Week Ending Oct. 7, 2012. Songs: One Direction’s Hot Debut (OMG!!!)

One Direction

's "Live While We're Young," the first single from the U.K. boy band's upcoming sophomore album, Take Me Home, is the top new entry on the Hot 100 at #3 (just behind Maroon 5's "One More Night" and PSY's "Gangnam Style"). "Live While We're Young" is the first song by a boy band to enter the chart inside the top five since Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up" debuted at #5 in July 2008.

"Live While We're Young" is One Direction's highest-charting hit to date, surpassing its breakthrough smash "What Makes You Beautiful," which peaked at #4 in April. It's vying to become the first song by a boy band to top the Hot 100 since *NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" headed that chart for two weeks in the summer of 2000.

"Live While We're Young" enters Hot Digital Songs at #1. It's the first song by a boy band to top the digital chart (which originated in June 2003, two months after the opening of the iTunes store). "Live Like We're Young" sold 341K copies in its first week. That's the biggest one-week sales tally for a song by a boy band in digital history. The old record was held by "What Makes You Beautiful," which sold 294K copies in the week ending April 8. (Such boy-band blockbusters as *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" and Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" were released before the advent of the digital age.)

Take Me Home

is due Nov. 13. It is a sure thing to debut at #1. 1D's first album, Up All Night, debuted at #1 in March with first-week sales of 176K. 1D would become the first act to notch two #1 albums in 2012. (Another teen sensation, Justin Bieber, was the only act to land two #1 albums in 2011.)

"Live While We're Young" is one of three songs to enter the Hot 100 inside the top 10 this week. Taylor Swift's "Red" debuts at #6. Adele's "Skyfall" bows at #8. Billboard's Gary Trust notes that this is only the second time that three songs have debuted inside the top 10 in the same week. It happened for the first time in March when Katy Perry's "Part Of Me" bowed at #1, Nicki Minaj's Starships" opened at #9 and Chris Brown's "Turn Up The Music" debuted and peaked at #10.

"Red" is Swift's 13th top 10 hit; her 10th to enter the Hot 100 inside the top 10. It's the third preview track from Swift's album Red, which is due Oct. 22. The first, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," logged three weeks at #1. The second, "Begin Again," debuted at #7 last week. Red is Swift's third studio album in a row to spawn three top 10 hits before it was even released. "Change," "Love Story" and "Fearless" all cracked the top 10 before Fearless was released in November 2008. "Mine," "Speak Now" and "Back To December" all cracked the top 10 before Speak Now was released in October 2010.

And Swift isn't through yet. Yet another song from Red, the pop-leaning "I Knew You Were Trouble," is expected to make a big splash on the Hot 100 next week.

Bear in mind, though, that all top 10 hits are not created equal. "We Are Never Ever…" is a legitimate smash. "Begin Again," not so much. The song plunges from #7 to #52 in its second week.

This isn't the first time that a Swift song has logged just a single frame in the top 10. Eight of her first 12 top 10 hits spent just one week in the top 10. Four of them spent just one week in the top 40 (!). (Those four: "Jump Then Fall," "Speak Now," "If This Was A Movie" and now "Begin Again," which might rebound.)

By contrast, "You Belong With Me" logged 16 weeks in the top 10. "Love Story" had 13 weeks. "We Are Never Ever…" is in its eighth week in the top 10. "Mine" had five. These are actual, bona-fide hits. Some of these others are pseudo hits. So what does it all mean? It means you have to take all statistics with a grain of salt.

Billboard revamped the formula for its genre charts to include digital sales and streaming data. This will work to the benefit of crossover artists such as Swift. Sure enough, "We Are Never Ever..." surges from #21 to #1 on Hot Country Songs. "Red" debuts at #2. "Begin Again" surges from #37 to #10. "We Are Never Ever," which had previously peaked at #13 on Hot Country Songs, when it measured only, you know, country airplay, is Swift's seventh #1 country hit. (I have a feeling this will stir a little conversation in Nashville.)

"Skyfall" is Adele's fourth top 10 hit; her first to enter the Hot 100 inside the top 10. It's the seventh opening-titles song from an official James Bond movie to reach the top 10; the first since Madonna's "Die Another Day" in 2002. (It's also the first Bond song to debut in the top 10.)

Here are the first six opening-titles Bond songs to reach the top 10, in chronological order: Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" (#8 in March 1965), Wings' "Live And Let Die" (#2 in August 1973), Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" (from The Spy Who Loved Me, #2 in October 1977), Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only" (#4 in October 1981), Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill" (#1 in July 1985) and Madonna's "Die Another Day" (#8 in November 2002).

Shameless Plug: I'll have a great deal more to say on this subject in a Chart Watch Extra that will go up later today.

Maroon 5's

"One More Night" holds at #1 for the fourth straight week. This ties "Moves Like Jagger" (featuring Christina Aguilera) as the group's longest-running #1 hit to date.

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

The Top Five: Maroon 5's "One More Night" holds at #1 for the fourth week in its 16th week on the chart. This is its eighth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #5 (167K)…PSY's "Gangnam Style" holds at #2 for the third week in its fifth week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #4 (257K)…One Direction's "Live Like We're Young" debuts at #3. It's the boy band's second top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #1 (341K)….fun.'s "Some Nights" dips from #3 to #4 in its 33rd week on the chart. This is its ninth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #8 (129K)…Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" dips from #4 to #5 in its ninth week on the chart. This is its eighth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #6 (149K).

