charts discussion Pop Girls' South Korean Year End Album Sales (2011-2021)

[Kyle-x]

While the sales for local acts are currently reaching unprecedented heights, physical sales for international acts continue to plummet in South Korea. The yearly chart is usually full of soundtracks, cast recordings, classical music collections, various compilations, Chinese/Japanese releases by K-Pop groups, rock bands and solo male artists. However, a handful of our pop girls manage to make the ranking each year. While the numbers aren't huge, seeing just how few pop girls manage to crack the year end chart it's interesting to note which ones have enough selling power in such a fickle market to consistently chart.

 

2021

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	30	1,100
2	Norah Jones	I Dream of Christmas	975
3	Adele	21	807
4	Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper	A Star Is Born OST	666
5	Adele	25	639
6	Taylor Swift	Lover	592
7	Billie Eilish	WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?	517
8	Taylor Swift	folklore	447
9	Taylor Swift	1989	419
10	Adele	19	414
11	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	411
12	Mariah Carey	Merry Christmas (Anniversary Edition)	410
13	Ariana Grande	positions	342

 

2020

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Taylor Swift	folklore	2,111
2	Dua Lipa	Future Nostalgia	1,210
3	Billie Eilish	WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?	1,129
4	Ariana Grande	positions	1,043
5	Lady Gaga	Chromatica	996
6	Mariah Carey	The Rarities	912
7	Taylor Swift	Lover	787
8	Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper	A Star Is Born OST	608
9	Adele	21	543
10	Adele	25	524
11	Mariah Carey	Merry Christmas (Anniversary Edition)	495
12	Ariana Grande	thank u, next	476
13	Katy Perry	Smile	428
14	Anne-Marie	Speak Your Mind	359
15	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	357

 

2019

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Billie Eilish	WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?	4,884
2	Ariana Grande	thank u, next	2,330
3	Taylor Swift	Lover	1,775
4	Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper	A Star Is Born OST	1,526
5	Anne-Marie	Speak Your Mind	1,154
6	Camila Cabello	Romance	1,033
7	Adele	25	797
8	Mariah Carey	Merry Christmas (Anniversary Edition)	765
9	Adele	21	707
10	Lana Del Rey	Norman ******* Rockwell!	629
11	H.E.R.	H.E.R.	459
12	Madonna	Madame X	425

 

2018

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper	A Star Is Born OST	3,432
2	Camila Cabello	Camila	2,474
3	Ariana Grande	Sweetener	1,589
4	Adele	25	1,297
5	Dua Lipa	Dua Lipa	1,152
6	Adele	21	1,118

 

2017

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	25	2,946
2	Adele	21	1,942
3	Taylor Swift	reputation	1,213
4	Adele	19	914
5	Sia	Everyday Is Christmas	792
6	Taylor Swift	1989	781
7	Beyoncé	Lemonade	751
8	Ariana Grande	Dangerous Woman	741

 

2016

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	25	9,215
2	Adele	21	3,283
3	Norah Jones	Day Breaks	2,381
4	Beyoncé	Lemonade	2,110
5	Adele	19	1,742
6	Taylor Swift	1989	1,524
7	Andra Day	Cheers to the Fall	1,207
8	Ariana Grande	Dangerous Woman	1,108
9	Sia	This Is Acting	1,051
10	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	850
11	Britney Spears	Glory	845
12	Lady Gaga	Joanne	793
13	Alicia Keys	Here	781

 

2015

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	25	16,549
2	Taylor Swift	1989	4,400
3	Adele	21	3,900
4	Madonna	Rebel Heart	3,375
5	Mariah Carey	#1 to Infinity	2,236
6	Adele	19	1,928
7	Taylor Swift	Red	1,058
8	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	937

 

2014

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Taylor Swift	1989	6,182
2	Mariah Carey	Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse	1,647
3	Enya	The Very Best of Enya	1,585
4	Taylor Swift	Red	1,229
5	Ariana Grande	My Everything	1,212
6	Lorde	Pure Heroine	1,198

 

2013

 

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Lady Gaga	ARTPOP	3,856
2	Beyoncé	BEYONCÉ	3,333
3	Taylor Swift	Red	3,229
4	Avril Lavigne	Avril Lavigne	2,915
5	Enya	The Very Best of Enya	1,753
6	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	1,405

 

 

2012

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Taylor Swift	Red	5,452
2	Norah Jones	...Little Broken Hearts	3,661
3	Whitney Houston	The Essential Whitney Houston	3,168
4	Whitney Houston	The Ultimate Collection	2,771
5	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	2,289
6	Kelly Clarkson	Greatest Hits: Chapter One	2,088
7	Alicia Keys	Girl on Fire	1,837
8	Lady Gaga	Born This Way	1,725

 

2011

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Avril Lavigne	Goodbye Lullaby	10,242
2	Lady Gaga	Born This Way	6,881
3	Mariah Carey	The Essential Mariah Carey	2,614
4	Beyoncé	4	2,545
5	Norah Jones	Come Away with Me	2,391
6	Norah Jones	...Featuring	2,233

 

 

• Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Norah Jones, Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey have charted the most individual albums with 5 each.
• Adele's 21 & 25 and Norah Jones's Come Away with Me have charted the most years with 7 years each. Taylor Swift's 1989 is next up with 5 years. Adele's 19, Taylor's Red and Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born OST are next up with 4 years each.
• Adele has ranked at #1 the most with 4 years at the top, followed by Taylor Swift with 3 and Lady Gaga with 2.
• Taylor Swift has the most albums that have charted multiple years with 4 albums.
• Mariah Carey is the most prolific pre-2000s artist, having charted 5 different albums across 6 different years.
• Madonna, Whitney Houston, Enya, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears are the only artists to rank that started their mainstream careers before the 2000s.
• Norah Jones's 2002 album Come Away with Me is the best ranking pre-2010s album followed by Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas.
• Taylor Swift has charted the most individual years with 9 years.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Kyle-x

[ProudLBS]

3 minutes ago, Kyle-x said:

1  Avril Lavigne  Goodbye Lullaby  10,242

global 

[Shendelzare]

norah jones charting with an ancient album, I-

[Freaky Prince]

Would for example 30's sales be 1.1M or 1.1k? 

