independent Women", "Survivor", "Bootylicious" and "Lose My Breath").

Notes

• It should be noted that the UWC only has charts available from 1966-1967, 1976-1977, 1986-1987, and 1996-present. [http://www.mediatraffic.de/track-artists.htm]http://www.mediatraffic.de/http://www.mediatraffic.de/previous.htmhttp://www.mediatraffic.de/previous1.htm

References

External links

• Media Traffic website