"3" To 1: Britney Beats Odds To Debut Atop Hot 100

Britney Spears becomes the first artist in over three years to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, to be released tomorrow (Oct. 15), as "3" opens at the pinnacle of the chart. Her new track, a racy paean to the joys of three-way sex from the upcoming hits set "The Singles Collection," due Nov. 24, shifts 255,000 downloads in its first week of release, also propelling it to No. 1 on Digital Songs. The title also jumps 38-25 on the Pop Songs chart and debuts at No. 49 on Radio Songs/Hot 100 Airplay, which ranks songs based on airplay audience on all radio formats.

"3" is the first title to debut at No. 1 since Taylor Hicks' "American Idol" victory song "Do I Make You Proud" did so on the chart dated July 1, 2006. In fact, the last four songs to open at No. 1 were all "American Idol"-related. Prior to Hicks, Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" (July 2, 2005), "I Believe" by Fantasia (July 10, 2004) and Clay Aiken's "This Is The Night" each debuted at No. 1. The last non-"Idol" song to open at No. 1 was Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" on Nov. 14, 1998. "3" is Spears' third Hot 100 No. 1. Her debut single "...Baby One More Time" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1999 and "Womanizer" spent a sole frame at the top, exactly one year ago this week, on the chart dated Oct. 25, 2008.

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