K-pop has been a growing force on the Billboard 200 since June 2018, when BTS’ Love Yourself: Tear dislodged Post Malone’s Beerbongs & Bentleys to become the first K-pop album or EP to reach No. 1 on the all-genre chart. This week, Stray Kids’ HOP becomes the 19th album or EP to achieve that feat.
There have been multiple No. 1 titles on the Billboard 200 by K-pop acts in every year since 2018 except for 2021, when there were none. The peak year (to date) for most No. 1 K-pop titles on the Billboard 200 was 2023, when there were five. There were four in 2022 and four again in 2024.
That’s a lot of No. 1s for any genre, and especially for a genre that is still building in global awareness. (The Recording Academy, for example, has yet to add a K-pop category. For the most part, K-pop entries compete in the overall pop categories.)
Stray Kids and BTS have each had six No. 1 titles on the Billboard 200, which puts them in a tie for the lead among K-pop acts. ATEEZ is runner-up with two No. 1s on that chart. SuperM, BLACKPINK, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NewJeans and TWICE have all have one No. 1 album to date.
Now we’re seeking input from K-pop fans, people who avidly follow the genre and know which acts and which records they like best. Here’s a list of all K-pop albums or EPs to top the Billboard 200. Which is your favorite?
