Week Ending Oct. 21, 2012. Songs: Rihanna Ties Whitney

Whitney Houston

had already notched seven top 10 hits by the time Rihanna was born in February 1988. But Rihanna has picked up hits at such a torrid pace in the past seven years that this week she ties Houston's career mark of 23 top 10 hits. Rihanna's "Diamonds" jumps from #11 to #8 in its fourth week on the Hot 100.

Rihanna is only the seventh woman to amass 23 or more top 10 hits since 1955. She trails Madonna (38 top 10 hits), Diana Ross (30, combining her solo hits and her earlier hits with the Supremes), Janet Jackson (29), Mariah Carey (28) and Beyonce (24, combining her solo hits and her hits with Destiny's Child). She pulls even with Houston.

Rihanna has achieved 23 top 10 hits at a younger age (she's still just 24) than any other woman. She swipes the title from Beyonce, who was 28 when she achieved her 23rd career top 10, "Sweet Dreams." Jackson was 29 when he scored her 23rd top 10, "Runaway." Carey was 33 when she scored her 23rd top 10 hit with "I Know What You Want," a collabo with Busta Rhymes. Madonna was also 33 when she scored with "This Used To Be My Playground." Ross was 36 when she scored with "Upside Down." Houston was 38 when she scored with "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"Diamonds" logs its third week at #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Now Maroon 5 knows how Richard Nixon felt. When Nixon edged out Hubert Humphrey to win the presidency in 1968, he said, "Having lost a close one eight years ago and having won a close one this year, I can say this—winning's a lot more fun." Maroon 5 lost a close one this summer when "Payphone" (featuring Wiz Khalifa) spent six weeks at #2, including five frustrating weeks in a row when it was stuck behind Carly RaeJepsen's monster hit "Call Me Maybe." (That makes Jepsen the John F. Kennedy of this analogy.) Maroon 5 is having much better luck with its follow-up single, "One More Night," which logs its sixth week at #1 this week. In a reversal of the group's prior fate, it consigns PSY's "Gangnam Style" to the runner-up slot for the fifth straight week.

"One More Night" is the fourth song to spent six or more weeks at #1 in 2012. It follows "We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monae (six weeks), "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra (eight weeks) and "Call Me Maybe" (nine weeks).

"Gangnam Style" has been seen more than 501 million times on YouTube since being uploaded July 15. It's #4 on YouTube's all-time list of most-seen music videos, behind three hit collabos: "Baby" by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, "On The Floor" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull and "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna. The song sold 1,649,000 digital copies, which proves once again that far more people are apt to enjoy something for free than will pay to enjoy it.

.fun's "Some Nights" rebounds from #4 to #3. This is its fourth week at #3. .fun, an act that was known primarily just to family and friends prior to this year, has spent all but four weeks in the top 10 since the week ending Feb. 12. (And those four weeks, it ranked #11.)

Taylor Swift's

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" rebounds from #5 to #4. The song logs its third week at #1 on Hot Country Songs.

Ke$ha lands her fourth top five hit in less than three years as "Die Young" jumps from #8 to #5 in its fourth week. It follows "TiK ToK" (#1 in 2010), "Your Love Is My Drug" (#4 in 2010) and "We R Who We Are" (#1 in 2010).

Ne-Yo's

"Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)" jumps from #12 to #9. It's the R&B master's 11th top 10 hit. The subtitle was added to avoid confusion with Mario's 2005 smash "Let Me Love You." Ne-Yo co-wrote both songs. Adding a subtitle is a common way of avoiding confusion. Sheena Easton's U.K. hit "9 To 5" became "Morning Train (Nine To Five)" when it was released in the U.S. in 1981 to avoid confusion with Dolly Parton's "9 To 5." It's easy to imagine that Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" gained its subtitle avoid confusion with Kanye West's 2007 smash "Stronger." Sheena Easton's "Morning Train"

Eminem

received a lot of attention last week (including right here at Yahoo! Music) when he turned 40. This week, fans give him a belated present: His 2002 smash "Lose Yourself" becomes just the second song from the pre-digital era to top the 5 million mark in digital sales. It follows Journey's 1981 smash "Don't Stop Believin" (which has sold 5,433,000 copies.)

Seven other songs that were released prior to the digital era (which we can conveniently date to the April 28, 2003 opening of the iTunes store) appear on Nielsen SoundScan's running list of the 200 songs that have sold the most digital copies.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"/ "What A Wonderful World," which the singer and ukulele player recorded in 1993, has sold 3,464,000 copies. It's followed by Survivor's 1982 hit "Eye Of The Tiger" (3,270,000), Michael Jackson's 1984 hit "Thriller" (3,160,000), Queen's 1976 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" (3,018,000), Bon Jovi's 1987 hit "Livin' On A Prayer" (2,866,000), Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1974 hit "Sweet Home Alabama" (the oldest recording in the top 200) (2,834,000) and Guns N' Roses' 1988 hit "Sweet Child O' Mine" (2,795,000).

I give these songs a lot of credit. They were, in effect, hits twice, first when they were originally released as vinyl singles, and a second time, years later, in the digital universe. (Make that three times in the case of "Bohemian Rhapsody," which was a physical hit twice, in both 1976 and 1992.)

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 sixth week in its 18th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #5 (151K)…PSY's "Gangnam Style" holds at #2 for the fifth week in its seventh week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (229K)… fun.'s "Some Nights" rebounds from #4 to #3 in its 35th week on the chart. This is its 11th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #6 (125K)…Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" rebounds from #5 to #4 in its 11th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #8 (112K)… Ke$ha's "Die Young" jumps from #8 to #5 in its fourth week on the chart. Digital sales rank: #3 (156K).

