BTS Is The Only Artist With Three Bestselling Albums In The U.S. This Week

While the Billboard 200 albums chart, often thought of as the most important ranking of full-lengths in the U.S., does paint a fairly accurate picture of what projects Americans are listening to every week, it doesn’t focus solely on sales. Instead, Billboard employs a methodology that combines purchases, streams and even sales of individual tunes featured on specific titles. The same company does publish a Top Album Sales list, which only takes into account what music lovers in the U.S. are buying every frame, and it’s not unusual for the two rankings to look quite different from one another.

While the Top Album Sales chart is typically filled with brand new releases (the vast majority of projects sell the most copies as they arrive) and catalog titles from some of the most beloved singers and rock bands from decades past, this time around, no name appears more often than the biggest figures in K-pop.

BTS is the only act that claims three spots on the current Top Album Sales chart, which is something of a departure from last week, when they were tied with the late, great Kenny Rogers and the unstoppable Beatles for that honor.

Up first for the Korean superstars is their new effort Map of the Soul: 7, which continues to prove itself to be a powerhouse seller, even after over a month of availability. The set, which is dropping down the Billboard 200 much faster than on this more specific list, dips to No. 9, earning a sixth stay inside the top 10. 

Down to No. 70 from No. 64 is the group’s 2019 chart-topper Map of the Soul: Persona, which is still performing surprisingly well, especially for a set that is about to hit a full year on the Top Album Sales chart. Further along on the ranking comes Love Yourself: Answer, which closed out a series of three highly successful projects for the band. That title falls to No. 97 this time around, and there’s a very good chance it slides off the tally entirely next frame…though there’s no telling with BTS fans, who could come together to buy more copies and keep it going.

A number of well-known figures occupy two spots on the Top Album Sales chart this week, such as Billie Eilish, James Taylor, Nine Inch Nails, Joe Diffie, Metallica and, of course, The Beatles, but none of them sold quite as well as BTS this turn.