Some number-crunching underling at Billboard has confirmed what we already knew: Adele's 21 and Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" secured the titles of best selling album and single of 2012, respectively. I wonder who had that in the pool. (Sorry in advance if you were the one person in your office who voted for Carly Rae Jepsen and now have to buy 37 Subway sandwiches while simultaneously performing the "Gangnam Style" horse dance. It was close, dude.)
Jepsen's adorable pop hit ranked number one on iTunes' most-downloaded song list, but Gotye inched ahead in total digital sales, grossing 6.80 million ("Call Me Maybe" brought in 6.47 million overall). No surprises there, as "Somebody That I Used To Know" was literally inescapable, from the grocery store to the public restroom to the private corners of your subconscious. It refused to loosen its grip--like a musical tapeworm--until, collectively, 2012 was ready to shit it out.
Similarly, Adele's 21 spawned a number of mega-hits, earning the songstress major praise (Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album) and bragging rights for the highest selling album of 2012. See the full list below.
Top Albums Of 2012
1. Adele, 21 (4.41 million)
2. Taylor Swift, Red (3.11 million)
3. One Direction, Up All Night (1.62 million)
4. Mumford & Sons, Babel (1.46 million)
5. One Direction, Take Me Home (1.34 million)
6. Justin Bieber, Believe (1.34 million)
7. Carrie Underwood,Blown Away (1.20 million)
8. Luke Bryan,Tallgates & Tanlines (1.10 million)
9. Lionel Richie, Tuskegee (1.07 million)
10. Jason Aldean, Night Train (1.02 million)
Top Digital Songs Of 2012
1. Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know” (6.8 million)
2. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe” (6.47 million)
3. fun. feat. Janelle Monae, “We Are Young” (5.95 million)
4. Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa, “Payphone” (4.76 million)
5. Nicki Minaj, “Starships” (3.98 million)
6. One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful” (3.89 million)
7. fun., “Some Nights” (3.84 million)
8. Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (3.82 million)
9. PSY, “Gangnam Style” (3.59 million)
10. Maroon 5, “One More Night” (3.46 million)
[Idolator]