Week Ending Feb. 26, 2012. Songs: Clarkson Sets “Idol” Record

Of the hundreds of songs that have been released by artists who got their start on American Idol, Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" this week becomes the first to log three weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. The song accomplishes the feat by rebounding from #4, where it had fallen last week, back into the lead. (The song was covered last week on Glee, which tends to give a boost to the original version.)

Three songs by Idol contestants have each logged two weeks at #1: Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" (2002) and "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2009) and Clay Aiken's "This Is The Night" (2003).

Adele's

"Rolling In The Deep" this week surpasses Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to become the best-selling song by a female solo artist in digital history. "Deep" has sold 6,679,000 copies, compared to 6,622,000 for Gaga's smash. The only song that has sold more digital copies is the BlackEyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" (7,822,000).

"Rolling In The Deep" is also the best-selling song by a British artist in digital history. Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" is in second place, with sales of 5,898,000. And it's the best-selling song that won a Grammy for Record or Song of the Year. It took both awards two weeks ago. Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now," which won both awards last year, is in second place, with sales of 5,679,000 copies.

Adele already has the best-selling album in digital history. 21 has sold 2,303,000 digital copies, which is nearly twice as many as the #2 digital seller of all time, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More (1,169,000).

"We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monae rebounds from #6 to #3 on the Hot 100. It first reached #3 two weeks ago. Glee featured the song in its Dec. 6 episode, but the song really took off after it was featured in a commercial for Chevrolet's Sonic which aired during the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. Another fun. song, "Some Nights," debuts at #62.

Three former top 10 hits return to the top 10 this week, displacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and a pair of hits by Adele which experienced a resurgence in the wake of her Grammy sweep. Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" rebounds from #12 to #7, "Turn Me On" by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj rebounds from #11 to #8 and "Young, Wild & Free" by Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars rebounds from #14 to #9. The latter song has logged four weeks in the top 10, but never more than one at a time. I guess you could say it has had a "wild" chart ride.

Nicki Minaj's "Starships" dips from #9 to #10 in its second week. The song is Minaj's seventh top 10 hit, which puts her in second place among female rappers. Missy Elliott leads female rappers with 10 top 10 hits. Lil' Kim is in third place with five.

Bruno Mars'

"Grenade" tops the 5 million mark in digital sales this week, just one week after "Just The Way You Are" reached that plateau. Mars is one of only two male solo artists with two songs that have passed the 5 million mark. The other is Flo Rida, who has scored with "Low" (featuring T-Pain) and "Right Round."

"Just The Way You Are" and "Grenade" were back-to-back singles. In the digital era, there are only three other cases where back-to-back singles both topped the 5 million mark. The Black Eyed Peas scored with "Boom Boom Pow" (6,340,000) and "I Gotta Feeling" (7,822,000). Lady Gaga triumphed with "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis, 6,533,000) and "Poker Face" (6,622,000). Katy Perry scored with "Firework" (5,401,000) and "E.T." (featuring Kanye West, 5,092,000).

I have more good news for Mars fans. The aforementioned "Young, Wild & Free" tops the 2 million mark this week. It's Mars' eighth 2 million-seller in two years. There was clearly a void at pop radio for a sweet and soulful male voice. Mars is filling that void rather nicely.

Eight Whitney Houston songs appear on the 200-deep Hot Digital Songs chart this week, down from 24 last week (and 22 the week before that). Houston's top digital seller is again "I Will Always Love You," which ranks #13 this week (down from #2 last week).

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

1. Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)." The song logs its third week at #1 in its 10th week on the chart. This is its sixth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #2 (241K).

2. Adele, "Set Fire To The Rain." The former #1 song holds at #2 for the fourth straight week in its 26th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #5 (167K).

3. fun. featuring Janelle Monae, "We Are Young." The song rebounds from #6 to #3 (matching its highest ranking to date) in its 10th week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (291K).

4. Katy Perry, "Part Of Me." The former #1 song drops from #1 to #4 in its second week on the chart. Digital sales rank: #4 (187K).

5. The Wanted, "Glad You Came." The song jumps from #23 to #5 in its seventh week on the chart after being covered on Glee last week. The song was #1 in the U.K. for two weeks in July. Digital sales rank: #3 (188K).

6. Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris, "We Found Love." The former #1 song rebounds from #8 to #6 in its 23rd week on the chart. This is its 22nd week in the top 10. The song was #1 in the U.K. for six weeks from October to December. Digital sales rank: #24 (76K).

7. Flo Rida, "Good Feeling." The song rebounds from #12 to #7 in its 22nd week on the chart. This is its 16th week in the top 10. The song spent one week at #1 in the U.K. in January. Digital sales rank: #20 (83K).

