“Hello” by Adele was the first Top Selling Song winner in 2016.
The Billboard Music Award for Top Selling Song was introduced at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, making Adele’s “Hello” the category’s inaugural winner. The song was released in October 2015 as the lead single from Adele’s third studio album, 25.
The award recognized song sales, so it should not be confused with categories based on radio play, streaming, overall chart performance or songwriting. “Hello” was also a massive commercial and chart success: it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Adele’s signature recordings.
The other listed choices were successful songs from the same broad era, but none was the inaugural Top Selling Song recipient. OMI’s “Cheerleader” was among the 2016 category’s nominees, while The Weeknd’s “The Hills” and Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” belonged to the surrounding pop-hit landscape rather than taking this newly created award.