Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" sold 411,000 digital copies this week, which enables Spears to break Taylor Swift's record for the biggest first-week sales tally for a song by a female solo artist. The old record-holder was Swift's "Today Was A Fairytale," which sold 325K in its first week a year ago.

This is Spears' biggest one-week digital sales total to date. It surpasses "Womanizer," which sold 303,000 copies during Christmas week 2008 (when sales traditionally spike).

"Hold It Against Me" posted the fourth biggest first-week sales tally in digital history. It trails Flo Rida's "Right Round," which sold 636K in its first week in February 2009; the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow," which sold 465K in its first week in April 2009; and Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent's "Crack A Bottle," which sold 418K in its first week in February 2009.

"Hold It Against Me" debuts at #1 on this week's Hot 100. This is the second time that Spears has opened atop the chart. She achieved the feat in October 2009 with "3." Spears is only the second artist in the chart's 52-year history to debut at #1 with two or more songs. Mariah Carey has debuted at #1 three times. She scored with "Fantasy" in September 1995, "One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men) in December 1995 and "Honey" in September 1997. (What about Celine Dion? See The Fine Print, below.)

Spears' achievement is all the more impressive because she has been a star so long. Her first single, "...Baby One More Time," reached #1 in January 1999. Most of the artists who have entered the Hot 100 at #1 have been relative newcomers (such as the red-hot Ke$ha, who did it in November with "We R Who We R").

Only five other artists who have debuted at #1 had been stars for more than a decade at the time they made these powerful debuts. Elton John had been a star for 27 years when he debuted at #1 in 1997 with "Candle In The Wind 1997." Michael Jackson had been a star for nearly 26 years when he debuted in the top spot in 1995 with "You Are Not Alone." Aerosmith had been a top act for 25 years when they debuted at #1 in 1998 with "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." Eminem had been a star for nearly 12 years when he debuted at #1 last year with "Not Afraid." Whitney Houston had been on top for 10 years when she debuted in the top spot in 1995 with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop Song)."

"Hold It Against Me" is Spears' fourth #1 hit on the Hot 100. It follows "...Baby One More Time," which took 11 weeks to reach #1, "Womanizer," which took two weeks to hit the top spot, and "3."

"Hold It..." will quickly become Spears' eighth million-selling digital hit. Her top digital sellers, per Nielsen SoundScan, are "Womanizer" (3,114,000), "Circus" (2,763,000), "3" (2,049,000), "Piece Of Me" (1,668,000), "Gimme More" (1,627,000), "Toxic" (1,537,000) and "If U Seek Amy" (1,175,000).

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Will you hold it against her?

Originally posted by Louie It's kind of sad to see that her best selling singles are her latest. Had the Digital era been alive in her prime, seeing how successful she is now, I think it's safe to say Miss Spears could have more than 14 #1s by now.

Originally posted by Louie It's kind of sad to see that her best selling singles are her latest. Had the Digital era been alive in her prime, seeing how successful she is now, I think it's safe to say Miss Spears could have more than 14 #1s by now.

Originally posted by satellites™ Her and a few other staples who've survived the pop scene. It does hurt to know songs like ...Baby One More Time, Independent Women, and Crazy In Love didn't get the benefit they deserved.

Originally posted by Louie It's kind of sad to see that her best selling singles are her latest. Had the Digital era been alive in her prime, seeing how successful she is now, I think it's safe to say Miss Spears could have more than 14 #1s by now.

Originally posted by stevensaurusrex I believe "Toxic" is the best-selling single from 2004, no? What has "Yeah" sold digitally? For songs that are that old selling 1,000,000+ is like songs crossing 4,000,000+ today.

Originally posted by Duca "Yeah!" was massive, it has sold an impressive 2,841,000+. "Toxic" is the bestselling single by a female artist and the second bestselling single from 2004 though, US and worldwide.

Originally posted by stevensaurusrex Receipts?

Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" tops the 2 million mark in paid downloads. It's Usher's fourth song to reach this level, following (chronologically) "Yeah!" (2,841,000), "Love In This Club" (2,478,000) and "OMG" (3,545,000), All four of these hits are collaborations, featuring, respectively, Lil Jon & Ludacris, Young Jeezy, will.i.am and Pitbull.

Originally posted by Duca http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/cha...frlHHZgskPwiUv Would I lie? "Yeah!" was massive in the US, so it's understandable: #1 on the Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks, 45 weeks on the Hot 100, the most-played song of 2004, #11 on the "Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs" list, #1 on the 2004 Hot 100 Year-end Chart, etc. But the sales of "Toxic" are far more impressive considering it's chart run at peak. It outsold so many #1 singles.

Originally posted by stevensaurusrex Never. And the worldwide receipts?

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Originally posted by Duca http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/cha...frlHHZgskPwiUv Would I lie? "Yeah!" was massive in the US, so it's understandable: #1 on the Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks, 45 weeks on the Hot 100, the most-played song of 2004, #11 on the "Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs" list, #1 on the 2004 Hot 100 Year-end Chart, etc. But the sales of "Toxic" are far more impressive considering it's chart run at peak. It outsold so many #1 singles.