Exclusive interview: David Guetta’s Titanium hits one million sales!

“I am so proud of Titanium! It’s now the biggest selling record of my career, and has been game-changing for me and Sia!”

Who said guitars are on their way back?

David Guetta’s chart-topping single Titanium FT Sia has hit one million sales in the UK, meaning the French DJ/producer now joins chart royalty such as The Beatles and Spice Girls as one of only a select few artists to claim a hand in TWO million selling singles in the UK in their career.

We caught up with the man himself to find out how it feels to be up there with the best of the best. Plus: we reveal David Guetta’s Official Top 20 Biggest Selling Singles, complete with video playlist, here.

Congratulations! Did you know there’s only been 130 singles to sell over a million copies in UK chart history? And you have TWO of them!

David Guetta: “It’s incredible! It took me a long time to break the UK as an artist; a decade, but to see all the hard work pay off and have the support of the British people makes it all worthwhile. I am so proud of Titanium; it’s the start of a new direction for me and a song that I think will stand the test of time.

“To be alongside some of the greatest records and artists of all time by selling a million copies in the UK is a wonderful feeling and that it’s with this record in particular makes me especially happy.”

We hear Sia was actually ready to quit being an artist to concentrate on song writing, but you managed to talk her into doing the vocals on Titanium. The UK public are very glad you did! Since then she's had a further Number 1 with Flo Rida on the awesome Wild Ones, and yet another Top 10 single with She Wolf. How proud are you to see Sia reaching such new heights?

“I was a fan of Sia's for many years; Breathe Me is such a beautiful record. She has such a unique style and talent. Her work was critically acclaimed but didn't cross over. When I worked with her it was meant to be as a songwriter. The idea was to put another artist on the record because she didn't want to be in the spotlight any more. What she delivered was just so amazing, I could think of anyone better to perform it.

“She delivered so much raw emotion I begged her to let me keep her voice. Titanium is now the biggest selling record of my career - and has been game-changing for me and also for Sia. I'm so happy for her; she is now respected as one of the hottest writers on the planet, working with Beyonce, Rihanna - and we have plans to make more magic too, of course.”

You co-wrote and produced The Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling, which is also a million seller. That means you're just one of a handful of people like The Beatles and the Spice Girls with two million selling tracks to their name! And it doesn't stop there, both of those tracks also feature in the Top 20 biggest selling downloads of all time. Tell us, what's the secret to creating such a huge chart smash?

“Wow! I didn’t know that. I Gotta Feeling was the pivotal moment for me at that time. I owe so much to Will.I.Am; he'd heard my record Love Is Gone which was being played in clubs worldwide but hadn't crossed over at radio in America. He got my number and called me to ask if I would produce a beat with those kinds of sounds for The Peas. I was in the car on my way to DJ at a small club in Newcastle; it’s a night I'll never forget. A few days later I was on a plane to LA for my first ever experience as a producer.

“I was so nervous. I'd never worked with artists of that stature or produced for them. I'd only made my own records until then. So I had nothing to lose. We worked out of a major studio. I'd never done that either. The room was packed with some of the greatest hip-hop artists coming to hear what I was doing. I plugged in my laptop and got to work. Et Voila! I don't start with the idea of making a hit; I want to make beats that make people want to dance and songs with emotional melodies, so they connect in the clubs but also touch as many people as possible. I Gotta Feeling opened so many doors for electronic music; radio in the US shunned dance then but because it was done with The Black Eyed Peas, it was heard differently. And now it's the biggest sound there too.”

Calvin Harris has also had an incredible year, so too has Skrillex, EDM is really having a moment right now. Some critics are saying that guitars are on their way back, what are your predictions for where music is heading in 2013 and beyond? What new music is exciting you?

“That’s the media talking; there is space for all kinds of music. It's good for everyone if all genres co-exist and are successful; people have their own tastes and the more great artists get a chance the better it is for those who listen and buy it.”

You're joining Rihanna on her Diamonds tour this year, that will be HUGE! We expect you have some tricks up your sleeve, how's the planning coming along? What can the UK expect?

“I’m super excited about the Rihanna tour. I've got two cuts on her album - Phresh Off The Runway and Right Now - so it makes sense to be part of the live experience. When I DJ it’s different than what you hear on the radio; club versions of hits mixed together. Most of my set is my music with some re-edits of tracks by other producers that I love. I have the freedom to mix it up on the fly, so you'll get a bit of what you know, but I'll take you on a journey too. Being a DJ means I can read what people want; I feed off their energy!”

You can check out David Guetta’s Official Top 20 Biggest Selling Singles, here.