AKB48's "Beginner" Currently Holds the Record in Japan for Highest First Week Sales for a Female Group, Third Highest First Week Sales for a Female Artist and AKB48 is First Female Artist to Sell Over Half a Million Copies Each for Three Consecutive Singles

http://stage48.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2582&start=2759

AKB48 moves ahead of Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada Hikaru by being the first to sell over half a million copies each of three consecutive singles (the former record was shared by the the three artists at two consecutive singles each). By selling over 827,000 copies its first week, Beginner now holds the record for the highest first week sales for a single for a female group, and the third highest first week sales for a single for a female artist, just 1,000 copies below second placer Amuro Namie's "Can You Celebrate?" (released February, 1997) and first placer Utada Hikaru's "Addicted to You", released November, 1999, which sold over 1,068,000 on its first week.