BTS Ties Its Own Record By Blocking A Musical Superstar From No. 1

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentBTS Ties Its Own Record By Blocking A Musical Superstar From No. 1ByHugh McIntyre,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts.Follow AuthorJun 04, 2026, 03:00pm EDT"Swim" ties as the longest-running No. 1 hit by BTS on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. as it holds atop the tally for an eighth nonconsecutive week. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 21: (L-R) Jimin, Jungkook, RM, J-Hope, V, Jin, and SUGA of the K-pop boy band BTS visit the "Today" Show at Rockefeller Plaza on February 21, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/WireImage)WireImageBTS once again claims the biggest song in the world – on the ranking that does not include American listening habits, that is. The South Korean septet leads the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., one of two worldwide tallies introduced by the chart company a little more than half a decade ago. The singers dominate once more with "Swim," which keeps at the summit for another turn, fending off one of the biggest musical superstars of all time. As "Swim" rules the ranking, BTS matches its own longest run at the summit, and soon the boy band may beat itself.BTS Holds at No. 1 With "Swim""Swim" has spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., and it has only stepped out of the spotlight twice. The lead single from the group's comeback album Arirang – perhaps the most highly anticipated of the year – has now spent eight frames running the show. "Swim" is now on the same level as "Dynamite," which has been the group's sturdiest winner for more than five years. "Dynamite" debuted on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. in September 2020, when the chart was brand new. The following week, it surged to the highest rung, becoming one of the first chart-toppers in the tally's history.MORE FOR YOUBTS Eas...