Week Ending April 29, 2012. Songs: Gotye Makes Digital History

"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra this week becomes the first song in digital history to top 400K in weekly sales three times. The song sold 414K copies this week, down from 463K last week and 542K two weeks ago. It surpasses three songs that sold 400K copies twice: Flo Rida's "Right Round," Bruno Mars' "Grenade" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."

"Somebody…," which tops the Hot 100 for the third straight week, is the least overtly commercial of these four hits. It's a quirky alternative song, while the other three are mainstream hip-hop or pop. Also, Flo Rida, Mars and Gaga had all topped the Hot 100 with previous hits. By contrast, this is the breakthrough hit for both Gotye, a 31-year old musician who was born in Belgium, and Kimbra, a 22 year old singer from New Zealand.

"Somebody…" returns to #1 on Hot Digital Songs. This is the ninth consecutive week that the #1 song on that chart has sold 300K or more copies. That's a record. The old record was five consecutive weeks with the #1 digital seller boasting sales of at least 300K. It was set in February and March 2009.

"Somebody…" tops the 3 million mark in digital sales this week. In addition, it holds at #1 on the new On-Demand Songs chart for a third week and jumps from #6 to #3 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.

"We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monae holds at #2 on the Hot 100 for the third straight week. The song tops the 4 million mark in digital sales in its 21st week on the digital sales chart. Only one other song in digital history has sold 4 million copies this quickly. "E.T." by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West hit that plateau when it was in its 18th week on the digital sales chart. (The Black Eyed Peas' 2009 smash "Boom Boom Pow" is in third place. It took 23 weeks to sell 4 million copies.)

Carly Rae Jepsen

's "Call Me Maybe" jumps from #7 to #5 in its 10th week on the chart. The song holds at #1 in the U.K. for the fourth straight week. It's the longest-running #1 U.K. hit by a Canadian artist since Celine Dion's "Think Twice" was #1 for seven weeks in 1995. (Oddly, Dion's song stiffed in the U.S. It peaked at #95 in August 1994.)

Pop Quiz: A Canadian artist holds the record for the longest run at #1 on the U.K. chart since 1955. Name that artist and the artist's hit song. Answer below.

Justin Bieber's

"Boyfriend" drops from #4 to #7 in its fifth week. It's his second song, following 2010's "Baby" (featuring Ludacris), to spend five weeks in the top 10. Will it surpass "Baby" next week by remaining in the top 10 for a sixth week? Stay tuned. "Boyfriend" is from Bieber's upcoming album Believe, which is due June 19. It will be his first regular studio album since My World 2.0 in March 2010. (In the long interval between studio albums, he released an acoustic album, an EP of remixes and a Christmas album.)

Nicki Minaj's "Starships" rebounds from #9 to #8 in its 11th week on the chart. It has been in the top 10 the entire time. Minaj's 2011 smash "Super Bass" logged 15 weeks in the top 10.

Quiz Answer: Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" topped the U.K. chart for 16 weeks in 1991. That's longer than any other single since 1955. The song was featured in the Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.

Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 songs.

1. Gotye featuring Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used To Know." The song holds at #1 for the third week in its 17th week on the chart. This is its ninth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (414K).

2. fun. featuring Janelle Monae, "We Are Young." The former #1 song holds at #2 for the third week in its 19th week on the chart. This is its 12th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #4 (207K).

3. Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa, "Payphone." The song holds at #3 in its second week on the chart. Digital sales rank: #2 (330K).

4. The Wanted, "Glad You Came." The song rebounds from #5 to #4 in its 16th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #10 (143K).

5. Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe." The song jumps from #7 to #5 in its 10th week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #3 (221K).

6. Flo Rida featuring Sia, "Wild Ones." The song holds at #6 for the third week in its 16th week on the chart. This is its seventh week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #8 (152K).

7. Justin Bieber, "Boyfriend." The song drops from #4 to #7 in its fifth week on the chart. It has been in the top 10 the entire time. Digital sales rank: #5 (192K).

8. Nicki Minaj, "Starships." The song rebounds from #9 to #8 in its 11th week on the chart. It has been in the top 10 the entire time. Digital sales rank: #9 (151K).

9. One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful." The song dips from #8 to #9 in its 11th week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #7 (170K).

10. Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)." The former #1 song holds at #10 in its 19th week on the chart. This is its 15th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #16 (80K).

Adele's "Rumour Has It" holds at #16 for the second week in its 20th week on the chart. Will it become the fourth top 10 hit from 21? I'm going to go out on a limb and say maybe. (Actually, I'll say yes.)

