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With a No. 3 Hot 100 Debut, the Song Sets the Mark for Highest Weekly Download Total by a Group

How ironic that a song about something as old-fashioned as a payphone sets a digital download record.

With digital sales of 493,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Maroon 5's "Payphone," featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa, roars onto the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart at No. 3. Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, meanwhile, spends a second week at No. 1.

Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa Debut 'Payphone' on 'The Voice'

Thanks to its opening sales week, "Payphone," which enters at No. 1 on the Digital Songs chart, arrives with the best digital sales frame by a group, besting the 465,000 sold by the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" the week of April 18, 2009. The sum of 493,000 marks the eighth-best sales week overall since SoundScan began tallying download sales in 2003. (Flo Rida's "Right Round" boasts the best weekly total among all acts, having sold 636,000 the week of Feb. 28, 2009.)

Radio also gives "Payphone" a ringing endorsement, as the song enters the Radio Songs chart at No. 36 with 33 million first-week audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS.

With its entrance, Maroon 5 bests its previous highest Hot 100 start; "Moves Like Jagger," featuring Christina Aguilera, entered at No. 8 the week of July, 9, 2011. Nine weeks later, it spent its first of four weeks at No. 1. The group also establishes a personal best bow on Radio Songs, topping the No. 49 debut of "She Will Be Loved" in 2004. On Digital Songs, Maroon 5 had soared in at No. 1 once before, with "Makes Me Wonder" the week of May 12, 2007.

"Payphone" just misses debuting on the On-Demand Songs chart, bubbling under with 210,000 opening-week streams, according to BDS.

Aiding the song's strong start? A TV appearance and anticipation for Maroon 5's forthcoming album. The group and Khalifa performed "Payphone" last Monday (April 16) on NBC's "The Voice," where Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine moonlights as a coach. The song previews the band's fourth studio album, "Overexposed," due June 26. The set was executive produced by Max Martin, with additional cuts produced by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. "'Overexposed' is definitely our most diverse and poppiest album yet," Levine says.

Above "Payphone," the same two songs from last week maintain the Hot 100's Nos. 1 and 2 positions.

Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" spends a second week at No. 1, gaining in both airplay (as the Hot 100's top Airplay Gainer) and streaming. The track lifts 8-6 on Radio Songs (85 million, up 19%) and tallies a second frame atop On-Demand Songs (1.4 million, up 10%). The song dips to No. 2 after a week in charge of Digital Songs (463,000, 15%).

Fun.'s "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monae, holds at No. 2 for a second week after logging six stanzas atop the Hot 100. The cut leads Radio Songs for a second week (136 million, up 4%) and descends 2-3 on Digital Songs (251,000, down 25%). The sales sum halts the group's record run of seven consecutive weeks selling more than 300,000 downloads in each frame. On On-Demand Songs, "Young" stays at No. 2 (1.1 million, down 2%).

Below "Payphone" at No. 3, Justin Bieber rises 5-4 on the Hot 100 with "Boyfriend," which takes the chart's top Streaming Gainer award, rising 10-6 on On-Demand Songs (738,000, up 28%) and sporting a 25% increase in overall streams. The track remains at No. 4 on Digital Songs (235,000, down 8%) and climbs 15-13 on Radio Songs, although with a 2% drop to 57 million.

The Wanted's "Glad You Came" rounds out the Hot 100's top five, slipping 3-5. Flo Rida's "Wild Ones," featuring Sia, is stationary at No. 6 and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" jumps to a new peak (8-7), pushing 44-35 on Radio Songs (33 million, up 16%) and holding at No. 3 on On-Demand Songs (954,000, up 9%) and No. 5 on Digital Songs (221,000, down 3%).

Filling out the Hot 100's top 10, One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" falls 4-8; Nicki Minaj's "Starships" slips 7-9; and, Kelly Clarkson's former three-week No. 1 "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" slides 9-10.

Just outside the top tier, Train's "Drive By" scores the Hot 100's top Digital Gainer tag, chugging 13-11 with 146,000 downloads sold (up 23%).

Check billboard.com tomorrow (April 26), when all rankings, including the Hot 100 and On-Demand Songs in their entirety and Digital Songs and Radio Songs, will be refreshed, as they are each Thursday.