K-pop artists occupy majority of top ten positions in 2025 IFPI Global Album Sales Chart

K-pop acts including Stray Kids and SEVENTEEN accounted for seven of the top ten spots on the list of best-selling albums last year, based on combined physical and digital sales. According to the 2025 Global Album Sales Chart released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) on February 20, Stray Kids reached 2nd place with 'KARMA', followed by SEVENTEEN at 3rd with 'HAPPY BURSTDAY', and ENHYPEN at 4th with 'DESIRE UNLEASH'. This chart specifically tracks the sales of physical formats such as CDs and vinyl, along with full-album digital downloads.

The strong performance of K-pop continued throughout the rankings, with TXT securing 6th place for 'TOGETHER', ZEROBASEONE taking 7th for 'NEVER SAY NEVER', and IVE ranking 9th for 'IVE EMPATHY'. G-Dragon also entered the top ten at 10th place with 'Ubermensch'. While Taylor Swift took the 1st place position with 'The Life of a Showgirl', the remaining top 20 rankings featured numerous other K-pop artists, including NCT WISH (11th and 17th), &TEAM (13th), RIIZE (15th), aespa (16th), and BOYNEXTDOOR (18th).

In the IFPI Global Album Chart, which incorporates streaming data alongside physical and digital sales, the original soundtrack for the Netflix animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' achieved a notable 3rd place. Stray Kids maintained a presence in the streaming-integrated top ten with 'KARMA' at 6th. Other significant entries in this category included SEVENTEEN at 12th, ENHYPEN at 16th, and Rosé at 19th with her release 'rosie'. These figures highlight the significant market share K-pop continues to hold within the global music industry, competing directly with major international pop releases across both traditional sales and digital streaming platforms.

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