The Second Five: "As Long As You Love Me" by Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean holds at #6 for the fourth (non-consecutive) week its 18th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #17 (73K)… Alex Clare's "Too Close" holds at #7 for the second week in its 30th week on the chart. This is its seventh week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #14 (84K)…Rihanna's "Diamonds" jumps from #11 to #8 in its fourth week on the chart. It's Rihanna's 23rd top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #7 (118K)…Ne-Yo's "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself" jumps from #12 to #9 in its 12th week on the chart. It's Ne-Yo's 11th top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #18 (70K)…P!nk's "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" dips from #9 to #10 its 16th week on the chart. This is its 11th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #36 (43K).

Two songs drop out of the top 10 this week. Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" drops from #3 to #23. Digital sales rank: #4 (156K). "Good Time" by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen drops from #10 to #12.

Chris Brown's

"Don't Wake Me Up" jumps from #14 to #11 in its 17th week. This is vying to become Brown's second top 10 hit of 2012, following "Turn Up The Music." This would be the first year in which Brown has landed two top 10 hits since 2008, when he had three as a lead or co-lead artist. That, of course, was before the incident that nearly torpedoed his career.

Taylor Swift's "State of Grace" is the week's top new entry at #13. Digital sales rank: #2 (209K). This is the third time in the past four weeks that Swift has had the top new entry on the Hot 100 (she was outgunned only by One Direction's "Live While We're Young"). It's Swift's fifth hit preview song from her new album Red, which will be enter The Billboard 200 at #1 next week, with first-week sales of 1.1 million to 1.2 million. As you can see, Swift has three songs in the top 10 on this week's Hot Digital Songs chart.

Bruno Mars

may be "Locked Out Of Heaven," but he won't be locked out of the top 10 much longer. The pop star's song of the same name, which echoes the reggae-accented sound of The Police, leaps from #33 to #15 in its third week. It's a cinch to become his ninth top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #9 (106K)…Phillip Phillips' "Home" jumps from #19 to #17 in its 17th week. The song has already climbed as high as #9.

Shameless Plug: "Home" tops the 2 million mark in digital sales this week. It's the best-selling "coronation song" in American Idol history, topping David Cook's "The Time Of My Life." Moreover, it's the 12th song by an Idol alumnus to top the 2 million mark. I tell you all about it in a Chart Watch Extra that went up this morning.

Train

lands its sixth top 20 hit as "50 Ways To Say Goodbye" jumps from #24 to #20 in its 15th week. Those hits are evenly divided between the group's first round of hits in 1999-2003 and its 2009-present revival…Miguel's "Adorn" jumps from #26 to #22 in its 12th week…Flo Rida's "I Cry" vaults from #51 to #24 in its fourth week. The song samples Bingo Players' 2011 release "Cry (Just A Little)," which contains interpolations of Brenda Russell's 1988 hit "Piano In The Dark." (Russell's song reached the top 10 and received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.)

The Lumineers' "Ho Hey" jumps from #32 to #27 in its 20th week. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week…Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" jumps from #34 to #29 in its 10th week…"Bandz A Make Her Dance" by Juicy J featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz jumps from #53 to #46 in its sixth week.

"Ball" by T.I. featuring Lil Wayne debuts at #50. The song enters Hot Digital Songs at #10 (94K). The song is from T.I.'s eighth studio album, Trouble Man, which is due Dec. 18…Kelly Clarkson's "Catch My Breath" debuts at #54. The song is from Greatest Hits—Chapter One, which is due Nov. 16.

Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools (Drank)" jumps from #61 to #55 in its 10th week. Lamar's debut album, good kid m.A.A.d. city, is expected to enter The Billboard 200 next week with sales in the 225K range…Ellie Goulding's "Anything Could Happen" jumps from #75 to #64 in its second week…"Beauty And A Beat" by Justin Bieber featuring Nicki Minaj re-enters the chart at #71, its highest ranking to date. It's vying to become the third top 10 hit from Believe, following "Boyfriend" and "As Long As You Love Me" (featuring Big Sean).

"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis jumps from #96 to #82 in its third week…Zac Brown Band's "Goodbye In Her Eyes" jumps from #97 to #91 in its second week…Jason Aldean's "Night Train" debuts at #92. The album of the same name enters The Billboard 200 at #1 this week.

"Sweet Nothing" by Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch debuts at #96. This is from Harris' third studio album, 18 Months, which is due Oct. 29. The song jumps to #1 in the U.K. It's Harris' fourth #1 in the U.K.; his second as a lead artist. It's Welch's second, following Florence + the Machine's "Spectrum," which logged three weeks on top in July and August…Bridgit Mendler's "Ready Or Not" debuts at #98. Her album Hello My Name Is… is expected to chart next week.

James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" tops the 3 million mark in digital sales this week. The bittersweet ballad hit #1 in March 2006 and received Grammy nominations for Record and Song of the Year.

Three more songs top the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. Of Monsters And Men's "Little Talks," Florence + the Machine's "Shake It Out" and "Danza Kuduro" by Don Omar & Lucenzo .

Shameless Plug: Katy Perry turns 28 on Thursday. We just posted a Chart Watch Extra, "Katy Perry, By The Numbers." I have some stats in there I bet even she doesn't know.