On the Charts: Usher Says "Here I Stand" On Top in Sales

The Big News: Usher's Here I Stand stood atop the charts in its debut week, cruising to number one with 444,000 copies sold. Here I Stand had one of the best debut weeks of 2008, but it fell well short of the 1.1 million copies Usher's Confessions did in its first week in 2004. Moviegoers and book clubs helped push the Sex and the City soundtrack to the two spot with 66,000 copies, while last week's one and two, 3 Doors Down's self-titled and Bun B's Il Trill, dropped to three and four. At five, Leona Lewis' Spirit proved more durable than fellow divas Mariah and Madonna.

Debuts: Outside of Usher and Sarah Jessica Parker, it was a slow week for debuts, as only Al Green's Lay It Down managed to crack the top ten. Further down the list, Cyndi Lauper's Bring Ya to the Brink grabbed number 41, Spiritualized's Songs in A&E took 157 and Plies' Real Testament bowed at 187.

Last Week's Heroes: The top ten from the previous week stay mostly the same with a little reshuffling. Madonna's Hard Candy dropped out of the top ten for the first time to land at 11, while last week's number three Julianna Hough and her self-titled debut fell to 16. But the biggest plummet was reserved for Green Day offshoot Foxboro Hot Tubs, who had their Stop Drop & Roll sink from 21 to 103.

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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