Wiz Khalifa's

"Work Hard, Play Hard" debuts at #17. It's vying to become the rapper's sixth top 10 hit. The song is from Khalifa's upcoming second studio album, O.N.I.F.C., which is due Aug. 28. (The title stands for Only N**** In First Class, though there's also a tamer alternative: One Night In First Class. The title was inspired by H-N-I-C, a 2000 album by Prodigy of Mobb Deep. That title stands for Head N**** In Charge.)

Usher's "Climax" jumps from #20 to #18 in its 10th week. It holds at #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the third straight week. A second Usher song, "Scream," enters the Hot 100 at #70. Both songs are from Usher's seventh studio album Looking For Myself, which is due June 12….There's a similar story here: "Birthday Cake" by Rihanna featuring Chris Brown holds at #24 in its 10th week. Also, "Where Have You Been" debuts at #78. It's the fifth Hot 100 hit from Rihanna's Talk That Talk album. (I don't think the title of this song could ever be applied to her.)

"Dance Again" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull jumps from #29 to #25 in its fourth week. The key lyric is "I want to dance/And love/And dance again." Not exactly deep, but it works…Ellie Goulding's "Lights" jumps from #49 to #40 in its 19th week. The song has now climbed higher in the U.S. than it did in Goulding's native U.K., where it peaked at #49. (She reached #2 there in 2010 with a cover of Elton John's "Your Song")…"Faded" by Tyga featuring Lil Wayne jumps from #50 to #42 in its 15th week.

"Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera, which drops from #44 to #47 in its 45th week, tops the 5 million mark in digital sales this week. It's the biggest digital seller for both acts. Maroon 5's second biggest seller is "Makes Me Wonder" (2,732,000). Aguilera's is "Ain't No Other Man" (1,679,000). "Jagger" has also remained on the Hot 100 longer than any previous hit by either act. Maroon 5's old record was 43 weeks for "This Love." Aguilera's was 27 weeks for "Beautiful."

Pitbull's "Back In Time" leaps from #65 to #48 in its fourth week. Will this record finally put the unforgettable hook from Mickey & Sylvia's 1957 classic "Love Is Strange" in the top 10 for the first time? I hope so and think so…Rascal Flatts' "Banjo" inches up from #52 to #51 in its 11th week. The song jumps to #1 on Hot Country Songs. It's the trio's 12th #1 country hit. The trio first topped that chart 10 years ago this November with "These Days."

Eli Young Band's "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" jumps from #66 to #58 in its seventh week…"Titanium" by David Guetta featuring Sia jumps from #79 to #63 in its third week. This is its highest ranking to date…Flo Rida's "Whistle" debuts at #64. It's from the hip-hopper's fourth studio album, Only One Rida (Part 2), which is due June 26.

Two Glee renditions of Whitney Houston hits debut. "How Will I Know" opens at #65. "It's Not Right But It's Okay" bows at #92. Houston's original version of "How Will I Know" hit #1 in 1986. Her "It's Not Right…" reached #4 in 1999. The attention from Glee helped Houston's 2000 album Whitney: The Greatest Hits return to #1 on Top Catalog Albums, displacing Adele's19. You already know that if you read Chart Watch: Albums. If you missed it, here's a link.

"Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" by John Legend featuring Ludacris jumps from its #97 to #79 in its second week…Michael Telo's "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" jumps from #91 to #81 in its fifth week…Toby Keith's "Beers Ago" jumps from #95 to #85 in its second week…"Let's Go" by Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo debuts at #89. It's from Harris' untitled upcoming studio album...Hunter Hayes' "Wanted" bows at #99. It's Hayes' second chart hit.

"The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani featuring Akon tops the 3 million mark in digital sales. The 2006 hit is Stefani's first 3 million-seller. Her 2005 smash "Hollaback Girl" has sold 2,519,000 copies. ("Hollaback Girl" was the first song by any artist to sell 1 million digital copies.) "The Sweet Escape" is Akon's third 3 million-seller, following his own "Smack That" (featuring Eminem, 3,227,000) and David Guetta's "Sexy Chick," on which he was featured (3,295,000).

Coldplay's

"Paradise" tops the 2 million mark in digital sales. It's the band's third song to reach this milestone, following "Viva La Vida" (5,429,000) and "Clocks" (2,449,000). "Viva La Vida" won a Grammy as Song of the Year. "Clocks" won as Record of the Year. "Paradise" was nominated for a Grammy earlier this year, but didn't win.