BTS Set New U.S. Vinyl Sales Records As Their Popularity Explodes

09-01-2026

(fcc) BTS continue to set new U.S. vinyl sales records while expanding their mainstream audience. With new data showing broad awareness and growing likeability beyond the group's established fanbase, BTS are solidifying their position as a dominant force in global pop culture.

According to a second-quarter survey conducted by global music data and analytics company Luminate, 42% of U.S. music consumers are aware of BTS-up six-percentage-point from 36% in 2021, when Luminate first began tracking the group.

BTS' level of awareness is notably higher than the 24% average across all global artists tracked by Luminate (14% median), placing BTS 18 percentage points above the average benchmark and three times the median. When isolating the analysis to the 22 K-pop artists that Luminate tracks, BTS' awareness is nearly four times the K-pop average (11% mean). These findings underscore BTS' broad recognition in the U.S. mainstream music market, extending well beyond the K-pop category.

The findings also point to broad appeal across generations, rather than recognition concentrated within a particular age group. Awareness of BTS stood at 43% among respondents aged 13 to 17, 59% among those aged 18 to 24, 56% among those aged 25 to 34, 44% among those aged 35 to 54, and 28% among those aged 55 and older.

BTS' likeability reached an all-time high among respondents aware of the group. In the survey of U.S. consumers conducted in the second quarter of 2026, BTS recorded a likeability score of 46%, with 19% of respondents saying they liked the group "A lot" and 27% saying they like the group "somewhat". This marks a 12-percentage-point increase from 34% in 2021 and is the highest figure recorded since Luminate began tracking BTS. Likeability stood at 60% among respondents aged 13 to 17, 47% among those aged 18 to 24, 44% among those aged 25 to 34, 48% among those aged 35-54 and 40% among those aged 55 and older, exceeding 40% across every age group.

BTS' expanding U.S. presence is also reflected in the vinyl performance of the group's fifth studio album, ARIRANG.

ARIRANG recorded 516,000 physical album sales in the U.S. during its first week, including 208,000 vinyl copies. Vinyl accounted for nearly 40% of its pure album sales, helping propel ARIRANG to a No.1 debut on Billboard 200. This marked BTS' biggest vinyl sales week to date and the largest single-week vinyl sales figure recorded by a 'group' since Luminate began tracking album sales in 1991.

The strong share of vinyl sales is particularly notable, distinguishing ARIRANG from many K-pop albums whose physical sales are predominantly driven by CDs. According to a newly published case study on HYBE and Luminate's collaboration (link), a high share of vinyl sales is a common characteristic among commercially successful albums on the Billboard 200 and found that BTS' consumption patterns increasingly resemble those seen among mainstream U.S. pop acts. Drawing on these insights, HYBE expanded ARIRANG's vinyl offering to 17 variants, including member-specific editions designed to appeal to the group's highly engaged, collector-driven fanbase.

"The data pointed to a clear opportunity," said Jaime Marconette, Vice President of Music Insights and Industry Relations at Luminate. "BTS's U.S. awareness, streaming and fan engagement increasingly reflected the patterns we see among today's top-performing pop artists. That insight informed our work with HYBE, including a vinyl release strategy that helped meet fan demand."

Alongside its strong physical sales, ARIRANG has maintained sustained streaming performance, further demonstrating BTS' enduring global popularity.

According to Luminate, ARIRANG generated 3.8 billion streams across major global music streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music, in the first eight weeks following its release on March 20. Cumulative streaming count reached 4.8 billion after 12 weeks and surpassed 5.6 billion after 16 weeks. The album also returned to the top 10 of the Billboard 200 following BTS' FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final Halftime Show performance, further extending its chart success.

Over the same period, global streams across BTS' full catalog continued to rise, increasing from 5.4 billion after eight weeks to 7.1 billion after 12 weeks, and surpassing 8.7 billion after 16 weeks. The sustained growth indicates continued engagement with both ARIRANG and BTS' broader catalog beyond the album's initial release period. "The findings from Luminate demonstrate that BTS has built a broad mainstream audience in the United States beyond its core fanbase, supported by strong levels of awareness and likeability," BIGHIT MUSIC said. "The high share of vinyl sales and sustained streaming performance further underscore BTS' enduring influence in the global music market."