Who was bigger in 2015, BIGBANG or EXO?

  • I think BB had hits both in korea and overseas that year ( 3 songs in top 5 of gaon is insane feat ). EXO won in pure album sales. Bb in hits department. Bb won in touring too?


    So in end it depends on which criteria fits for u. To me, BB seems bigger

  • Bang Bang Bang alone > every song EXO released that year (Call Me Baby, Love Me Right, Lightsaber, Unfair, Sing For You). And I mean by how big the song was (not how much the song or album sold). I'm an EXO-L and I gotta admit it. Bang Bang Bang was like the most influential and viral song released in Kpop that year (both domestically and internationally). Not to mention, there was also Loser, Zutter, Sober, Bae Bae. @@@bae08786-7026-4917-b1a4-15ecb8da4ff6@@@ was definitely the main focus of 2015. EXO was probably a close second. GOT7 was third (Just Right, If You Do). BTS was fourth (I Need U, Dope, Run). Followed by Seventeen (Mansae), and then Monsta X (Hero).


    PS: Some may argue BTS should be before GOT7 but we should remember this was GOT7 in their peak while BTS was just starting to pick up some popularity. BTS wasn't exactly in the spotlight yet.

  • Depends on what you're comparing: digitals, physicals, international popularity/recognition, popularity in SK?


    EXO has BB beat for album sales for 2015 (and every other year)

    BB has EXO beat for digitals for 2015.

    EXO surpasses BB in international popularity/recognition for 2015 (and other years), as compared with google trends.

    BB surpasses EXO in popularity in SK in 2015, but loses to EXO in other years, as compared with Gallup.

    • Official Post

    Big Bang. MADE was a great era and a cultural reset. K-pop hadn’t seen anything like that before.


    I respect EXO and EXO-Ls to the fullest, though. They did great ever since they started.

  • Bang Bang Bang alone > every song EXO released that year (Call Me Baby, Love Me Right, Lightsaber, Unfair, Sing For You). And I mean by how big the song was (not how much the song or album sold). I'm an EXO-L and I gotta admit it. Bang Bang Bang was like the most influential and viral song released in Kpop that year (both domestically and internationally). Not to mention, there was also Loser, Zutter, Sober, Bae Bae. Big Bang was definitely the main focus of 2015. EXO was probably a close second. GOT7 was third (Just Right, If You Do). BTS was fourth (I Need U, Dope, Run). Followed by Seventeen (Mansae), and then Monsta X (Hero).


    PS: Some may argue BTS should be before GOT7 but we should remember this was GOT7 in their peak while BTS was just starting to pick up some popularity. BTS wasn't exactly in the spotlight yet.

    In which world was bts behind got7. Stop that c***. Bts was no1 international and no3 in korea. There is nothing to argue.and bts i need you was a bigger hit than any other song exo released that year.

    :confused:

  • In which world was bts behind got7. Stop that c***. Bts was no1 international and no3 in korea. There is nothing to argue.and bts i need you was a bigger hit than any other song exo released that year.

    Bruh, BTS wasn't even acknowledged by Korea's general public until 2016. They were nugus in 2013 and 2014. They did not get a major increase in their international fanbase until 2015 (thanks to I Need U and Dope). And did not get a major increase in their domestic fanbase until 2016 (thanks to Fire and Blood Sweat & Tears). Finally, in 2017, BTS was able to solidify their branding and name (thanks to Not Today, Spring Day, and DNA). That's when they took over EXO's spot as the top group. Before then, BTS did not have as much of an impact, in either sales or popularity. If you think 2015 BTS was bigger than 2015 EXO and GOT7, then you are delusional. BTS didn't start out as a top group. Don't we all know that they had to slowly and gradually build their way up there? 2015 was definitely ruled by Big Bang and EXO.

  • Bruh, BTS wasn't even acknowledged by Korea's general public until 2016. They were nugus in 2013 and 2014. They did not get a major increase in their international fanbase until 2015 (thanks to I Need U and Dope). And did not get a major increase in their domestic fanbase until 2016 (thanks to Fire and Blood Sweat & Tears). Finally, in 2017, BTS was able to solidify their branding and name (thanks to Not Today, Spring Day, and DNA). That's when they took over EXO's spot as the top group. Before then, BTS did not have as much of an impact, in either sales or popularity. If you think 2015 BTS was bigger than 2015 EXO and GOT7, then you are delusional. BTS didn't start out as a top group. Don't we all know that they had to slowly and gradually build their way up there? 2015 was definitely ruled by Big Bang and EXO.

    Seems like you know more than armys? Bts songs charted better than got7 in 2015. Better album sales. Their first hit song in korea was boy in luv released in 2014. Check your fact first . Lmao some kpopies still has the audacity to call their favs bigger than bts without any proof to back their false claim

    :confused:

  • Bruh, BTS wasn't even acknowledged by Korea's general public until 2016. They were nugus in 2013 and 2014. They did not get a major increase in their international fanbase until 2015 (thanks to I Need U and Dope). And did not get a major increase in their domestic fanbase until 2016 (thanks to Fire and Blood Sweat & Tears). Finally, in 2017, BTS was able to solidify their branding and name (thanks to Not Today, Spring Day, and DNA). That's when they took over EXO's spot as the top group. Before then, BTS did not have as much of an impact, in either sales or popularity. If you think 2015 BTS was bigger than 2015 EXO and GOT7, then you are delusional. BTS didn't start out as a top group. Don't we all know that they had to slowly and gradually build their way up there? 2015 was definitely ruled by Big Bang and EXO.

