Embraced by critics and awards voters, Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” also proved immensely resonant with country music buyers.
It was 2015’s best-selling country single.
According to Nielsen Music, “Girl Crush” sold 1.925 million US digital downloads during the 2015 chart year (December 29, 2014 – December 31, 2015).
Its closest competition came from Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time,” which sold 1.759 million yearly copies.
While Hunt does not lay claim to the #1 position, he does earn two spots within the Top 5. In addition to claiming #2 with “Take Your Time,” Hunt grabs #5 with “House Party” (0.957 million).
Thomas Rhett, who like Hunt has emerged as a genre superstar, had two of the year’s Top 10 singles. His “Crash and Burn” ranks as the year’s #7 seller with 0.861 million, while his “Die A Happy Man” is #10 with 0.823 million US sales.
While 2015’s top single sold nearly as well as 2014’s top single (Florida Georgia Line & Luke Bryan’s “This Is How We Roll,” 2.067 million) and 2015’s #2 single sold exactly as well as 2014’s #2 single (Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again,” 1.759 million), the overall top ten does not compare well to that of last year.
Only four country singles sold over a million copies in 2015, whereas each of the top ten singles crossed the million mark in 2014.
2015’s Top 10 Digital Country Singles (based on US sales):
1) Little Big Town – Girl Crush – 1.925 million
2) Sam Hunt – Take Your Time – 1.759 million
3) Luke Bryan – Kick The Dust Up – 1.066 million
4) Eric Church – Like A Wrecking Ball – 1.010 million
5) Sam Hunt – House Party – 0.957 million
6) Chris Janson – Buy Me A Boat – 0.872 million
7) Thomas Rhett – Crash And Burn – 0.861 million
8) Zac Brown Band – Homegrown – 0.856 million
9) Cam – Burning House – 0.840 million
10) Thomas Rhett – Die A Happy Man – 0.823 million