IU is the most digitally dominant artist in SK history

And I think IU hasn’t reached her peak yet, especially in the international market.. congratulations IU!!

true queen

Quote from paradis

She is the GOAT. A queen.

Yes, she is indeed

Quote from pchromo4

Gaon only started counting certifications in 2018, so many of IU's previous hits ("Good Day" - 4.4+ million downloads, "Meaning of you" - 2.5+ million downloads, etc) are not counted here. What's crazy is that her first megahits were "Nagging" and "Good Day" in 2010, she topped the Gaon weekly chart with 28 songs over the course of a decade, and in 2021 she's set to top the annual digital chart with "Celebrity" (and with "Lilac" and "Hold my hand" not too far behind).

To put this into perspective, the closest artist when looking at #1 gaon hits, is bigbang with 10 songs. Even if one adds Bigbang, 2NE1 and Twice songs together, its still not enough to overcome IU.

pasted-from-clipboard.png

Congrats IU. She is really a legend.

Overall yes.

But 2020 was owned by BTS. They account just short of 10% of all places on the Weekly chart of the top 100 songs. Though IU did very well with the Love Poem Album released late in 2019 and a single in 2020.

It is like of reverse of 2021, where IU took back the domination despite the late 2020 release of BE and the 2 digitals this year.

Between them, it appears whoever releases more, takes the pole position.

2017, despite BTS breakout, IU still dominated.

2018, 2019 IU didn't do much.

Others don't even come anywhere close to these 2. I am still looking at the data.

Many have spikes - Bigbang, but none are as consistently high charting like IU and since 2017 BTS.

Davichi have great consistency and staying power, but don't chart high.

Quote from pchromo4

I agree, I'm looking forward to BTS' new album release in a couple months and curious whether they will continue the English streak, go back to Korean, and how their musical sound + reception will evolve. Dynamite, Butter, and Permission to Dance felt like a musical trilogy, wonder what they will have next up their sleeve. I expect 2022 to be a sleepy year for IU music-wise as 2 of her movies will premiere and she might pick up a new acting project.

She'll still be comfortably making millions from digitals alone, not many can say that.

Quote from bbgc

Overall yes.

But 2020 was owned by BTS. They account just short of 10% of all places on the Weekly chart of the top 100 songs. Though IU did very well with the Love Poem Album released late in 2019 and a single in 2020.

It is like of reverse of 2021, where IU took back the domination despite the late 2020 release of BE and the 2 digitals this year.

Between them, it appears whoever releases more, takes the pole position.

2017, despite BTS breakout, IU still dominated.

2018, 2019 IU didn't do much.

Others don't even come anywhere close to these 2. I am still looking at the data.

Many have spikes - Bigbang, but none are as consistently high charting like IU and since 2017 BTS.

Davichi have great consistency and staying power, but don't chart high.

Display More

BTS has really levelled up since 2015, I consider that their digital breakout year since that was the first time one of their songs appeared on Gaon Digital YEC. IU's 2010-2015 was incredible, similar to BTS's 2016-2021, just hit after hit constantly.

Quote from MassiveKpopFan

She'll still be comfortably making millions from digitals alone, not many can say that.

Yes, being producer, lyricist and some as songwriter- the royalties will keep coming.

I believe only G-Dragon has won the KOMCA Daesang among performers, she stands a good chance.

Pdogg has been taking the prize last 3 years, thanks to BTS.

Quote from MassiveKpopFan

BTS has really levelled up since 2015, I consider that their digital breakout year since that was the first time one of their songs appeared on Gaon Digital YEC. IU's 2010-2015 was incredible, similar to BTS's 2016-2021, just hit after hit constantly.

I am still digging into the data, Idontsleep provided.

Yes BTS' run since 2016 has been fantastic, but more impressive is that IU has also been racking it up, bettering her own records and seemingly unaffected by BTS, Twice, BP etc.

Generally when the new star arises, the old one ought to fade a bit, but she has been shining even brighter.

I thought 2017 was her peak, until I saw 2021 data, she absolutely killed it.

But then k-pop itself has expanded, so can accommodate more at the top.

Good for the industry as a whole.

Quote from pchromo4

GAON MILESTONES

7 million downloads

"You & I" (2011)

6 million downloads

"Through the Night" (2017)

5 million downloads

"Friday" (2013)

2.5 million downloads

"dlwlrma" (2017)

"Ending Scene" (2017)

"Dear Name" (2017)

"Bbi Bbi" (2018)

GAON STREAMING CERTIFICATIONS

300 million streams

"Through the Night" (2019)

200 million streams

"Friday" (2013)

"Blueming" (2019)

100 million streams

"Twenty Three" (2015)

"Autumn Morning" (2017)

"Bbi Bbi" (2018)

"Love Poem" (2019)

"Eight" (2020)

"Give You My Heart" (2020)

"Celebrity" (2021)

"Lilac" (2021)

Gaon only started counting certifications in 2018, so many of IU's previous hits ("Good Day" - 4.4+ million downloads, "Meaning of you" - 2.5+ million downloads, etc) are not counted here. What's crazy is that her first megahits were "Nagging" and "Good Day" in 2010, she topped the Gaon weekly chart with 28 songs over the course of a decade, and in 2021 she's set to top the annual digital chart with "Celebrity" (and with "Lilac" and "Hold my hand" not too far behind).