    BTS was clearly bigger than GOT7 in 2015.


    - Better album sales :

    BTS-HYYH Pt 2 (274k+) vs GOT7-MAD (91k+). BTS were the 2nd best seller after EXO in 2015


    - Better Digital

    On 2015 Gaon Year End Digital Chart : BTS-I Need U charted at #90, while GOT7 didn't charted at all


    - Better Charting internationally :

    BTS-HYYH Pt 2 chart on US BB200 at #171 and Oricon Japan at #15, while GOT7 never have any entry on US BB200 and on Oricon Japan their highest peak in 2015 was at #32 with 'Just Right' album


    - Higher Youtube Views, I don't have the exact number, but by the end of 2015 BTS-Dope have more views than GOT7-Just Right

  • I was talking about HYYH Pt 1. HYYH Pt 2 didn't come out until like the end of the year. You're really gonna tell me in general, BTS was bigger than GOT7 for the ENTIRE year of 2015 because they sold a lot for an album that dropped 1 month before the year was over? So ok, let's acknowledge that. By December of 2015, BTS > GOT7. But how about the previous 11 months? Granted I Need U did well. But is one song enough to determine an entire group's status? I mean, to some extent yes. But to say they ruled over GOT7, not exactly.


    I mean Momoland Bboom Bboom did really well in 2018, but does that mean they were suddenly A List celebrity? Next to Red Velvet/Blackpink/Twice? I doubt it. It brought them recognition but there was still a wall between Momoland's status and the big 3 girl groups. We're here in 2021 and I don't think anyone will say Momoland is a top girl group. Clearly, having a breakthrough and a song that does really well doesn't always mean you've reached success, or surpassed your competition. Similarly, I Need U doing really well doesn't equate to BTS themselves being bigger than GOT7.


    Although GOT7 debuted after BTS, but coming from the Big 3, ppl were already immediately paying more attention to GOT7. From their debut, GOT7 already got massive media and public recognition. BTS did not until 2016. Sales doesn't always represent a group's status. If you time traveled back to 2015 and interviewed random ppl on the streets, asking them to list the top 3 (currently active) boy groups...BTS isn't going to make it there. It was probably going to be Big Bang, EXO and Winner. BTS' popularity was limited to only within the fanbase, not the public. They have yet made a name for themselves/put their name out there.


    Also, EXO definitely had the top sales in 2015. But I actually chose Big Bang as the bigger act of 2015 (this is coming from me, an EXO-L). Simply because how much people were impacted and listening to Bang Bang Bang and the other songs off the MADE album. Bang Bang Bang had more impact than any EXO title track in 2015, regardless of sales. Not everyone was jamming to Call Me Baby or Love Me Right but EVERYONE was jamming to Bang Bang Bang. I don't think EXO was the bigger act just because they had more sales.


    PS: Even if we put this whole BTS vs. GOT7 debate aside. The user (flopppy) who I originally was having a debate with, was mentioning how I Need U was bigger than any EXO song from 2015. Can I just call bullshit on that. Call Me Baby was definitely more impactful than I Need U. And actually...Dope was the 2015 BTS song with the bigger impact. I wouldn't disagree if someone says Dope was bigger than Call Me Baby. Dope was the song people saw and were like "omg they are amazing performers" and that was the song that attracted a lot of BTS' international fanbase. More so than I Need U. You see? The "better sales/charting =/= the bigger song" also applies to BTS themselves.


    Better sales and chart position does not 100% indicate a certain song is bigger than another.

    Better sales and chart position also does not 100% indicate a certain group is bigger than another.

  • Sales & Charting and maybe survey like Gallup are the most objective measurement of popularity, things like

    'Dope was the song people saw and were like "omg they are amazing performers"' are very vague.


    Also, HYYH Pt1 sales by the end of May 2015 were 147k+, bigger than any Got7 album sales at that point.

  • Sales & Charting and maybe survey like Gallup are the most objective measurement of popularity, things like

    'Dope was the song people saw and were like "omg they are amazing performers"' are very vague.


    Also, HYYH Pt1 sales by the end of May 2015 were 147k+, bigger than any Got7 album sales at that point.

    If you still don't understand my logic, let's put it this way. BTS can sell more NOW than what Michael Jackson did in his heyday. But are we gonna say BTS is above Michael Jackson now? No we aren't. Michael Jackson is still Michael Jackson, the King Of Pop, regardless of what his sales look like compared to BTS.

  • If you still don't understand my logic, let's put it this way. BTS can sell more NOW than what Michael Jackson did in his heyday. But are we gonna say BTS is above Michael Jackson now? No we aren't. Michael Jackson is still Michael Jackson, the King Of Pop, regardless of what his sales look like compared to BTS.

    BTS and Michael Jackson are from two different eras. While I'm comparing BTS and GOT7 in the same year 2015, when both groups are still active. So it's not comparable.


    Comparing sales and charting from the same year/era is the most accurate&objective way to gauge someone's popularity at that specific time imo.

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