SOYOUWANNA THE TOP TEN MUSIC SINGLES OF ALL TIME

The way we see it, there are plenty of good reasons to buy singles. Sometimes the single is the only good song on the album. Sometimes a single will contain a rare B-side not found on the CD. Sometimes singles make great coasters. And you can never have too many coasters.

From '50s-rock classics to sappy '90s remakes, we present you with the Top Ten Music Singles of All Time. Happy listening.

1. SINGLES 10 - 8

Artist: Bryan Adams
Year released: 1991
Copies sold: 8 million

This song, off the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack, was an early '90s radio staple. With lots of mushy lyrics and Bryan Adams' trademark scratchy/sensitive voice, the tune lends itself well to awkward slow dances at weddings and proms.

9. I'm a Believer

Artist: The Monkees
Year released: 1966
Copies sold: 8 million

To all those people who say The Monkees were a talent-less group of Beatles sound-alikes put together solely for the purpose of a TV show, we say: yup. But they also did infectious, good-time pop better than most, and this tune is surely no exception.

8. Diana

Artist: Paul Anka
Year released: 1957
Copies sold: 9 million

No, this isn't about the late Princess, who wasn't even born yet when the song was released. Rather, it's a Doo-Wop classic by '50s teen idol Paul Anka, whose other hits include "Put Your Head on my Shoulder" and "Puppy Love" (written for one-time flame and former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello).

2. SINGLES 7 - 5

Artist: Elvis Presley
Year released: 1956
Copies sold: 9 million

You knew Elvis would be on this list somewhere, right? This single seems like somewhat of a bargain, offering two famous crowd-pleasers in one.

6. I Will Always Love You

Artist: Whitney Houston
Year released: 1992
Copies sold: 10 million

It was hard to turn on the radio in 1992 (and 1993, and 1994 . . .) without hearing this Whitney Houston gem, originally written and performed by none other than well-endowed country superstar Dolly Parton. The Grammy-winning smash was the theme song to The Bodyguard, a movie which paired Houston and the then-famous Kevin Costner.

5. Hey Jude

Artist: The Beatles
Year released: 1968
Copies sold: 10 million

Although it wasn't conducive to the format of popular radio (read: it was really, really long) this song managed to please listeners everywhere with its gentle musings and endless stream of "Nah nah nah nahs." On the "betcha-didn't-know" front, Paul McCartney wrote the song for John Lennon's son Julian, who was upset over his dad's budding relationship with Yoko Ono. The original title? "Hey Jules."

3. SINGLES 4 - 2

4. I Want to Hold Your Hand

Artist: The Beatles
Year released: 1963
Copies sold: 12 million copies sold

One of the most famous early Beatles' hits, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," was an innocent pre-cursor to more suggestive songs crafted by artists of later years, such as "I Want to Sex You Up" and "I Want Your Sex."

3. Rock Around the Clock

Artist: Bill Haley and His Comets
Year released: 1956
Copies sold: 17 million

This tune, which eventually became the theme song of the show Happy Days, was way ahead of its time when it was released in 1956. It shook, rattled and rolled like nothing else out there, speaking to a whole new generation of dance-minded sock-hoppers.

2. White Christmas

Artist: Bing Crosby
Year released: 1942
Copies sold: 30 million

"White Christmas" was written by composer Irving Berlin for the 1942 movie Holiday Inn, starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. This sentimental classic, which spoke of yearning for "the ones we used to know," tugged at the heartstrings of the war-torn public upon its release. If you've never heard it, you've never been in a mall at Christmastime. Which is probably a good thing.

4. THE TOP MUSIC SINGLE OF ALL TIME

1. Candle in the Wind/Something About the Way You Look Tonight (1997 ed.)

Artist: Elton John
Year released: 1997
Copies sold: 37 million

Originally written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe and released in 1973 on his acclaimed Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" experienced a second wave of popularity in 1997 when an updated version was performed at the funeral of Princess Diana. Sir Elton penned the tearful remake as a tribute to the Princess, a fellow Brit and longtime friend. An emotional world looked on, and snatched up copies of the song in droves.