X Factor’s best and worst selling winner’s singles – where is Dalton Harris?

Dalton Andre Harris’ X Factor winner’s single charted at Number 4 in this week’s charts.

But how well did it sell?

Sales data out this weekend has shown that he notched up 35,000 ‘combined sales’ of his track – a cover of The Power Of Love featuring James Arthur – in its first chart week on sale (via Music Week).

‘Combined sales’ includes downloads and streaming figures from services like Apple Music and Spotify.

That total makes the song the lowest selling X Factor winners’ track to date, 10,000 below last year’s winners Rak-Su, who charted at Number 2.

However, Dalton as well as fellow recent winners Rak-Su, Louisa and Matt are at a distinct disadvantage over earlier winners due to a previous shift in chart week.

In the summer of 2015 the chart moved from the Sunday to the Friday, meaning that the most recent winner singles lose out on almost three full days’ worth of sales when they are released at the end of Sunday night.

X Factor winners’ singles – first chart week sales

740,000 – Shayne Ward: That’s My Goal (2005)
580,000 – Alexandra Burke: Hallelujah: (2008)
570,000 – Leona Lewis: A Moment Like This (2006)
490,000 – James Arthur: Impossible (2012)

450,000 – Joe McElderry: The Climb (2009)
440,000 – Matt Cardle: When We Collide (2010)
280,000 – Leon Jackson: When You Believe (2007)
210,000 – Ben Haenow: Something I Need (2014)

210,000 – Little Mix: Cannonball (2011)
150,000 – Sam Bailey: Skyscraper (2013)
130,000 – Steve Brookstein: Against All Odds (2004)
46,000 – Matt Terry: When Christmas Comes round (2016)

45,000 – Rak-Su: Dimelo (2017)
40,000 – Louisa Johnson: Forever Young (2015)
35,000 – Dalton Harris: The Power Of Love (2015)

But it really doesn’t matter

While a low selling first single may not be quite the start to an X Factor career one would hope for, success of winner’s singles seems to be no indication for how well an act will do.

Little Mix’s winner’s track failed to make much impact and yet the girls are now one of the UK’s biggest acts with a string of chart hits.

On the other hand, the likes of Joe McElderry and Matt Cardle may have sold over twice as much with their winner’s singles but couldn’t follow them up.