Highlights
- DO IT by Stray Kids tops the 2025 K-pop album global sales ranking, leading the biggest K-pop album sales in 2025 with around 2.24M cumulative units.
- NCT DREAM and PLAVE follow as the highest-selling K-pop albums worldwide in 2025, with Beat It Up and PLBBUU (POCA) finishing just below the one-million mark.
- The best-selling K-pop albums 2025 list remains sharply tiered, with one clear leader and a narrow upper tier based on cumulative global sales through November.
The top K-pop albums by global sales 2025 rankings highlight how physical albums continued to anchor commercial success across the industry this year. Data from the Circle Chart shows a sharply tiered market based on cumulative global sales recorded through the end of November 2025, with one release far ahead of the field and a narrow upper tier clustered just below the 1M mark.
The figures below reflect distributor-reported cumulative totals through Nov. 30, capturing nearly the full sales lifecycle of releases issued throughout the year. While several titles posted strong six-figure totals, only one album crossed 2M units, setting the benchmark for the biggest K-pop album sales in 2025.
ILLIT Official Store
Best Selling K-Pop Albums 2025 List
10. NOT CUTE ANYMORE - ILLIT
Global sales: 230,978
Distributor: Genie Music, Stone Music Entertainment
Members: Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, Iroha
Not Cute Anymore is ILLIT’s first single album, released in 2025 and led by its title track of the same name. Issued on Nov. 24, 2025, the album ranked among the year’s top physical sellers based on cumulative sales figures.
The title track was produced by Grammy-nominated Jasper Harris, who has worked with Jack Harlow and Tate McRae, and features lyrics by Sasha Alex Sloan, marking a major Western-facing production shift for the group.
The release functioned as a deliberate image reset, following the viral success of Magnetic, as ILLIT moved away from a bubbly rookie identity toward a more mature, experimental pop sound.
9. PLBBUU - PLAVE
Global sales: 267,183
Distributor: YG PLUS
Members: Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho, Hamin
The standard edition of PLBBUU represents one of PLAVE’s core physical releases of 2025. As a virtual idol act, PLAVE’s appearance in the 2025 K-pop album global sales ranking highlights the growing presence of non-traditional groups within the physical album market.
For this release, PLAVE collaborated with Sanrio, featuring the virtual members in chibi form dressed as characters such as Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll.
The album title draws from the Korean onomatopoeia "bbuu" (뿌우), mimicking a playful pout. Despite operating virtually, all five members participated in the album’s production and songwriting.
8. msnz <Beyond Beauty> (Cosmo) - tripleS
Global sales: 273,527
Distributor: Kakao Entertainment
Members: Chaeyeon, Gong Yubin, Jeong Hyerin, Kaede, Kim Nakyoung, Kim Soomin, Kim Yooyeon, Kotone, Kwak Yeonji, Lee Jiwoo, Nien, Park Sohyun, Seo Dahyun, Yoon Seoyeon, Jeong Hayeon, Joo Bin, Lynn, Mayu, Park Shion, Xinyu, JiYeon, Kim Chaewon, SeoAh, Sullin
msnz <Beyond Beauty> (Cosmo) forms part of tripleS’ modular release strategy, which rotates concepts and member configurations. The album’s cumulative sales place it among the mid-tier performers in the 2025 K-pop album global sales rankings.
The title msnz references the Korean word misonyo (미소녀), meaning “pretty girl,” while the full lineup and unit compositions were determined through fan voting on the Cosmo app.
The project featured four separate subunit title tracks, emphasizing a decentralized idol model in which fans function as active A&R participants.
7. TUNNEL VISION - ITZY
Global sales: 325,980
Distributor: Dreamus
Members: Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, Yuna
TUNNEL VISION is ITZY’s primary physical release of 2025 and ranks among the year’s best-selling K-pop albums by cumulative sales.
The project marked the official return of member Lia to full group activities, making it the group’s first release as a complete five-member lineup in more than a year.
Conceptually, the album centers on immersion and focus, while musically it explores Afrobeat-influenced hip-hop and UK garage elements.
6. Fame - RIIZE
Global sales: 412,524
Distributor: Kakao Entertainment
Members: Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, Anton
Fame is RIIZE’s second single album and one of the group’s key releases of 2025. With cumulative sales surpassing 400K units, the album ranks among the highest-selling K-pop albums worldwide in 2025.
