James Delahunty
21 Jun 2010 22:05
The Black Eyed Peas' feel-good track "I Gotta Feeling" is the first song to ever be legally downloaded more than one million times in the United Kingdom. The song was released over a year ago, in June 2009, and spent two weeks at the top of the chart, 33 weeks in top 40.
"It's exhilarating to know we are so connected to our Peabodies," Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie said. "Hopefully the good vibes from that song will continue to brighten people's lives." Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot said it was a very significant step for the download market.
Downloads were first counted as part of the singles chart in the UK in April 2005, but only if the track was also available in stores. A year later, digital downloads were counted regardless of whether the singles were sold as a physical product, and Gnarls Barkley's Crazy became the first to top the charts without selling any copies on CD.
"It's been with us for five years but this really marks a coming of age," Talbot commented about the Black Eyed Peas million-milestone in the country. Fast forward four years from Gnarles Barkley's Crazy and now 98 percent of all single sales in the UK are from downloads.