The South Korean boy band Stray Kids has achieved remarkable success with their latest album HOP, which has now spent three consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. The album sold 27,000 copies in the United States during the week ending January 2, marking a 46% decrease from the previous week. Since its debut at No. 1 on the December 28 chart, HOP has maintained its leading position. This achievement sets a new record for Stray Kids, as it surpasses their previous longest reign on the chart, held by the album ATE with two weeks in August 2024. Meanwhile, other notable albums like the Wicked film soundtrack and Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department also saw changes in their rankings.
Stray Kids Breaks Records with Extended Reign
Stray Kids has made history by extending its stay at the top of the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. With HOP leading for three weeks straight, the group has outperformed its own previous records. Previously, Stray Kids had four albums that each topped the chart for only one week. However, HOP has surpassed these, following the two-week run of ATE. This accomplishment highlights the growing popularity and influence of Stray Kids in the global music scene.
The Billboard Top Album Sales chart ranks albums based solely on traditional sales figures, a methodology that dates back to May 25, 1991. Prior to December 6, 2014, this was also the sole metric used for the Billboard 200 chart. Now, however, the Billboard 200 incorporates additional metrics such as track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. Despite these changes, Stray Kids’ HOP continues to dominate traditional sales, reflecting the strong fan base and market presence of the group.
Other Noteworthy Changes on the Billboard Charts
Beyond Stray Kids’ continued dominance, several other albums have experienced significant shifts in ranking on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. The soundtrack for the musical Wicked climbed to the second position, selling approximately 21,000 copies—a 52% drop from the previous week. Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess moved up to third place with 13,000 copies sold, while Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department fell to fourth place, selling nearly 13,000 copies, a substantial decline of 73%.
Rounding out the top five is Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, holding steady at fifth place with just over 12,000 copies sold. ROSÉ’s self-titled album surged from 20th to 6th place, selling nearly 12,000 copies, an increase of 9%. Other notable movements include Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft dropping to seventh place, Tyler, the Creator’s Igor jumping to eighth, and TWICE’s STRATEGY remaining at ninth. Charli XCX’s Brat rounded out the top ten, moving from 8th to 10th place, with 8,000 copies sold.