BTS has reached another major milestone in Japan after earning a double victory on Oricon’s 2026 Midyear Rankings with their fifth full-length album, ARIRANG.
The rankings, released on June 25, covered music performance from December 8, 2025, to June 7, 2026. The group claimed the No. 1 spot on both the Album Ranking and the Combined Album Ranking, further strengthening their record-breaking success in one of the world’s biggest music markets.
ARIRANG sold about 728,000 copies during the tracking period, making BTS the only overseas act to top Oricon’s Album Ranking twice, The Chosun reported.
Their first achievement came in 2020 with the Japanese studio album Map of the Soul: 7 ~ The Journey ~. The latest accomplishment also marks the first time in 22 years that a foreign male artist has surpassed 700,000 album sales on Oricon’s first-half chart, following Queen’s Jewels in 2004. The group also created another first by topping Oricon’s Combined Album Ranking with 922,000 points.
BTS Breaks New Ground on Oricon
BTS became the first overseas artist and the first K-pop act to lead the category. Only three albums in Oricon history have ever earned more than 800,000 points, placing ARIRANG alongside releases by King & Prince and Snow Man.
Adding to their success, BTS ranked third on the Digital Album Ranking, showing strong support from both physical album buyers and digital listeners.
In a statement shared through Oricon, BTS thanked fans for supporting their newest release.
“ARIRANG is our first full-group album in three years and nine months. We’re happy that an album reflecting who we are today has received so much love,” the group said.
According to AllKPop, they also expressed gratitude to ARMY, adding, “We sincerely thank everyone who has loved and supported BTS and our music.”
The album’s achievements have extended beyond Japan. ARIRANG was included in several international midyear best-album lists from Billboard, Rolling Stone, Complex, and NME.
Billboard praised BTS’s return after their hiatus and highlighted the title track “SWIM” for topping the Billboard Hot 100. The publication also recognized songs such as “Body to Body,” “Hooligan,” and “Like Animals” for showcasing the group’s musical growth.