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On February 8, 2025, South Korean band BTS equaled the British rock band QUEEN by having the most songs surpassing 600 million streams on Spotify, with each group boasting 11 tracks that achieved this milestone.
Formed in London in 1970, QUEEN comprised Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass). The band initially drew inspiration from progressive rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, but they gradually embraced more mainstream styles, incorporating arena rock and pop rock into their repertoire.
QUEEN's discography includes tracks such as Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and We Are the Champions. The band also performed at the 1985 Live Aid concert.
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Songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, Don't Stop Me Now, Under Pressure, Somebody To Love, and We Are the Champions, among others, surpassed over 600 million streams each on Spotify. Similarly, BTS' Butter, Dynamite, Life Goes On, Fake Love, DNA, and Euphoria, among others, amassed over 600 million Spotify streams individually.
Meanwhile, the online community was abuzz with reactions to BTS' latest accomplishment. Many highlighted the bridging of generations and genres, celebrating the universal language of music that connects diverse audiences. One fan hailed them both as "LEGENDS" and wrote on X:
"OMGG LEGEND WITH LEGENDS."
Music enthusiasts have noted that this milestone is a testament to the K-pop band's widespread appeal and the timeless quality of QUEEN's music.
"Sometimes we're so used to hearing of BTS' achievements we forget how crazy amazing these achievements actually are. This is QUEEN level. Like WOW !!! Congratulations @BTS_twt!!!" a fan wrote.
"They could have had a collab and it would have blown everyone's socks off," another fan wrote.
"Whaaaaaaaat????? The legendary Queen has been tied by the legendary BTS Man, this is huge bigtime!" another fan emphasized.
Fans highlighted how the K-pop juggernaut tied with one of the legendary British rock bands from the 1970s, becoming the first and only Korean act to do so till date.
"THIS IS REALLY HUGE!!! And on hiatus!!!" a fan noted.
"'BTS NOW OFFICIALLY TIES WITH QUEEN'IS SUCH A CRAZY LINE!!!!! THEE BANGTAN SONYEONDAN!!!!!!" another fan wrote.
"Dear god, what an insane sentence," another fan added.
More about QUEEN and BTS' respective achievements
QUEEN's discography includes numerous chart-topping albums and singles, with estimates of their record sales ranging from 250 million to 300 million worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and all four members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2018, they were presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Meanwhile, BTS achieved significant international success, including multiple Billboard Hot 100 No.1 songs such as Dynamite, Butter, and Permission to Dance. They received a total of five Grammy nominations and have won numerous American Music Awards (AMAs) and Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs).
They are the first Korean act and K-pop group to get six No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Grammy nominations, and win the AMA, BBMA & MTV VMA awards. They are also the first and only Korean group and act to get featured on the cover of TIME magazine thrice.
In addition to their musical achievements, BTS was invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 as part of their partnership with UNICEF, promoting the "Love Myself" campaign, which aimed at ending violence against children and teens.
In 2022, they have also been invited to the White House, where they discussed issues such as anti-Asian hate crimes and the importance of diversity and inclusion.
In other news, the Butter K-pop band has been on a brief hiatus since June 2022 due to their ongoing mandatory military service. Jin and j-hope were discharged from the military in 2024, however, Namjoon, V, SUGA, Jimin, and Jungkook will return in June 2025.
