Stray Kids Return to No. 1 on Billboard World Albums Chart; ENHYPEN, BOYNEXTDOOR, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, CORTIS, ILLIT Fill Top 10

Stray Kids are back at the top of the Billboard World Albums chart, and they are not alone. The chart for the week ending October 17, 2026, is packed with K-pop acts, from long-running favorites to brand-new names. ENHYPEN, BOYNEXTDOOR, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, &TEAM, CORTIS, and ILLIT all hold places inside the top 10, showing how widely K-pop continues to reach listeners around the world.

The top spot belongs to Stray Kids once again. Their mini album “THIS & THAT” climbed back to No. 1, marking its seventh non-consecutive week at the top of the World Albums chart. The release also moved back up to No. 29 on the Billboard 200 in its ninth straight week on that chart. The group’s 2025 album “KARMA” also rose to No. 21 on World Albums in its 56th week, proving that Stray Kids are not relying on one project alone.

ENHYPEN and BOYNEXTDOOR Move Up Behind the Leader

ENHYPEN sit right behind Stray Kids. Their mini album “THE SIN : BLISS” climbed back to No. 2 on World Albums in its seventh week. The same album also rose to No. 122 on the Billboard 200. The move back up shows that the album is still finding new listeners weeks after its release.

BOYNEXTDOOR had one of the more notable jumps of the week. Their first studio album “HOME” re-entered the World Albums chart at No. 3 after the release of its repackaged edition, “HOME: DELUXE.” The album has now spent 11 non-consecutive weeks on the chart. “HOME” also re-entered the Billboard 200, and it became BOYNEXTDOOR’s first album ever to spend more than one week on that chart.

That detail matters for the group’s growth in the United States. A first album that stays on the Billboard 200 for more than a single week is a sign of steady interest rather than a one-time sales spike. For a group still building its global audience, the repackage helped bring “HOME” back into focus at the right time.

&TEAM Slip After a Historic Week

&TEAM made history just one week earlier. Their Korean mini album “Mark on Me” became their first album ever to top the World Albums chart. It also debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200, the highest spot ever for a Japanese boy group on that chart. The album entered the Top Album Sales chart at No. 3 and pushed the group back onto the Artist 100 at No. 18, a new career high.

This week, “Mark on Me” fell to No. 4 on World Albums in its third week. A drop after a record-setting debut is common for albums that rely heavily on first-week sales. The bigger story is that &TEAM now have a proven ability to reach the top of the World Albums chart, and the album remains inside the top five.

ALPHA DRIVE ONE Make a Strong First Showing

ALPHA DRIVE ONE arrived on the chart with a top-five debut. Their new mini album “UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST” entered World Albums at No. 5. The group was formed through the survival show “BOYS II PLANET,” and the debut marks one of the strongest first-week chart placements for a new K-pop act in recent months.

The mini album was released in the United States on October 2, and the chart entry followed on the October 17 ranking. A No. 5 start puts ALPHA DRIVE ONE ahead of many more established names on the same chart, giving the new group a visible foothold in the global album market.

CORTIS and ILLIT Keep Their Hold on the Top 10

CORTIS took two spots in a row on the chart. Their album “GREENGREEN” held at No. 6 in its 23rd week, while their debut release “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES” climbed back to No. 7 in its 57th week. Having two albums inside the top 10 at the same time is a strong sign of lasting interest in the group’s catalog.

ILLIT’s “MAMIHLAPINATAPAI” ranked No. 8 in its 23rd week on the chart. The album has stayed inside the top 10 for a long stretch, and its continued presence shows that the group’s music is holding attention well beyond its release window.

LE SSERAFIM’s “PUREFLOW” rose to No. 10 in its 20th week, closing out the top 10 for the week.

Other K-Pop Acts Across the Chart

The World Albums chart extends beyond the top 10. BTS’s 2020 Japanese album “Map of the Soul: 7 The Journey“ jumped to No. 11 in its 49th week. Their 2018 album “Love Yourself: Answer” re-entered at No. 15, marking its 205th week on the chart. Both entries show how older BTS releases continue to sell and stream years after their original release.

EVAN (Heeseung) landed at No. 14 with his first mini album “DEATH OF ME” in its fifth week. ATEEZ’s “GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5” took No. 17 in its 15th week. aespa’s “LEMONADE” ranked No. 19 in its 19th week, and NewJeans’ 2023 EP “Get Up” held No. 20 in its 161st week.

The spread of artists on the chart covers several generations of K-pop, from newer acts like ALPHA DRIVE ONE and CORTIS to long-running groups like BTS and NewJeans. The week ending October 17, 2026, shows a World Albums chart where multiple K-pop acts can hold top spots at the same time, and where older releases remain just as competitive as new ones.

Also Read: Stray Kids’ “This & That” and KATSEYE’s “Hootie Frutti” Both Become Their Fastest MVs to Hit 100 Million Views

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