U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for May 29

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, MAY 29: BEST SELLING SONG

Profile America — Tuesday, May 29th.  What is the biggest selling single record of all time?  The answer may surprise you, since it isn't by the Beatles or Elvis.  The record is Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," recorded on this date 70 years ago. Crosby's rendition has sold 50 million copies since it was released later that year.  Adding the many versions of the song recorded by other artists, estimates are that "White Christmas" has stacked up sales of 100 million copies. The year Bing recorded his holiday classic; Americans spent $634 million on records, radios, and musical instruments.  Now, we spend more than $6.8 billion on sound recordings alone each year. Profile America is produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: Measuring America—People, Places, and Our Economy.

Sources:  440 International Calendar of Events, Those Were the Days
Guinness World Records
Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 318
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1140

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau