 In the United States , it debuted at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 14 January 2012 . In its fifteenth week on the chart – after it was performed by Matt Bomer and Darren Criss on Glee on 10 April ; by Phillip Phillips and Elise <unk> on the eleventh season of American Idol before more than 16 million viewers on 11 April ; and by Gotye and Kimbra on Saturday Night Live on 14 April – the song rose to number 1 , where it stayed for eight consecutive weeks. thus becoming the longest @-@ running number 1 by a solo male artist since Flo Rida 's " Low " led for ten weeks in 2008 . The song had the fourth highest @-@ selling single week ever with 542 @,@ 000 digital downloads sold , and was the first Australian single to top the Hot 100 since Savage Garden 's " I Knew I Loved You " in 2000 . The song also topped the Alternative Songs chart for twelve weeks tying with Fuel 's Hemorrhage ( In My Hands ) and Linkin Park 's Numb and New Divide , as well as topping the Radio Songs , Digital Songs , On @-@ Demand Songs , Pop Songs , Adult Pop Songs , Adult Contemporary , and Hot Dance Club Songs charts in that country . On 2 May 2012 the song became the first to reach digital sales of at least 400 @,@ 000 for three consecutive weeks , and the following week it became the first to simultaneously top the Alternative Songs , Hot Dance Club Songs , and Dance Mix Show Airplay charts . It also became the number 1 song of 2012 on the Alternative Songs , Adult Pop Songs , and Billboard Hot 100 charts . By 22 February 2013 , the song became the tenth longest @-@ charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 , at 59 weeks on the chart . As of October 2015 , the song has sold 7 @.@ 9 million copies in the US , making it the country 's fourth all @-@ time best @-@ selling digital single . 