The title track incorporates a rage-style hip-hop approach, driven by aggressive rhythms and electric guitar textures.
Lyrically, the album addresses authenticity over celebrity, with member Anton contributing classical bass guitar elements to the production.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER OFFICIAL
5. NO LABELS: PART 01 - Yeonjun
Global sales: 413,439
Distributor: YG PLUS
Soloist: Yeonjun (TOMORROW X TOGETHER)
NO LABELS: PART 01 marks Yeonjun’s debut solo release and stands as the highest-ranking solo project in the top 10. Its cumulative sales place it among the biggest K-pop album sales of 2025. Yeonjun became the first TXT member to release a solo EP, recording more than 400k copies sold on its first day.
The project represents an unfiltered reflection of his personal identity, with Yeonjun writing lyrics for most tracks and co-composing the hard-rock lead single Talk to You with fellow songwriters credited on the album.
4. blackout (EVER ver.) - CLOSE YOUR EYES
Global sales: 544,235
Distributor: YG PLUS
Members: Minwook, Jingxiang, Yeojun, Sungmin, Seungho, Kenshin, Kyoungbae
The EVER version of blackout is CLOSE YOUR EYES’ strongest-performing release of the year. Crossing the half-million mark, it became one of the most prominent K-pop albums outside the top three.
Formed through the survival program Project 7, the group debuted on April 2, 2025. The EVER edition is an eco-focused digital-physical hybrid format, marking a shift from the group’s earlier boyish image toward a darker, more rugged aesthetic.
3. PLBBUU (POCA) - PLAVE
Global sales: 967,226
Distributor: YG PLUS
Members: Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho, Hamin
The POCA edition of PLBBUU was PLAVE’s highest-selling release of 2025 and its strongest-performing format by cumulative sales. With nearly one million units sold, the edition placed PLAVE among the top three titles globally.
During live unboxing broadcasts, the POCA cards, including their QR components, were highlighted alongside the group’s virtual avatars, underscoring the link between the physical album items and PLAVE’s digital identity.
The format’s success is closely tied to established photo-card culture, where fans collect physical cards while using QR codes to access associated digital content through official platforms.
2. Beat It Up - NCT DREAM
Global sales: 973,086
Distributor: Kakao Entertainment
Members: Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung
Beat It Up is NCT DREAM’s major release of 2025 and finished just below the one-million mark.
To promote the release, SM Entertainment focused on concept-driven promotional content and immersive listening materials rather than a large-scale physical pop-up. The album revolves around the theme of “The Speed of Time,” signaling a transitional phase as the group enters a new stage of maturity.
1. DO IT - Stray Kids
Global sales: 2,240,000
Distributor: Dreamus
Members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, I.N
DO IT is the clear commercial leader of 2025, with more than double the sales of any other album; it leads the global sales ranking. Stray Kids extended their streak to eight consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, a first for any group.
Part of the SKZ IT TAPE series, the album was fully self-produced by 3RACHA and incorporates elements of phonk and hyper-pop, reinforcing the group’s self-directed production identity.
Because these figures capture cumulative sales through Nov. 30, the ranking reflects nearly the full commercial lifecycle of 2025 releases. Albums released earlier benefited from longer availability, while newer titles that still entered the top 10 demonstrated strong early demand.
BIGHIT MUSIC
Beyond the Top 10: Additional K-Pop Albums With Biggest Sales in 2025
Outside the top 10, several releases posted significant volume. COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES by CORTIS added 201,384 units in November, bringing its cumulative total sales in 2025 to 909,875. Yeonjun also appeared again with NO LABELS: PART 01 (Weverse) at 200,174 units. AHOF placed twice with The Passage (WITHVUU) at 189,538 units and The Passage at 158,571, while MY, Lover by MIYEON, reached 179,183 units.
Additional volume came from DO IT (PLVE) by Stray Kids (168K), Be My Light by ISEGYE IDOL (138,909), Fame (Nemo) by RIIZE (130K), UXLXVE by XLOV (125,731), and Back to Life by &TEAM, which added 120,019 units in November, lifting its cumulative 2025 sales to 1,326,883.
