Band Aid 30 song straight in at number one to become 2014's fastest-selling single

Charity single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ has gone straight to number one in the UK and 62 other countries.

17:11 24 November 2014

Band Aid 30 charity single Do they Know It’s Christmas is currently 2014’s fastest-selling single after it sold more than 312,000 copies in its first week. It has also gone straight to number one in the UK and 62 other countries. The superstar ensemble featured artists including Rita Ora and Bastille.

The recent version is the fourth one to be released and each version has made it to number one. Among those who perform on the single include Ellie Goulding, Emile Sande, One Direction, Ed Sheeran and U2’s Bono.

Organiser Bob Geldof added: "I expected it, but did I expect it in such vast and willing numbers? No."

All proceeds from the song will be donated to fight Ebola in West Africa.

The song outsold the rest of the top five combined and became the biggest one-week sales since Impossible by the X Factor’s James Arthur which sold 489,000 copies in 2012.