8. David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, "Turn Me On." The song rebounds from #11 to #8 in its 13th week on the chart. This is its sixth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #15 (99K).

9. Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars, "Young, Wild & Free." The song rebounds from #14 to #9 in its 20th week on the chart. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #11 (112K).

10. Nicki Minaj, "Starships." The song dips from #9 to #10 in its second week. Digital sales rank: #7 (155K).

Four songs drop out of the top 10 this week. Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" dives from #3 to #30. Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" drops from #5 to #23 and her "Someone Like You" drops from #7 to #21. Chris Brown's "Turn Up The Music" drops from #10 to #19. Digital sales rank: #10 (112K).

B.o.B's

"So Good" debuts at #11. This is from the hip-hopper's upcoming sophomore album, Strange Clouds, which is due May 1. The song is vying to become his fifth top 10 hit. Digital sales rank: #6 (164K)…. "International Love" by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown rebounds from #17 to #13 in its 17th week. This equals its highest ranking to date…"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra jumps from #27 to #16 in its eighth week. The song hit #1 in the U.K. last week. Digital sales rank: #8 (134K).

Carrie Underwood's

"Good Girl" debuts at #24. The song will presumably appear on Underwood's fourth studio album. It is vying to become her fifth top 10 hit…Train's "Drive By" jumps from #43 to #32 in its seventh week…"Wild Ones" by Flo Rida featuring Sia jumps from #45 to #35 in its eighth week…Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" debuts at #38. The song logs its third week at #1 in Jepsen's native Canada.

Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close" leaps from #77 to #46 in its third week…LMFAO's "Sorry For Party Rocking" jumps from #60 to #49 in its fifth week…Adele's "Rumour Has It" leaps from #67 to #51 in its 11th week. This is the highest ranking to date for Adele's song (which previously climbed as high at #60). Will it follow the first three singles from the album to #1? Stay tuned.

Five more Glee recordings enter the chart. A medley of "Fly" by Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna and R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" bows at #56; a cover of Young The Giant's "Cough Syrup" bows at #65; a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" bows at #66; a cover of Halestorm's "Here's To Us" bows at #73, and a cover of The Wanted's "Glad You Came" bows at #90.

Beyonce's "Love On Top" jumps from #66 to #57 in its 15th week. (The song has climbed as high as #20.) The song also moves up to #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It's Beyonce's 10th #1 on that chart (counting four hits with Destiny's Child). It's her first single #1 R&B hit since her 2008 mega-hit "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"...Keith Urban's "You Gonna Fly" inches up from #61 to #60 in its 11th week. It's #1 on Hot Country Songs for the second straight week.

Rihanna's "Birthday Cake" bows at #63. This is vying to become the fourth top 40 hit from Rihanna's Talk That Talk album. Chris Brown is featured on a remix.

Two Tyga tracks enter the chart this week. "Mother***** Up" (featuring Nicki Minaj) debuts at #74. "Make It Nasty" bows at #91. Tyga's "Rack City" climbed as high as #7. All of these tracks are from Tyga's album Careless World:Rise Of The Last King, which enters The Billboard 200 at #4. But you already know that if you read Chart Watch: Albums. If you missed it, here's a link.

Usher's "Climax" bows at #81. The song is from Usher's forthcoming seventh full-length studio album…Jason Aldean's "Fly Over States" opens at #92. This is the fifth single from Aldean's smash album, My Kinda Party. (The song is a nod to what is sometimes called "flyover country," an inspired idea for a country song.)…Young The Giant's "Cough Syrup" bows at #95. The song had "bubbled under" the Hot 100 at #117. The song was covered on Glee last week, which lifted the original onto the chart.

Christina Perri's "Jar Of Hearts" tops the 3 million mark in digital sales this week. The song has been listed on Hot Digital Songs for 72 weeks. It reached #17 on the Hot 100.

Two Drake hits top the 1 million mark in digital sales: "Take Care" (featuring Rihanna) and "Make Me Proud" (featuring Nicki Minaj).

R.I.P. Davy Jones was the youngest, cutest and most popular member of the Monkees, which piled up three #1 hits in 1966-1967 with "Last Train To Clarksville," "I'm A Believer" and "Daydream Believer." Jones was the only member of the quartet to have had a Hot 100 hit before the group took off. As David Jones, he charted in 1965 with "What Are We Going To Do?" Even before that, he played the Artful Dodger in the smash musical Oliver! For that role, he received a Tony nomination in 1963 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The Monkees were dissed as the "Pre-Fab Four" at the time, but most people now accept that they made some great pop records. The Monkees never won a Grammy (despite four nominations), but their TV show won an Emmy for Best Comedy Series in 1967. Jones died today. He was 66.