Week Ending April 22, 2012: A Record For Maroon 5

Billboard's

Gary Trust may have put it best: "How ironic that a song about something as old-fashioned as a pay phone sets a digital download record." "Payphone" by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa sold 493K copies this week, which is more than any other song by a group or duo has sold in any one week in digital history. The old mark was set by the BlackEyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow," which sold 465K copies in its first week in April 2009.

Only two other songs in digital history have sold as many copies in their debut weeks. Flo Rida's "Right Round" sold 636K copies in its first week in February 2009. Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" sold 521K in its first week just three weeks ago.

"Payphone" is Maroon 5's second song to enter Hot Digital Songs at #1. It follows 2007's "Makes Me Wonder." Here's a sign of the growth of the digital market in the last five years. "Payphone" sold a little more than twice as many copies last week as "Makes Me Wonder" did (244K) the week it entered the digital sales chart at #1 (April 29, 2007).

"Payphone" enters the Hot 100 (which also weighs radio airplay and on-demand streaming data) at #3, which marks a new high for Maroon 5. "Moves Like Jagger" (featuring Christina Aguilera) bowed at #8 last year. "Payphone" is the fifth top 10 hit for both Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa. It's from Maroon 5's cheekily titled fourth studio album, Overexposed, which is due June 26.

The group and Khalifa performed "Payphone" on The Voice on April 16. That NBC show, of course, has taken Adam Levine from pop star to household name.

Incidentally, the phrase "pay phone" first came in popular usage around 1935.

"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra tops the Hot 100 for the second straight week. The song sold 463K copies this week, down from 542K copies last week. It's one of only four songs in digital history to sell 400K copies twice. The other three were Flo Rida's "Right Round," Bruno Mars' "Grenade" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way." If "Somebody…" tops 400K again next week (and it has a pretty good chance), it will become the first song in digital history to top this lofty level three times. Stay tuned.

The Wanted's

"Glad You Came," which drops from #3 to #5, tops the 2 million mark in digital sales this week. It's the first song by a boy band to reach that mark in digital era. The old record was held by Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up," which has sold 1,779,000 copies. One Direction's current smash "What Makes You Beautiful" is moving up fast. It has sold 1,593,000 copies.

Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" rebounds from #5 to #4 in its fourth week. It has been in the top five the entire time. It's not holding up as well in the U.K., where it drops from #2 to #10 in its second week.

Carly Rae Jepsen

's "Call Me Maybe" jumps from #8 to #7 in its ninth week. The song holds at #1 in the U.K. for the third straight week. That's the longest run at #1 in the U.K. for an unassisted female solo artist since Adele's "Someone Like You" topped the chart for five weeks starting in February 2011.

You may remember that last week, Jepsen blocked her mentor Justin Bieber from the top spot on the U.K. chart. AP asked Jepsen how Bieber felt about her beating him. "Oh, I think we had a little friendly competition going on but he's a good sport about it," Jepsen replied. "And I think he knows, as I know, that none of that success would have been possible without his support." (Smooth, huh? You'd think she's been doing this for years.)

Incidentally, "Call Me Maybe" is the second song in this week's top 10 that has to do with telephones. The title isn't "Text Me Maybe."

Kelly Clarkson

's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" dips from #9 to #10 in its 14th week in the top 10. Only two of Clarkson's 10 top 10 hits have had as many weeks in the top 10. "Since U Been Gone" logged 20 weeks in the top 10 in 2005. "Behind These Hazel Eyes" held tight for 15 weeks later that same year.

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 second week in its 16th week on the chart. This is its eighth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #2 (463K).

2. fun. featuring Janelle Monae, "We Are Young." The former #1 song holds at #2 for the second week in its 18th week on the chart. This is its 11th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #3 (251K).

3. Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa, "Payphone." This new entry is the fifth top 10 hit for both acts. Digital sales rank: #1 (493K).

4. Justin Bieber, "Boyfriend." The song rebounds from #5 to #4 in its fourth week on the chart. It has been in the top five the entire time. Digital sales rank: #4 (235K).

5. The Wanted, "Glad You Came." The song drops from #3 to #5 in its 15th week on the chart. This is its ninth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #9 (148K).

6. Flo Rida featuring Sia, "Wild Ones." The song holds at #6 for the second week in its 16th week on the chart. This is its sixth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #7 (170K).

7. Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe." The song jumps from #8 to #7 in its ninth week on the chart. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #5 (221K).

8. One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful." The song drops from #4 to #8 in its 10th week on the chart. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #6 (196K).

9. Nicki Minaj, "Starships." The song drops from #7 to #9 in its 10th week on the chart. It has been in the top 10 the entire time. Digital sales rank: #8 (152K).

10. Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)." The former #1 song dips from #9 to #10 in its 18th week on the chart. This is its 14th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #14 (89K).

Katy Perry's "Part Of Me" drops from #10 to #12 in its 10th week.

Train's

"Drive By" (which has a decided Maroon 5 vibe) jumps from #13 to #11 in its 15th week. It's vying to become the group's third top 10 hit, following "Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me)" and "Hey, Soul Sister." Digital sales rank: #10 (146K).

Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close" drops from #12 (its apparent peak) to #14 in its 11th week. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales. Rihanna's "We Found Love," which Harris wrote and produced and on which he is featured, has sold 4,283,000 copies.

Drake lands his third 2-million seller as a lead artist with "The Motto" (featuring Lil Wayne), which dips from #14 (its apparent peak) to #15 in its 23rd week. It follows "Best I Ever Had" (2,269,000) and "Forever" (featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem, 2,972,000).

Adele's "Rumour Has It" jumps from #20 to #16 in its 19th week. It's likely to become the fourth top 10 hit from 21. Will it become the fourth top five hit from the album? The fourth #1? Stay tuned…Usher's "Climax" jumps from #25 to #20 in its ninth week. It holds at #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the second straight week.

"Birthday Cake" by Rihanna featuring Chris Brown jumps from #29 to #24 in its ninth week…Eric Church's "Springsteen" jumps from #31 to #26 in its eighth week. It was #26 two weeks ago before being pushed down..."Dance Again" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull jumps from #34 to #29 in its third week. The song debuted at #27 two weeks ago. J.Lo has five more weeks of weekly exposure on American Idol this season.

Linkin Park's

"Burn It Down" debuts at #30. The song is vying to become the band's fourth top 10 hit, following "In The End," "What I've Done" and "New Divide." It's from the band's fifth studio album Living Things, which is due June 26...Karmin's "Brokenhearted" jumps from #38 to #33 in its seventh week. This equals its highest ranking to date.


Jason Mraz's

"I Won't Give Up," which rebounds from #49 to #36 in its 16th week, tops the 1 million mark in digital sales. The song has climbed as high as #8. Mraz's Love Is AFour Letter Word came within 12K copies of entering The Billboard 200 at #1. It was blocked by an artist who had two top five hits in 1977, the year Mraz was born. If you read Chart Watch Albums, you know I'm talking about Lionel Richie (whose 1977 hits came as the front-man for Commodores). If you missed it, here's a link.

Blake Shelton's "Drink On It" drops from #42 to #45 in its 13th week. The song peaked at #39. It holds at #1 for the second week on Hot Country Songs..."Up!" by LoveRance featuring IamSu & Skipper or 50 Cent (weirdest billing ever?) jumps from #53 to #48 in its eighth week….Ellie Goulding's "Lights" jumps from #54 to #49 in its 18th week…Mac Miller's "Loud" debuts at #53. It's from a mix-tape, Macadelic, that was released on March 23.

"Feel Like A Rock Star" by Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw, which debuted at #40 two weeks ago, rebounds from #58 to #56 in its third week. It's the fifth song with the evocative phrase "rock star" in its title to crack the Hot 100 in the past five years. Shop Boyz's "Party Like A Rock Star" reached #2 in June 2007. Nickelback's "Rockstar" hit #6 three months later. Hannah Montana's "Rock Star" hit #81 in February 2008. "Rockstar 101" by Rihanna featuring Slash (the only honest-to-God rock star in the bunch) hit #64 in August 2010.

Neon Trees' "Everybody Talks" jumps from #64 to #57 in its sixth week…"Stay Schemin'" by Rick Ross featuring Drake & French Montana debuts at #58. It's from a mix-tape, Rich ForeverAlex Clare's "Too Close" jumps from #73 to #63 in its fifth week. This is its highest ranking to date…Pitbull's zesty "Back In Time" jumps from #83 to #65 in its third week. This is its highest ranking to date.

"Titanium" by David Guetta featuring Sia re-enters at #79. It has climbed as high as #66. It's from Guetta's fifth studio album, Nothing But The Beat…"Way Too Cold" by Kanye West featuring DJ Khaled and DJ Pharris, debuts at #86. It's a non-album single…Chris Brown's "Sweet Love" debuts at #89. It's from Brown's fifth studio album Fortune, which is due July 3. (That's the cleverly-titled follow-up to F.A.M.E.)

Toby Keith's "Beers Ago" debuts at #95. The song is already in the top 20 on Hot Country Songs…Gotye's "Eyes Wide Open" bows at #96…"Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" by John Legend featuring Ludacris debuts at #97. It's from the Think Like A Man soundtrack, which jumps from #33 to #21 in its second week on The Billboard 200. The movie was #1 at the box-office last weekend.

Taio Cruz's

"Dynamite" becomes the 10th song to top the 6 million mark in digital sales. It's the second best-selling song by a British artist (following Adele's "Rolling In The Deep," 7,036,000). It's also the second best-selling song that failed to reach #1 (following Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," 6,104,000). "Dynamite" peaked at #2 in August 2010.

David Guetta lands his third 2-million seller as a lead artist with "Without You" (featuring Nicki Minaj). It follows "Sexy Chick" (featuring Akon, 3,292,000) and "Without You" (featuring Usher, 2,497,000).

Skrillex's "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites tops the 1 million mark in digital sales. The track won a Grammy in February as Best Dance Recording. It's Skrillex's first million-seller.