K-pop has been a rising force on the Billboard 200 since June 2018, when BTS' Love Yourself: Tear displaced Post Malone's Beerbongs & Bentleys to become the first K-pop album or EP to reach No. 1 of the all-genre chart. This week, Stray Kids' HOP becoming the 19th album or EP to achieve this feat.
As of 2018 there are many No. 1 titles on the Billboard 200 by K-pop acts every year except 2021, when there were none. The peak year (to date) for most No. 1 K-pop titles on the Billboard 200 was in 2023, when there were five. There were four in 2022 and four again in 2024.
That's a lot of No. 1 for any genre, and especially one that is still building the global consciousness. (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 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. 1 on this chart. SuperM, BLACKPINK, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NewJeans and TWICE all have a No. 1 album to date.
Now we're looking for the opinion of K-pop fans, the people who follow the genre avidly and know which acts and records they like best. Here's a list of all K-pop albums or EPs to top the Billboard 200. What's your favorite?
