Which K-pop groups have the highest album sales of all-time?

AKP STAFF

Over the years, K-pop has solidified its spot as a mainstream genre, receiving love from listeners worldwide.

What began as a niche genre in South Korea has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon, attracting millions of dedicated fans across continents. Fueled by visually captivating performances, high-quality production, and innovative marketing strategies, K-pop has transcended language barriers and become a staple in the international music industry.

K-pop's influence is reflected in large streaming numbers and staggering album sales. So here is a look at the top K-pop groups with the highest album sales of all time, based on cumulative figures.

1st: BTS (2013 debut) – 55,278,673 albums
(Debut: 2013, Korea 94%, Japan 6%)

2nd: Seventeen (2015 debut) – 41,304,762 albums
(Debut: 2015, Korea 92%, Japan 8%)

3rd: Stray Kids (2018 debut) – 26,271,356 albums
(Debut: 2018, Korea 95%, Japan 5%)

4th: EXO (2012 debut) – 24,303,993 albums
(Debut: 2012, Korea 98%, Japan 2%)

5th: TWICE (2015 debut) – 18,965,521 albums
(Debut: 2015, Korea 78%, Japan 22%)

6th: NCT Dream (2016 debut) – 18,757,640 albums
(Debut: 2016, Korea 98%, Japan 2%)

7th: NCT 127 (2016 debut) – 16,606,988 albums
(Debut: 2016, Korea 98%, Japan 2%)

8th: TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) (2019 debut) – 16,490,766 albums
(Debut: 2019, Korea 89%, Japan 11%)

9th: ENHYPEN (2020 debut) – 13,736,920 albums
(Debut: 2020, Korea 91%, Japan 9%)

10th: TVXQ (2004 debut) – 13,346,920 albums
(Debut: 2004, Korea 31%, Japan 69%)

11th: BLACKPINK (2016 debut) – 10,181,112 albums
(Debut: 2016, Korea 99%, Japan 1%)

12th: BoA (2000 debut) – 9,926,343 albums
(Debut: 2000, Korea 22%, Japan 78%)

13th: ATEEZ (2018 debut) – 9,888,337 albums
(Debut: 2018, Korea 95%, Japan 5%)

14th: IVE (2021 debut) – 9,211,444 albums
(Debut: 2021, Korea 96%, Japan 4%)

15th: Super Junior (2005 debut) – 9,156,065 albums
(Debut: 2005, Korea 82%, Japan 18%)

16th: SHINee (2008 debut) – 8,321,076 albums
(Debut: 2008, Korea 75%, Japan 25%)

17th: NewJeans (2022 debut) – 7,795,997 albums
(Debut: 2022, Korea 99%, Japan 1%)

18th: aespa (2020 debut) – 7,540,176 albums
(Debut: 2020, Korea 98%, Japan 2%)

19th: Girls' Generation (2007 debut) – 7,302,877 albums
(Debut: 2007, Korea 67%, Japan 33%)

20th: (G)I-DLE (2018 debut) – 6,997,612 albums
(Debut: 2018, Korea 99%, Japan 1%)

21st: ZEROBASEONE (2023 debut) – 6,819,785 albums
(Debut: 2023, Korea 94%, Japan 6%)

22nd: NCT (2018 debut) – 6,771,969 albums
(Debut: 2018, Korea 100%)

23rd: Red Velvet (2014 debut) – 6,529,090 albums
(Debut: 2014, Korea 99%, Japan 1%)

24th: H.O.T. (1996 debut) – 6,367,037 albums
(Debut: 1996, Korea 100%)

25th: GOT7 (2014 debut) – 6,051,150 albums
(Debut: 2014, Korea 92%, Japan 8%)

※Includes solo and unit albums, but excludes solo or unit albums released after disbandment or departure from the group.

Korean netizens were impressed with some of the album sales numbers of a few groups and they commented:

"H.O.T. is really amazing. Because when they were promoting, it was a time when fans didn't buy multiple copies of album versions like they do today. And they only released 5 studio albums."

"NewJeans is amazing. They debuted only two years ago. I'm looking forward to their future."

"It's been 18 years since BoA surpassed 10 million album sales. She reached that number in 2006. That data for BoA seems incorrect."

"Wow, IVE."

"H.O.T. is dope. NewJeans and IVE is incredible too."

"Wow, ZEROBASEONE is on the list too."

"BTS is on another level."

"I can't believe H.O.T. is still on the list."

"I'm more impressed that H.O.T. is still in the top 25 rankings."

"ATEEZ."

"Stray Kids are the bomb."

"I expected BTS to be number 1 but Seventeen is amazing too. For girl groups, TWICE is really impressive."

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