Music singles sales at record levels

Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas and La Roux have helped make 2009 the biggest year for singles sales in UK history.

Data from the Official Charts Company confirmed that sales this year have already topped 117 million, beating the record set last year of 115.1 million.

"The explosion in the singles market has been nothing short of astonishing this year, driven by big sellers from Lady GaGa, La Roux, Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen and Black Eyed Peas," Mark Talbot of the Official Charts Company said.

"What is so encouraging about this growth is that it looks likely to continue right through to the end of the year - in the past ten days alone we have seen Alexandra Burke, Robbie Williams and, this week, Cheryl Cole, releasing three more singles which are already rivalling the biggest sales totals of this year. This truly is the era of the digital single."

Lady GaGa's 'Poker Face' is currently the biggest selling single of the year so far. Her debut 'Just Dance' is in second place.

Black Eyed Peas are third with 'I Gotta Feeling' and fifth with 'Boom Boom Pow'. La Roux's breakthrough hit 'In For The Kill' is fourth, despite never reaching number one.

Geoff Taylor of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) added: "We've witnessed an astonishing transformation of the UK singles market during the last six years, with digital downloads rapidly overtaking sales of CD singles and cassettes to dominate the singles scene.

"That singles have hit these heights while there are still more than a billion illegal downloads every year in the UK is testimony to the quality of releases this year and the vibrancy of the UK download market."

Cheryl Cole is on course to secure the fastest-selling single of the year so far with 'Fight For This Love', which has already shifted 230,000 copies.

> 'Poker Face' is most downloaded song