6 Ways BTS Made History In The U.K. With Their First Top 10 Hit

Last week, BTS fans were treated to some truly exciting news: the band they love and support earned their first top 10 hit in the U.K., one of the largest music markets on the planet, after many attempts to reach the highest tier. The seven-member vocal band’s “Dynamite,” their first track performed entirely in English, opened at No. 3, a height rarely seen by Asian acts.

With just that one placement, BTS made history in the U.K. in a number of ways, and with any luck, they’ll be able to repeat this feat (or perhaps perform even better) when they release their next single, which will likely come at some point this fall.

First South Korean Act To Debut A Song Inside The Top 10

“Dynamite” wasn’t just BTS’s first top 10 hit in the U.K., it was also their first single to debut inside the uppermost region…and that’s a feat that no other musicians from their home country had managed before. By opening at No. 3, the tune became the first track by a South Korean musical act to open somewhere between Nos. 1 and 10.

Second South Korean Group To Hit The Top 10

While K-pop may be quickly gaining ground all around the world, it’s still fairly uncommon to see any track released by a South Korean musical act make it to the upper reaches of the U.K. songs chart. In fact, “Dynamite” made BTS just the second group from the Asian nation to score a top 10 in the European territory.

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The first “group” (if it can really be called that) that was able to push a tune into the top 10 on the U.K. singles ranking was Pinkfong, whose inescapable smash “Baby Shark” rose all the way to No. 6 in 2018. It is worth noting that while the song originated in South Korea, Pinkfong is really more of a brand than a traditional band.

Third South Korean Act To Hit The Top 10

Aside from BTS and Pinkfong, just one other South Korean musical act has appeared inside the top 10 on the U.K. singles roster, and he managed to do so twice. Psy was the first name from the country to break into the most important region on the tally, and he remains the only soloist and the only artist to land more than one win.

Fourth Top 10 Hit By A South Korean Act

So far, only four singles released by South Korean artists have managed to place somewhere between Nos. 1 and 10 in the U.K., though that number is sure to climb soon. Psy sent his breakout blockbuster “Gangnam Style” to No. 1 and he followed that up with another massive smash, “Gentleman,” which peaked at No. 10. 

Pinkfong became the second act from the country to land a top 10 hit when “Baby Shark” peaked at No. 6. Last week, “Dynamite” became just the fourth win for artists from South Korea.

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Second-Highest-Charting Hit By A South Korean Act

Just one song by a South Korean musical act has topped the chart in the U.K., and Psy’s “Gangnam Style” may hold that record for a while…at least until BTS comes out with another single, which may give them the leader they’ve been hunting for. The No. 3 peak pushes Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark,” which used to stand as the second-highest-charting cut by a musical act from that country, to third place.

Highest-Charting Hit By A South Korean Group

Only Pinkfong and BTS have risen into the top 10 on the U.K. singles tally with one track apiece, and between the two, the latter’s “Dynamite” now stands as the higher-charting of the two. That means that the global phenomena now claim the highest-charting cut by a South Korean group in history.

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