The Second Five: Taylor Swift's "Red" debuts at #6. It's Swift's 13th top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #2 (312K)…"As Long As You Love Me" by Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean dips from #6 to #7 in its 16th week on the chart. This is its eighth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #13 (84K)… Adele's "Skyfall" debuts at #8. It's her fourth top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #3 (261K)….P!nk's "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" drops from #5 to #9 its 14th week on the chart. This is its ninth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #24 (62K)… Alex Clare's "Too Close" dips from #9 to #10 in its 28th week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #10 (102K).

Three songs drop out of the top 10 this week. Taylor Swift's "Begin Again" plunges from #7 to #52. Flo Rida's "Whistle" drops from #8 to #12. "Good Time" by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen dips from #10 to #11.

Ke$ha's "Die Young" dips from #13 to a bulleted #14 in its second week…Chris Brown's "Don't Wake Me Up" drops from #14 to a bulleted #16 in its 15th week…Ne-Yo's "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)" leaps from #25 to #17 in its 10th week.

Rihanna's

"Diamonds" drops from #16 to a bulleted #18 in its second week. Digital sales rank: #9 (108K). The song enters The Official U.K. chart at #1. It's Rihanna's seventh #1 hit in the U.K.; her sixth as a lead artist. It follows "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z), "Take A Bow," "Run This Town," a collabo with Jay-Z & Kanye West, "Only Girl (In The World)," "What's Your Name?" (featuring Drake) and "We Found Love" (featuring Calvin Harris).

"Diamonds" surges from #66 to #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. This is due to the change in methodology on Billboard's genre charts, which works to the benefit of crossover artists. (See Taylor Swift discussion above.) This is Rihanna's second #1 R&B hit, following 2008's "Take A Bow" (which was one of her most soulful vocal performances).

"Clique" by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Big Sean jumps from #22 to #19 in its fifth week. The song has already climbed as high as #12…Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" jumps from #29 to #24 in its 14th week. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. Underwood and Brad Paisley are set to co-host the CMA Awards on Nov. 1. It's their fifth straight year as co-hosts…Miguel's "Adorn" jumps from #31 to #27 in its 10th week.

Mumford & Sons'

"I Will Wait" leaps from #57 to #32 in its ninth week. The song has already climbed as high as #23. The group has seven songs on this week's chart, the most by a group (not counting the Glee ensemble) since the Beatles' heyday in the 1960s. Here are the other six: "Babel" drops from #60 to #66 in its second week, "Whispers In The Dark" jumps from #86 to #81 in its second week, "Holland Road" jumps from #92 to 84 in its second week, "Ghosts That We Knew" jumps from #94 to #88 in its second week, "Lover's Eyes" jumps from #85 to #94 in its second week; and "Lover Of The Light" debuts at #97. The band's album Babel is #1 on The Billboard 200 for the second week. It will stay on top for a third week next week.

Bruno Mars'

"Locked Out Of Heaven" debuts at #34. This is from Mars' sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, which is due Dec. 10. Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, spawned three top five hits: "Just The Way You Are," "Grenade" and "The Lazy Song"....Luke Bryan's "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" jumps from #52 to #47 in its seventh week…OneRepublic's "Feel Again" jumps from #67 to #59 in its sixth week…Muse's "Madness" jumps from #69 to #64 in its seventh week. The band's album The 2nd Law enters The Billboard 200 at #2 this week, the band's highest ranking to date…Flo Rida's "I Cry" jumps from #81 to #69 in its second week.

Brad Paisley's

"Southern Comfort Zone" debuts at #73, which means both co-hosts of the upcoming CMA Awards will have big hits at the time…"Just What I Am" by Kid Cudi featuring King Chip debuts at #74. This is from Kid Cudi's third studio album, Indicud, which is due later this year…Kip Moore's "Beer Money" jumps from #88 to #77 in its third week.

Gary Allan's "Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)" debuts at #78. This is from the country star's ninth studio album, Set You Free, which is due early next year….Greg Bates' "Did It For The Girl" jumps from #96 to #89 in its third week…Glee Cast's version of Coldplay's "Scientist" debuts at #91. Coldplay's song appeared on its 2000 album A Rush Of Blood To The Head. It has sold 1,512,000 digital copies.

"Hall Of Fame" by The Script featuring will.i.am re-enters the chart at #96. The song has already climbed as high as #87. This is from the band's third album, #3, which is expected to debut in the top 15 on next week's Billboard 200…"My Moment" by DJ Drama featuring 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Jeremih debuts at #99. It's from DJ Drama's album Quality Street Music, which enters The Billboard 200 at #15 this week…Randy Houser's "How Country Feels" debuts at #100.

Queen's

1976 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" tops the 3 million mark in digital sales this week. It's the oldest recording to have sold 3 million digital copies. The song first appeared on Queen's fourth album, ANight At The Opera, in December 1975. Moreover, it's the best-selling song from the 1970s. The second best-seller from the '70s is Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1974 hit "Sweet Home Alabama," which has sold 2,826,000 digital copies. It first appeared on the band's sophomore album, Second Helping, in April 1974.

Luke Bryan's "Drunk On You" tops the 2 million mark in digital sales. It's his second song to reach this plateau, following "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," which has sold 2,199,000 copies. Bryan is only the second male solo country artist to land two 2 million sellers. He follows Jason Aldean, who has had four.

You can tell that Halloween is just around the corner. A crispness in the air? Leaves starting to fall? Bags of candy in every store? Sure, but also Michael Jackson's "Thriller" re-enters Hot Digital Songs. The song has been a Halloween perennial every year since 1983. The song sold 10K this week, bringing its total to 3,136,000.