Best-selling digital single (Japan)

"Soba ni Iru ne" (“I’m by Your Side”), by Thelma Aoyama feat. SoulJa (both Japan), has sold a combined 8.7 million digital copies since it was released in 2008. Aoyama’s second Japanese hit, which topped the Oricon Singles Chart on 11 February 2008, has also shifted an estimated 550,000 physical copies.

Just one other Japanese single has sold as many as 8 million digital copies: Hikaru Utada’s “Flavor of Life” (2007), with 8 million downloads (plus 650,000 physical copies).

“Soba ni Iru ne” was taken from Aoyama’s debut album Diary and was the follow-up to her debut single “One Way”.

The best-selling physical single in Japan is “Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun” (“Swim! Taiyaki”), released by Masato Shimon (Japan). It sold more than 4.57 million copies after its release on 25 December 1975.