MANILA — Compact disc (CD) sales in the United States rose 16% in the first half of 2026, with K-pop artists driving much of the growth, according to Luminate’s latest midyear report.
The report found that K-pop releases accounted for nearly 10% of all CDs sold in the U.S. during the period, underscoring the genre’s continued strength in the physical music market despite the dominance of streaming platforms.
Leading the rankings was BTS, whose album Arirang became the best-selling CD in the U.S. during the first half of the year after selling 567,000 copies. The album also topped Luminate’s vinyl sales chart.
ENHYPEN ranked second with THE SIN : VANISH, which sold about 286,000 copies, while ATEEZ claimed the third and fourth spots with Golden Hour : Part 4 (263,000 copies) and Golden Hour : Part 5 (212,000 copies), respectively.
Cortis completed the top five with GreenGreen, which sold 169,000 copies.
Stray Kids placed sixth with Do It (141,000 copies), followed by Tomorrow X Together’s 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns (123,000). Harry Styles’ Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, and KATSEYE’s SIS (Soft Is Strong) rounded out the top 10.
Luminate also reported that many younger consumers purchase CDs as collectibles rather than for listening. About half of Gen Z and millennial CD buyers no longer own a CD player, instead buying albums to display, commemorate a favorite era or complete a collection.
The trend is particularly strong among K-pop fans, whose albums often include collectible items such as photo cards, photobooks, posters and other exclusive merchandise.
