'Vertigo' Tops 2004 Download Charts

12 Jan 2005
Digital download sales overtook those of 'physical' singles in the UK in 2004 - and U2's 'Vertigo' was the best-seller.

There were 5.7m legal downloads in 2004 according to a report from the British Phonographic Institute (BPI), and 'Vertigo' was the best-seller, topping the chart of 2004's Top Twenty Downloads .

2004's Top-Selling Downloads in the UK

1, VERTIGO, U2
2, WHAT YOU WAITING FOR, GWEN STEFANI
3, LOSE MY BREATH, DESTINY'S CHILD
4, AMERICAN IDIOT, GREEN DAY
5, DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS, BAND AID 20
6, THESE WORDS, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD
7, SHE WILL BE LOVED, MAROON 5
8, JUST LOSE IT, EMINEM
9, I BELIEVE IN YOU, KYLIE MINOGUE
10, CAR WASH, CHRISTINA AGUILERA FT MISSY ELLIOTT
11, THIS LOVE, MAROON 5
12, IF THERES ANY JUSTICE, LEMAR
13, DOGZ DON'T KILL PEOPLE WABBITS DO, MOULDY LOOKIN STAIN
14, FLASHDANCE, DEEP DISH
15, LOVE MACHINE, GIRLS ALOUD
16, NUMB/ENCORE, JAY-Z & LINKIN PARK
17, DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT, SNOOP DOGG
18, MARY, SCISSOR SISTERS
19, UNWRITTEN, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD
20, I'LL STAND BY YOU, GIRLS ALOUD

And the year finished with a major milestone for the UK charts; in the final week of the year downloads outsold physical singles for the first time. More than 312,000 singles were downloaded, compared to 282,000 physical singles.


Listen to Vertigo, check out the Jacknife Lee version, watch the video and find out plenty more about the UK's top download of 2004 here

RECENT NEWS

28 Nov, 2025

In Ireland or the UK? Adam features in a new Sky Arts series Greatest Basslines, beginning tonight.

27 Nov, 2025

In North America? Tune in to U2 X-Radio on Sirius XM to catch Bono and Edge performing as U2 receive the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize.

25 Nov, 2025

 Subscribers Special.
'It's not just my favourite U2 song, it's my favourite song.' Writer on TV's Slow Horses, Will Smith is a huge U2 fan. This is his all time playlist.

7
3 Nov, 2025

 Subscribers Special.
'You see everyone's mouth open and eyes go up, and they're just taking it in.' A U2 playlist from composer, producer and DJ, Pauli The PSM.

4