"7%" and "Fifth in History"... BTS Track 'Swim' Sets Another Stunning Billboard Record
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- 2026-03-31 08:49:30
- Updated
- 2026-03-31 08:49:30
[The Financial News] The title track "Swim" from BTS's new studio album "Arirang" has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Following "Arirang" hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart the previous day, the group has now conquered the singles chart as well, underscoring its global impact.
Seventh No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
According to a chart preview article posted on the official Billboard website on the 31st, "Swim," the title track of the fifth full-length album "Arirang," has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the main songs chart, dated April 4.
Following "Dynamite," "Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) [BTS Remix]," "Life Goes On," "Butter," "Permission to Dance," and "My Universe" (Coldplay X BTS), this marks the group's seventh No. 1 song on the chart.
"Swim" is also the 1,190th song ever to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the 89th track to debut at the top. That means it belongs to a very rare group, accounting for only about 7% of all songs that have reached No. 1.
Billboard noted, "For the first time in nearly half a century since the Bee Gees, who scored nine No. 1 hits between 1971 and 1979, a group has set a new record for most No. 1s." It added that, among groups, BTS now ranks fifth in history for the most No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 since the chart launched in August 1958. According to the outlet, The Beatles hold the record with 20 No. 1 hits, followed by The Supremes with 12, then the Bee Gees and The Rolling Stones with eight each, and BTS.
This is the first time in about six years that BTS has simultaneously topped both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100, since its 2020 mini-album "BE" and its title track "Life Goes On."
Through its label Big Hit Music, BTS said, "After a long wait of three years and nine months, we have been blessed with the great honor of reaching No. 1 on Billboard with this album," adding, "We are deeply grateful." The group continued, "We hope this song has crossed borders to offer even a small measure of courage and comfort to many people. Thank you for your unwavering trust and support over such a long time, and we will continue to repay you with music made with all our heart."
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter