Jung Kook’s coronation on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Seven” (featuring Latto) is a win for BTS, too.
As the song launches at No. 1 (on the chart dated July 29), BTS now boasts two members who have led the list as soloists. Jimin debuted atop the Hot 100 in April with “Like Crazy.”
BTS, thus, joins a select number of groups with multiple members who have notched solo No. 1 hits on the Hot 100.
As noted below, The Beatles initiated the elite category and remain the only act with as many as four Hot 100-topping soloists. Genesis follows with three.
Meanwhile, with BTS having logged six Hot 100 No. 1s and Jung Kook and Jimin with one No. 1 each, BTS joins The Beatles, The Black Eyed Peas, Destiny’s Child and Genesis as the only groups with leaders and multiple members also with No. 1s.
Further, One Direction and BTS are the only acts with multiple members that have each debuted atop the Hot 100, thanks to Zayn’s “Pillowtalk,” Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and Jimin and Jung Kook’s leaders. Plus, with five of BTS’ No. 1s having premiered at the pinnacle, BTS is the only act that has debuted at No. 1 and includes multiple members also to have opened at the summit.
Here is a look at the especially versatile groups that have each spun off at least two members that have led the Hot 100 solo. (Not included are acts, including one-off assemblages and supergroups, with multiple members that reigned prior to their formations, such as USA for Africa; plus, after The Beatles and Genesis, groups below are listed chronologically by when each respective second member first hit No. 1.)
-
The Beatles
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/GI The Beatles: 20 Hot 100 No. 1s, 1964-70
George Harrison: three, “My Sweet Lord”/”Isn’t It a Pity”; “Give Me Love – (Give Me Peace on Earth)”; “Got My Mind Set on You,” 1970-88
Paul McCartney (including Wings): nine, “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (with Linda McCartney); “My Love” (with Wings); “Band on the Run” (Wings); “Listen to What the Man Said” (Wings); “Silly Love Songs” (Wings); “With a Little Luck” (Wings); “Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)” (with Wings); “Ebony and Ivory” (with Stevie Wonder); “Say Say Say” (with Michael Jackson), 1971-84
Ringo Starr: two, “Photograph,” “You’re Sixteen,” 1973-74
John Lennon: two, “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” (with the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band); “(Just Like) Starting Over,” 1974-81
-
Genesis
Image Credit: Michael Putland/GI Genesis: one Hot 100 No. 1, “Invisible Touch,” 1986
Phil Collins: seven, “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”; “One More Night”; “Sussudio”; “Separate Lives” (with Marilyn Martin); “Groovy Kind of Love”; “Two Hearts”; “Another Day in Paradise,” 1984-90
Peter Gabriel: one, “Sledgehammer,” 1986
Mike (Rutherford) + The Mechanics: one, “The Living Years,” 1989
-
Blind Faith
Image Credit: Bob Seidemann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Blind Faith: no Hot 100 entries; self-titled album topped Billboard 200 in 1969
Eric Clapton: one Hot 100 No. 1, “I Shot the Sherriff,” 1974
Steve Winwood: two, “Higher Love,” “Roll With It,” 1986-88
-
Destiny’s Child
Image Credit: Scott Gries/ImageDirect Destiny’s Child: four Hot 100 No. 1s, 1999-2001
Kelly Rowland: one, “Dilemma” (Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland), 2002
Beyoncé: eight, “Crazy in Love” (feat. Jay-Z); “Baby Boy” (feat. Sean Paul); “Check on It” (feat. Slim Thug); “Irreplaceable”; “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”; “Perfect” (Ed Sheeran duet with Beyoncé); “Savage” (Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé); “Break My Soul,” 2003-22
-
Fugees
Image Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Live Nation Urban Fugees: highest Hot 100 peak: No. 29,”Fu-Gee-La,” 1996; “Killing Me Softly” hit No. 2 on Radio Songs, 1996
Lauryn Hill: one Hot 100 No. 1, “Doo Wop (That Thing),” 1998
Wyclef Jean: one, “Hips Don’t Lie” (Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean), 2006
-
Hot Boys
Image Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images Hot Boys: one Hot 100 entry: No. 65, “I Need a Hot Girl,” 2000
Juvenile: one Hot 100 No. 1, “Slow Motion” (feat. Soulja Slim), 2004
Lil Wayne: three, “Lollipop” (feat. Static Major); “Down” (Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne); “I’m the One” (DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne), 2008-17
-
The Black Eyed Peas
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage The Black Eyed Peas: three Hot 100 No. 1s, 2009-10
Fergie: three, “London Bridge”; “Glamorous” (feat. Ludacris); “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” 2006-07
will.i.am: one, “OMG” (Usher feat. will.i.am), 2010
-
One Direction
Image Credit: Theo Wargo/GI for Jingle Ball 2012 One Direction: highest Hot 100 peak: No. 2, “Best Song Ever,” 2013
Zayn: one Hot 100 No. 1, “Pillowtalk,” 2016
Harry Styles: two, “Watermelon Sugar,” “As It Was,” 2020-22
-
BTS
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/GI for MRC BTS: six Hot 100 No. 1s, 2020-21
Jimin: one Hot 100 No. 1, “Like Crazy,” 2023
Jung Kook: one, “Seven” (feat. Latto), 2023