Stray Kids Achieves Historic Feat, Ties Rolling Stones’ Billboard Record

On August 16, Billboard released its weekly rankings, confirming that Stray Kids’ latest mini album THIS & THAT debuted at the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200, the United States’ premier chart measuring the most popular and highest-performing albums in the country. For the South Korean boy group, this accomplishment marks their ninth consecutive release to claim the coveted top spot on a chart with a seven-decade history of tracking American album popularity.

The significance of this achievement transcends routine chart success, placing Stray Kids in an exclusive category of artists who have redefined what it means to sustain commercial dominance across multiple album cycles in the modern music era. The group’s track record with the Billboard 200 now stands without precedent in the chart’s 70-year history.

Unprecedented Perfect Record in Chart Entry

First Artist Ever With Nine Consecutive No. 1 Debuts

Stray Kids has become the first and only artist in the entire history of the Billboard 200 to accomplish a remarkable feat: having all nine of their initial chart entries debut at No. 1. In seven decades of the chart’s existence, no other musical act—solo performer, group, or ensemble—has achieved this level of perfection across their first nine albums on the most important album chart in the industry.

This unbroken streak demonstrates extraordinary consistency in both artistic quality and commercial appeal. Each album released by Stray Kids has resonated powerfully enough with audiences and existing fans that it achieved the top position immediately upon entry, without requiring any climb through the rankings. Such perfection typically occurs only through a combination of factors: a deeply committed fanbase, strategic release planning, significant promotional infrastructure, and sustained musical relevance across different listener demographics and geographic markets.

The Nine Albums Forming the Historic Streak

The unbroken sequence of No. 1 debuts includes ODDINARY, MAXIDENT, ★★★★★ (5-STAR), ROCK-STAR, ATE, 合 (HOP), KARMA, DO IT, and most recently THIS & THAT. These nine releases span a significant period of Stray Kids’ recording history, demonstrating that their chart dominance is not a fleeting phenomenon but rather an established pattern of commercial strength and fan engagement across diverse album concepts and musical directions.

The diversity within these album titles and the span of time they represent underscore the group’s ability to maintain relevance while constantly releasing new material. Fans have proven willing to support each new project with equal fervor, whether the album features experimental production, rebranded visual identity, or continuation of established sonic elements that define the group’s signature sound.

Standing Alongside Music’s Greatest Groups

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Equaling The Rolling Stones’ Legendary Record

With nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, Stray Kids has now achieved parity with The Rolling Stones for the second-highest number of chart-topping albums by any group in recorded music history. The Rolling Stones accumulated this record across decades of recording, touring, and evolution from their origins in the 1960s through the 21st century, creating one of rock music’s most enduring and influential catalogs.

The comparison between Stray Kids and The Rolling Stones, while spanning vastly different musical genres and eras, underscores the remarkable nature of contemporary chart success. The British rock legends built their nine No. 1 albums over approximately six decades of recording, while Stray Kids achieved the same milestone in a notably condensed timeframe reflective of modern music industry dynamics, streaming-era consumption patterns, and the intensity of organized fanbase mobilization that defines the K-pop industry.

The Beatles Remain Unmatched

The Beatles remain the sole group with a higher count, holding the all-time record with 19 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. While this figure continues to stand beyond Stray Kids’ current achievement, the gap has narrowed considerably. Stray Kids’ nine consecutive No. 1 debuts have inserted the K-pop group into the historical conversation about the most commercially successful groups ever to chart on the Billboard 200, a position that seemed implausible merely a few years ago.

This placement alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, even with the ranking distinction, represents a fundamental shift in how modern music consumption and fan engagement produce chart results that rival the accomplishments of rock music’s most legendary acts across different generations and technological eras.

Record-Breaking Commercial Performance in America

Largest Album Week in Stray Kids’ U.S. History

THIS & THAT generated Stray Kids’ biggest commercial week in the United States market to date. According to Luminate, the analytics platform formerly known as Nielsen Music, the mini album accumulated a total of 369,000 equivalent album units during the tracking week ending August 13. This combined figure encompasses all forms of album consumption measured by the Billboard 200 methodology, including traditional sales, streaming equivalents measured in plays and listens, and individual track purchases.

This 369,000-unit performance surpasses every previous album release by Stray Kids in terms of first-week American commercial impact. The achievement reflects growing awareness of the group within mainstream American audiences, increased accessibility through major streaming platforms, and the continued mobilization of their existing fanbase in coordinated purchasing and streaming activities during the critical first-week tracking period that determines chart position.

Physical Sales Drive the Overall Performance

Traditional album sales accounted for 357,000 of the 369,000 total equivalent units, an exceptionally high proportion that reflects the continued importance of physical media and permanent digital downloads for K-pop releases. With this figure, THIS & THAT became the best-selling album in the entire United States during the tracking week, demonstrating that Stray Kids’ appeal transcends streaming-only audiences and extends to listeners who prioritize owning their favorite music through tangible formats or digital purchases.

This 357,000 sales figure marks a career-high for Stray Kids in album sales, suggesting either expanded availability across retail channels, more aggressive promotional push in the American market, or increased penetration into mainstream retail environments where music-consuming Americans make purchasing decisions separate from streaming platforms.

Streaming Volume Demonstrates Massive Global Reach

Streaming equivalent album units totaled 11,000, which translates to 12.21 million on-demand audio streams of THIS & THAT during the single week. This streaming volume demonstrates substantial engagement across multiple platforms, with millions of individual listeners engaging with the album’s content across various services including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other regional streaming providers. Track equivalent album units added 1,000 to the overall total, indicating additional per-track purchases and streams that incrementally boosted the album’s overall impact on the chart calculation.

The combined effect of these various consumption methods—357,000 physical and permanent digital sales, 11,000 streaming equivalents, and 1,000 track equivalents—created the comprehensive 369,000-unit total that propelled THIS & THAT to the top position while establishing a new personal benchmark for Stray Kids’ American market presence and commercial viability.

Extended Records for 21st Century Group Dominance

Stray Kids has extended their own record for the most No. 1 albums achieved by any group during the 21st century, a span encompassing music industry evolution from iTunes dominance through streaming standardization and multi-platform consumption. This distinction acknowledges both the consistency of their releases and the sustained enthusiasm of their fanbase across changing technological platforms and consumption methods over the past quarter-century.

The group’s ability to achieve this record despite tremendous competition from established acts, emerging international artists, and domestic performers seeking American chart success underscores their position as the dominant force in contemporary group performance on the Billboard 200, cementing their legacy within both K-pop history and broader global music chart achievements.