33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave 

#26 The Beatles vs. BTS 

*Note to Readers

The columns published in the Zoom section of NYCultureBeat contain selected excerpts—typically the opening paragraphs—from each chapter of the book 33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game (2025). These previews are meant to introduce the book’s themes and tone.

The complete book—featuring 33 updated chapters and new cultural insights—is available in both paperback and hardcover editions:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HYLVCL

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HZ34Y3

© Sukie Park. All rights reserved. These excerpts are for preview purposes only and may not be reproduced in full or redistributed.

The Beatles vs. BTS

-Debut Year: The Beatles - 1962 "Love Me Do" / BTS - 2013 "2 COOL 4 SKOOL"

-Billboard 200 No.1: The Beatles - 19 times / BTS - 6 times 

-Total Album Sales: The Beatles - 236 million copies / BTS - 50 million copies 

-YouTube Views: BTS - 31.47 billion views / The Beatles - 3.34 billion views  

-Grammy Awards: The Beatles - 7 wins / BTS - 0 wins

-Fanbase: Beatlemania / BTS ARMY

<As of February 2024>

On June 14, 2022, the superstar boy band BTS, celebrating their 9th debut anniversary, announced a shocking hiatus through a YouTube video (BTS FIESTA livestream).  BTS, which had been enjoying surfing at the peak of the K-Pop wave around the globe, announced that they are taking an indefinite hiatus from performing and recording. However, the band’s permanent disbandment was not the case, but rather was a temporary break for the band members to engage in individual activities and recharge.

On January 30, 1969, on the rooftop of Apple Corps in London, The Beatles held their last concert. On a winter day with a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and a blowing wind, The Beatles, consisting of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, disbanded forever after a spontaneous 42-minute performance, and never performed together again. John Lennon was tragically murdered by an obsessive fan in front of his Dakota apartment building in Manhattan in 1980, and George Harrison passed away from lung cancer in LA in 2001.

BTS is now considered as a great group in world pop music history beyond the K-Pop phenomenon, comparable to the legendary four-member rock band The Beatles of the 1960s. 

In January 2019, the BBC online posted an article, “The Beatles v BTS: How do these supergroups compare?,” comparing the achievements of the two bands in terms of Billboard Hot 200 No.1 songs, YouTube views, best-selling albums, and Grammy Awards. CNN, the LA Times and Forbes also compared BTS to The Beatles. A boy band born in a small country in the Far East has become a legend of pop music. 

26. The Beatles vs. BTS   365

The Beatles vs. BTS by the Numbers   365

From Liverpool to Seoul: Two Boy Band Phenomena   365

Supergroup Comparison: The Beatles and BTS   366

1. Billboard Charts    368

2. YouTube Views    371

3. Bestselling Album    372

4. Music Awards   374

Billboard, AMAs, and MTV VMAs   376

5. Guinness World Records    377

6. Lyrics    378

7. Beatlemania and the BTS ARMY   380

BTS in the COVID-19 Era    382

BTS: Chart-Topping Success    383

BTS: Military Service and Future Plans    385

A Timeless Legacy: The Beatles & BTS   385