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​​IFPI

  1. ​​BTS is the first non-English Act & first Asian Act to enter the Top 10 of the IFPI’s Global Recording Artists of the Year Chart. They have the highest ranking for a non-English Act and Asian Act so far at #2. They were the #1 selling Pop Act and group/duo in 2018. [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS entered the 10 top of the IFPI Global Albums 2018 with 2 albums charting at #2 (LY: Answer) and #3 (LY: Tear). The Greatest Showman is an "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" so that makes BTS the highest album selling global artist of 2018. [Source]
  1. ​​In the Top 10 IFPI Global Albums, BTS is the: [Source] [Source]
​​— First Korean Act to enter:
​​— 2nd non-English act after Utada Hikaru in 2001 to enter (she came at #10) [Source] [Source]
​​— First Act to chart 2 albums in Top 10 since 2012:
  1. ​​According to IFPI, Love Yourself: Tear got 2.3M pure album sales WW in 2018 alone. [Source]
  1. ​​According to IFPI, Love Yourself: Answer got 2.7M pure album sales WW in 2018 alone. [Source]
  1. ​​According to BBC via IFPI, the success of Drake, BTS and Ariana Grande helped the music industry earn its biggest revenues in a decade. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​According to Chartdata, LY: Tear is IFPI’s Global #1 Best Selling Studio Album of 2018. [Source]
  1. ​​IFPI conducted a global research of music purchasing across the countries in April-May 2019. It is speculated that the 44% jump for South Korea is due to BTS because they made their comeback in April (but no doubt that other countries were impacted by BTS’ sales too). [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS came at #7 in the Top 10 of the IFPI’s Global Recording Artists of the Year Chart 2019. [Source]
  1. ​​MOTS: Persona is the first EP ever to enter the IFPI Top 10 Global Albums Chart as all the albums debuted so far have been studio albums. MOTS: Persona debuted at #3 (Lady Gaga’s Fame Monster is not a standalone EP because it has multiple LP like editions and its sales are also combined with the Fame album). [Source] (check archives here)
  1. ​​BTS is the first non-English Act & first Asian Act to grab the #1 spot in the IFPI’s "Top 10 Global Recording Artists" Chart. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the first non-English Act & first Asian Act to enter the IFPI’s Global Recording Artists of the Year Chart 2 → 5 times so far (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the top selling group on the IFPI “Global Recording Artist of the Year” for 4 times, surpassing One Direction‘s record of 3 years.
  1. ​​BTS is the first Korean Group (2nd Korean Act after Psy in 2012) to enter the IFPI’s Global Digital Single Chart with Dynamite at #10. [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​Dynamite was also the youngest song in the IFPI’s Global Digital Singles 2020 list with only 4 months of tracking. [Source]
  1. ​​First Artist to go #1 in the IFPI Global All Format Albums Chart with MOTS: 7. [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​First Artist to have 2 albums enter the IFPI Global All Format Albums Chart with MOTS: 7 and BE. [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​First Korean Act to enter the IFPI Global All Format Albums Chart. [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​MOTS: 7 - The Journey is the first Japanese album by a Korean Act to enter the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart (#8). [Source]
  1. ​​MOTS: 7 is the first Korean Album to go #1 in the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart. [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the 2nd Artist to chart 3 albums at the same time in the IFPI Global Top 10 Albums Chart after three albums of Michael Jackson charted in 2009 (#3 This Is It; #8 Thriller; #9 Number Ones). [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​Outside the Top 10 of IFPI Global Albums Pure Sales Chart, Skool Luv Affair: Special Addition was the 14th best-selling album globally with 0.67M sales. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the first Artist to go #1 in both Global Album Charts of IFPI with MOTS: 7 (All Format and Album Sales) [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the first Artist to occupy the Top 2 spots in the IFPI Top 10 Global Albums Chart. They are also the first Artist to chart more than one album "twice" in the chart (2018 and 2020). 
  1. ​​BTS is the first Artist to enter in all four IFPI Global Charts. [Source]
  1. ​​According to BBC via IFPI, BTS and The Weeknd helped boost the global music industry’s revenues to $21.6bn in 2020, the highest figure since 2002 (18 years ago). [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the First Artist in history to stay #1 in IFPI's Global Recording Artist of the Year for 2 consecutive years (2020 & 2021). [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the 3rd Artist and the First Group to win the IFPI's "Global Recording Artist of the Year" Award 2 times. Drake and BTS tie for the 2nd most wins (2) after Taylor Swift (3). [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the first Korean Act to chart for the 2nd time in the IFPI Top 10 Global Digital Single Chart (2020 and 2021). [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the first Korean act to make the Top 10 of the IFPI Global Digital Singles Chart for 2 consecutive years, with “Dynamite” (2020) and “Butter” (2021).
  1. ​​"Butter" entered at #4 with 1.76 billion global subscription streams equivalents in the IFPI Top 10 Global Digital Single Chart 2021. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​"BTS, the Best" came at #4 with 1.52M units in the Top 10 IFPI Global Album Sales Chart 2021, the 2nd Japanese album by a Korean Act to do so. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​According to BBC via IFPI, global music revenues grew at the fastest rate in more than two decades last year, with help from artists like BTS, Taylor Swift and Adele. Revenues surged by 18.5% to $25.9bn (£19.5bn) in 2021, the highest level this century. [Source] [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​“Proof” entered the revamped IFPI Top 10 Global Albums 2022 Chart (it is technically the All-Format Chart) at #4. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​According to BBC via IFPI, the success of artists like Taylor Swift and BTS helped global music revenues rise to $26.6bn (£21.7bn) in 2022, the highest level since records began in the 1990s. [Source] [Source]
  1. ​​"Proof" is at #2 in the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart 2022. [Source]
  1. ​​According to to Lewis Morrison, IFPI’s director of global data and analysis, there were 35 albums that hit the million mark in 2023. According to Morrison, BTS paved the way in IFPI, and other capable and talented artists have followed in their footsteps. [Source]

​​WW Album Records

​​*ChartMasters and UWC data are estimates, not official numbers but they have good calculations.
  1. ​​MOTS: Persona is the best-selling Album by an Asian Act of all time in terms of SPS units (more than 13M units). [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is at #40 in the ChartMasters’ Top 100 of the Best Selling Artists of All Time in terms of EAS (equivalent album sales), the highest for a non-English Act (the list is incomplete, but we can get a good idea of BTS’ numbers as compared to the others). [Source] 
  1. ​​With 128 Million EAS, BTS is the most successful Act who debuted in 2010 or later. [Source]
  1. ​​With 125M equivalent album sales (EAS), BTS is the Most Successful Asian Act of all-time. [Source]
  1. ​​BTS is the Most Successful Boy Band of all-time. [Source]
  1. ​​At 11, BTS have the most million sellers of the decade. [Source]