[Kyle-x]

8 minutes ago, Freaky Prince said:

Would for example 30's sales be 1.1M or 1.1k? 

1.1k, sales for international acts are in the gutter these days 

[LosingHimWasBlue]

9 minutes ago, Freaky Prince said:

Would for example 30's sales be 1.1M or 1.1k? 

1.1k i think

[Freaky Prince]

Just now, Kyle-x said:

1.1k, sales for international acts are in the gutter these days 

 

Just now, LosingHimWasBlue said:

1.1k i think

Thats abysmal 

[MardinBeksloy]

But i was told Taylor is a nugu (nobody) in Corea

[Gateau]

If you know anything about south korean sales, you would know there is and has not been in audience for physical albums in korea in AGES. Its been a fandom thing since this decade. Even incredibly famous domestic singers hardly ever crack 10k sales. South Korea also has no such thing as digital album sales, all digital albums bought are just counted as individual digital single sales. The only singers who are selling albums in korea are idols and trot singers, who have idol-like fandoms.

 

Mind you, the majority of idol's albums sales in korea aren't even domestic, which I'm sure you're aware of. If international fans realized you could buy as many albums as you wanted and they'd still count for the chart (unlike billboard) the sales for western singers would skyrocket as well.

[KillingYourCareer]

I can't believe these abysmal numbers are even being discussed

[KillingYourCareer]

5 minutes ago, Gateau said:

If you know anything about south korean sales, you would know there is and has not been in audience for physical albums in korea in AGES. Its been a fandom thing since this decade. Even incredibly famous domestic singers hardly ever crack 10k sales. South Korea also has no such thing as digital album sales, all digital albums bought are just counted as individual digital single sales. The only singers who are selling albums in korea are idols and trot singers, who have idol-like fandoms.

 

Mind you, the majority of idol's albums sales in korea aren't even domestic, which I'm sure you're aware of. If international fans realized you could buy as many albums as you wanted and they'd still count for the chart (unlike billboard) the sales for western singers would skyrocket as well.

Great point. Most idols' songs absolutely TANK in the singles chart (Enhypen don't have one single top 100 hit in the Gaon Chart ) despite the massive album sales. And even then, those "albums" are more like gadget kids with, maybe, some music inside.

[Blackout2006]

Billie aka Most Global Gen Z Popstar charting for 3 years and having the best-selling album since Adele

Globalney having the 11th best-selling album despite it flopping

Lady Gaga smashing 

Mariah Carey charting despite being apparently big only in "tHe uS aNd JaPaN!11!"

Norah still pulling figures in 2021 with an album from 2003 A.D 

Reputation slaying and making ORHs seethe

Adele doing her thang as usual

Ariana

Avril Lavigne snatching 10k+ figures

Madonna, Whitney Houston  

[BnPac]

Those sales are ridiculous.

And it has been that way since 2011. 

Edit : still cool that every B's solo album made it. This just reminds how few solo she releases, in this time frame, she only had 3.

Edited July 7, 2022 by BnPac

[Blackout2006]

I expected Talk That Talk, Unapologetic, and ANTi to make the cut though 

[sugarysunflower]

1 hour ago, Kyle-x said:

2021

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	30	1,100
3	Adele	21	807
5	Adele	25	639
10	Adele	19	414

 

2020

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
9	Adele	21	543
10	Adele	25	524

 

2019

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
7	Adele	25	797
9	Adele	21	707

 

2018

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
4	Adele	25	1,297
6	Adele	21	1,118

 

2017

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	25	2,946
2	Adele	21	1,942
4	Adele	19	914

 

2016

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	25	9,215
2	Adele	21	3,283
5	Adele	19	1,742

 

2015

 

Rank	Artist	Album Title	Sales
1	Adele	25	16,549
3	Adele	21	3,900
6	Adele	19	1,928

  

[Companion]

44 minutes ago, MardinBeksloy said:

But i was told Taylor is a nugu (nobody) in Corea

Well it is for sure 2,111 people know her in Korea. Queen 

[bad guy]

Billie being global Biggest Gen Z act 

[babyforlife]

Joanne is gaga’s most local album and managed to chart in to top 10 in koriya. A country album did that! 

[Zaram]

Global gaga doing global things again 

[caleb.]

Goodbye Lullaby is the 2nd best selling album of the decade in South Korea, iktr!

[Cloröx]

2 hours ago, KillingYourCareer said:

I can't believe these abysmal numbers are even being discussed

This is more likely North Korean charts 

[PopKills]

Not Smile being bigger there than Prism & Witness 

[Eternium]

3 hours ago, Blackout2006 said:

I expected Talk That Talk, Unapologetic, and ANTi to make the cut though 

Does Rihanna have a South Korean publisher?

Just a reminder: Gaon (now renamed Circle Chart) does NOT track sales in South Korea. They track shipments from South Korean publishers. It’s why BTS’s numbers always count their entire global physical shipments whereas Girls’ Generation’s numbers only include their Korean physical shipments (they use different publishers for Japan, Taiwan, etc.).

 

[frenchyisback]

Unlike others, Mimi s success is truly global and not just Eurocentric 

[paddii_]

Wait… some nugu groups selling more than this 

 

Koria really saying NO to western pop music.