Top 10 best-selling K-pop boy groups on GAON in 2021 so far (September)

Left Top: EXO, Left Bottom: NCT 127, Right Top: BTS, Right Bottom: Stray Kids (Images via Official Twitter accounts)

The Twitter account @koreansales_twt compiled a list of the top 10 best-selling K-pop boy group albums in the GAON music charts from January to September 2021. While there are some surprise entries, BTS expectedly claims the number one spot in it.

There's a whopping difference of six million sales between the first spot and the last spot. Considering BTS only released one single in 2021, Butter, K-netizens are stunned by their immense power.

Who are GAON's Top 10 best-selling K-pop boy groups from January to September 2021?

The 'KOREAN SALES' Twitter account is a regular for K-pop stans as it regularly updates them about everything in the K-pop industry. Whether it's digital and physical sales, streaming details (hourly, daily and monthly) of Korean music charts or Spotify rankings, @koreansales_twt has it all.

The K-pop industry is big on physical album sales and GAON is one of the major charts that helps track them. Here's a look at the groups that have recorded the highest number of album sales in 2021 so far.

10) THE BOYZ - 787,685

First up is the rookie group, THE BOYZ. The group released their sixth mini-album THRILL-ING in August. The album also went on to break its previous first-week sales record with their 2020 album CHASE.

9) ENHYPEN - 882,750

Belift Lab's much-loved boy group ENHYPEN, lands up in ninth place with 882k sales. The group released BORDER:CARNIVAL in April. After a COVID health scare, they're currently prepping for their comeback in October.

8) ATEEZ - 1,417,574

One of the most powerful 4th generation K-pop groups soaring to popularity, ATEEZ claimed eighth place, close to 1.45 million copies. Their eighth EP titled Zero: Fever Part 3 was released in September.

7) EXO - 1,495,497

The 3rd generation K-pop superstars landed in seventh place with 1.49 million copies. In June, the group made their seven-member comeback with Don't Fight The Feeling and a refreshing new retro game concept complete with graphic cards and an 80s-inspired space video game.

6) SEVENTEEN - 1,690,528

Another self-producing group up on the list, K-pop group SEVENTEEN takes sixth place as one of the best-selling male groups in 2021. Their eighth mini-album Your Choice was released in June. The group is now prepping for their ninth mini-album, ATTACA.

5) Stray Kids - 1,753,627

JYP's self-producing group Stray Kids ranks number five on the list. NOEASY is their second full-length album consisting of 14 songs ranging from hip hop to R&B and more. They have sold 1.7 million copies so far in 2021

4) TXT - 1,837,400

Taking up the fourth rank is HYBE's boy group TOMORROW X TOGETHER. The five-member group released their second studio album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, on May 31, 2021. It became the highest-charting album in 2021 by a K-pop act on the Billboard 200 chart. The group then released a repackaged album, The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT OR ESCAPE in August. They're now gearing up for a Japanese release.

3) NCT 127 - 2,690,943

Up close is their fellow sub-unit, NCT 127. The group has sold 2.69 million copies collectively so far in 2021. This is an incredible feat considering the group only released Sticker, their third studio album, and achieved a 'Double Million Seller' label with it.

2) NCT Dream - 3,819,970

Next up in second place is NCT Dream. While not nearly close to first but still a significant number, the SM Entertainment group has sold 3.8 million copies so far in 2021. In May, the group released their first studio album Hot Sauce and a repackaged album Hello Future in June

1) BTS - 6,263,329

K-pop mega-stars, often compared to The Beatles by global music critics, sit at the top with just one release. Butter was released on May 21, 2021, and was the group's second all-English single. The CD album consisted of BTS' third English single, Permission to Dance, too. In nine months, the group has sold 6.2 million copies.

With three more months and multiple comebacks to go in 2021, it'll be interesting to see how the year ends in terms of best-selling K-pop boy groups.

About the author

Afreen has been a K-Pop Content Specialist at Sportskeeda since 2021. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, along with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. Afreen has over 4+ years of working in various positions including being an entertainment content writer with Pinkvilla’s K-pop division Hallyutalk and CineDope, and as a copywriter at Flying Cursor.

As per Afreen, she loves her work because she gets to write about the things she is obsessed with. Her thorough research and following the two-genuine-source rule of journalism helps her produce the most accurate content, along with helping her be up-to-date with the industry.

Afreen has had the privilege to interview The Rose's frontrunner, WOOSUNG, and LIONESSES, K-pop's first openly LGBTQ+ group. She is a big fan of SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, BTS, and The Rose for their hard work, sincerity, and the comic relief their shows provide.

When she is off her shift, Afreen explores the streets of Nottingham in the UK, cooks, and listens to new music.

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Edited by Danyal Arabi