By Silvio Pietroluongo and Jonathan Cohen

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The rap triumvirate of Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent soared 77 places to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on Thursday, setting a new first-week record for download sales.

"Crack a Bottle" sold 418,000 downloads, surpassing the prior record of 335,000 downloads shifted last October by T.I.'s "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna.

Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, each with highly anticipated albums on the way, previously collaborated on "Encore," which peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100 in January 2005.

Elsewhere on the latest tally, Kanye West's "Heartless" rose one place to No. 2, trading places with Lady GaGa's former chart-topper "Just Dance" featuring Colby O'Donis. Last week's No. 1, Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You," fell to No. 4, and Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" dropped three places to No. 5.

The All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" remained at No. 6, Taylor Swift's "Love Story" fell two to No. 7 and the Fray's "You Found Me" slipped one to No. 8. The Denver-based rock band's self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Wednesday. The Hot 100's top debut was also from the Fray, with "Absolute" at No. 70.

T.I.'s "Dead and Gone" featuring Justin Timberlake rose two to No. 9, and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" held at No. 10.

(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)

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