Display More

I'm just writing the full list of songs by IU that has gotten a certification from Gaon(including the ones from the observation notes) and their respective streams, for anyone who's curious.

Streaming:

300 million-

Through the night(356,309,754)

200 million-

Friday(214,013,289)

Blueming(241,493,861)

100 million-

Not spring, love, or cherry blossoms(185,041,691)

The meaning of you(148,643,281)

Twenty three(106,806,121)

Can't love you anymore(131,680,911)

Palette(198,531,874)

Autumn morning(103,408,605)

Bbi bbi(169,320,713)

Love poem(183,942,746)

Give you my heart(126,946,750)

Eight(191,964,665)

Celebrity(134,569,189)

Lilac(106,519,355)

These numbers are minimum estimates. Excluding the fact that we don't know exactly how much 1 stream accounts for in Gaon digital points, the data itself is lacking. For songs that don't have any availabe Gaon data, Melon data was used. There are periods where neither data were available; therefore the actual streams for each song are most likley higher than the listed streams.

Palette and Eight are very close to 200 million streams. Both songs will probably be certified for 200 million streams within this year(Palette will be certified by Gaon's observation note). The same goes for love poem; it will reach 200 million streams by the end of this year or early next year.

Good day(103,172,379) and Merry christmas in advance(105,268,711) have both reached 100 million streams. However they will not be certified by Gaon because they only certify songs for streaming that have released since April of 2012 with their observation note.

Hold my hand(127,279,801) has passed 100 million streams and will be certified in the next observation note.

You and I(92,773,877) and Heart(90,647,769) are close to 100 million streams.

Check this link if you want the streaming count for all of IU's songs. (It's in Korean)

가수별 누적 스트리밍 [아이유]

zwzip.tistory.com

Downloads:

7 million-

You and I

6 million-

Through the night

5 million-

Friday

2.5 million-

Good day

Every end of the day

Not spring, love, or cherry blossoms

The meaning of you

My old story

Heart

Twenty three

Can't love you anymore

Dlwlrma

Palette

Ending scene

Dear name

Autumn morning

Bbi bbi

15 songs with streaming certification. 17 songs with download certification. IU really is legendary.

Source:

https://namu.wiki/w/%EA%B0%80%EC%98%A8%EC%B0%A8%ED%8A%B8/%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C/1%EC%96%B5%20%EC%8A%A4%ED%8A%B8%EB%A6%AC%EB%B0%8D

https://namu.wiki/w/%EA%B0%80%EC%98%A8%EC%B0%A8%ED%8A%B8/%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C/2%EC%96%B5%20%EC%8A%A4%ED%8A%B8%EB%A6%AC%EB%B0%8D

https://namu.wiki/w/%EA%B0%80%EC%98%A8%EC%B0%A8%ED%8A%B8/%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C/250%EB%A7%8C%20%EB%8B%A4%EC%9A%B4%EB%A1%9C%EB%93%9C

https://namu.wiki/w/%EA%B0%80%EC%98%A8%EC%B0%A8%ED%8A%B8/%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C/500%EB%A7%8C%20%EB%8B%A4%EC%9A%B4%EB%A1%9C%EB%93%9C

가수별 누적 스트리밍 [아이유]

zwzip.tistory.com

Quote from MassiveKpopFan

BTS has really levelled up since 2015, I consider that their digital breakout year since that was the first time one of their songs appeared on Gaon Digital YEC. IU's 2010-2015 was incredible, similar to BTS's 2016-2021, just hit after hit constantly.

Still digging the data. Using YEC as the basis for hits, IU has logged on the charts 55 times, with 39 songs - some of course hit the chart multiple years.

Of the 39 - 20 were released before her hiatus in 2016 and 19 after 2016. But if you do weighted ranking. Post-2016 beats Pre-2016 7 to 4.

So she is killing it in both phases of her career.

Quote from nevermindmejin

And I think IU hasn’t reached her peak yet, especially in the international market.. congratulations IU!!

As long as she doesn't kick her habit of writing her own lyrics she won't be relevant in the overseas too much

IU is such an inspiration personally and professionally I hope one day to excel at what i love like IU

There is no doubt about it.

Quote from bbgc

Still digging the data. Using YEC as the basis for hits, IU has logged on the charts 55 times, with 39 songs - some of course hit the chart multiple years.

Of the 39 - 20 were released before her hiatus in 2016 and 19 after 2016. But if you do weighted ranking. Post-2016 beats Pre-2016 7 to 4.

So she is killing it in both phases of her career.

That's very cool!