Only 16 EPs Have Hit No.1 on the Billboard 200 – Here They Are
Over the decades, only 16 extended plays (EPs) have managed to hit No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and some are by the same artists – meaning just 12 acts have pulled off this rare achievement.
While the trend began quietly in the ‘90s, it’s exploded in recent years thanks to the global rise of K-pop, where short albums with massive hype are the norm. From grunge to pop, rap to Korean supergroups, these EPs have made major waves.
Let’s take a look at the elite club of EPs that have reached number one on the US Billboard 200.
16 Chart-Topping EPs in the US
- Jar of Flies – Alice in Chains
- Collision Course – Jay-Z and Linkin Park
- Glee: The Music, The Power Of Madonna – Glee Cast
- Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals – Glee Cast
- Hell: The Sequel – Bad Meets Evil
- My Dear Melancholy – The Weeknd
- Map of the Soul: Persona – BTS
- SuperM – The 1st Mini Album – SuperM
- Oddinary – Stray Kids
- Maxident – Stray Kids
- The Name Chapter: Temptation – Tomorrow x Together
- Rock-Star – Stray Kids
- With You-th – Twice
- Ate – Stray Kids
- Golden Hour: Part.2 – Ateez
- Get Up – NewJeans
12 Artists that Topped the Billboard 200 with Extended Plays
12. NewJeans – “Get Up”
NewJeans shook up the global pop scene in 2023 with “Get Up”, their second EP – and the South Korean group’s first to debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200. With just six tracks and a total runtime of 12:10 minutes, the project proved that less can definitely be more.
Blending Y2K aesthetics, dreamy R&B vibes, and slick choreography, “Get Up” showcased the group’s unique identity and mass appeal. It was a defining moment that established NewJeans as an international act.
11. Ateez – “Golden Hour: Part.2″
In 2024, the new K-pop sensation Ateez continued their meteoric rise by landing their second No.1 album on the Billboard 200, this time with “Golden Hour: Part.2”.
The EP showed off the group’s versatility and genre-blending sound, ranging from high-energy anthems to moody ballads. With a fiercely loyal fanbase (called ATINY), Ateez proves that the demand for K-pop isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
10. Stray Kids – “Ate”, “Rock-Star,” “Maxident,” “Oddinary”
Stray Kids have become Billboard 200 chart legends, scoring an unbelievable four No.1 EPs in just a few years.
Their projects: ‘Ate”, “Rock-Star”, “Maxident”, and “Oddinary” – blend hard-hitting beats with introspective lyrics, reflecting the group’s experimental edge. Their dominance has helped redefine how much impact an extended play can make in the streaming era.
This streak alone accounts for 25% of the 16 EPs on this list, no wonder their fandom (STAY) is so loyal to them!
9. Twice – “With YOU-th”
Twice made history in 2024 when they became the first K-pop girl group to top the Billboard 200 with an EP, and they did it with “With YOU-th”.
Known for their upbeat melodies and sharp choreography, this project leaned into more mature sounds while still embracing the group’s signature charm with hits like “I Got You” and “One Spark”. It marked a major breakthrough moment for female K-pop acts in the US market.
8. Tomorrow X Together – “The Name Chapter: Temptation“
Tomorrow X Together (TXT) is another K-pop boy band that hit No.1 on the Billboard 200 in the 2020s. The did it in 2023 with “The Name Chapter: Temptation”.
Its a concept-driven EP with genre-fusing tracks that resonated well with both Korean and international fans. TXT’s youthful energy and polished visuals helped push this short album to massive success.
7. SuperM – “SuperM — The 1st Mini Album”
Dubbed the “Avengers of K-pop”, SuperM is a group that brought together members from EXO, NCT, SHINee, and WayV. Their debut EP, “The 1st Mini Album”, made a huge splash in 2019 by going straight to No.1 on the Billboard 200, making it the first K-pop debut album to achieve such a feat.
Fueled by powerful vocals and creative choreography, along with an aggressive US marketing push and a global fanbase, SuperM proved that a supergroup strategy can pay off big time.
6. BTS – “Map of the Soul: Persona”
You can’t talk about global chart domination without BTS. Their 2019 EP “Map of the Soul: Persona” debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and established their presence in America.
Backed by hit singles like “Boy With Luv” and the unwavering support of their ever-growing ARMY, BTS used this mini-album to explore themes of identity and self-love — and dominated the charts doing it.
5. The Weeknd – “My Dear Melancholy”
The first non-K-pop extended play on the list is The Weeknd‘s 2018 moody, six-track EP “My Dear Melancholy” that reached No.1 on the Billboard 200.
Featuring production from Gesaffelstein and Skrillex, the project returned to the brooding, atmospheric sound that fans loved from his early days. Despite being short in length, it made a massive impact on streaming platforms with tracks like “I Was Never There” and “Call Out My Name”.
4. Bad Meets Evil – “Hell: The Sequel”
Eminem and Royce da 5’9” reunited as Bad Meets Evil for the first time in over a decade with 2011’s “Hell: The Sequel”.
The EP went straight to the top of the the Billboard 200, packed with razor-sharp bars, aggressive beats, and undeniable chemistry. It was a triumphant comeback and a reminder of the duo’s lyrical prowess, best shown on the hit “Fast Lane”.
3. Glee Cast – Glee: The Music: “The Power Of Madonna” & “Journey to Regionals“
Back in 2010, the Glee Cast was an unstoppable force on the Billboard charts. They topped the Billboard 200 twice with EPs – “The Power of Madonna” and “Journey to Regionals”.
Both soundtracks captured the cultural moment, riding the wave of the TV show’s peak popularity and delivering fan-favorite covers. Few TV series have ever had such chart-topping success.
Fun fact – they also had a full-length album hit No.1 in the US that year, earning a spot on our list of artists with the most No.1 LPs in a single year
2. Jay-Z & Linkin Park – “Collision Course”
In 2004, Jay-Z and Linkin Park broke genre boundaries with “Collision Course”, a six-song EP blending rap and nu-metal.
The project debuted at No.1 on the US Billboard 200, thanks to iconic mashups like “Numb/Encore” that became anthems of the 2000s. It was a pivotal moment for both artists, and music in general, as it helped set the stage for more genre-defying collaborations in mainstream music.
1. Alice in Chains – “Jar of Flies”
The EP that started it all: Alice in Chains made history in 1994 with “Jar of Flies”, the first EP to ever top the Billboard 200.
The grunge pioneers leaned into acoustic textures and haunting melodies, showing a softer side while still delivering emotional punch. Its success proved that an EP could hold just as much weight as a full-length album (LP).
Final Thoughts
While extended plays usually play second fiddle to long plays, these 16 exceptions prove that big things really do come in small packages. Whether it’s K-pop’s domination, unexpected genre crossovers, or cultural moments captured in music, these chart-topping EPs have left a serious mark on the music industry.
And as the lines between LPs and EPs continue to blur in the streaming era, we might just see more bite-sized releases hit No.1 on the Billboard 200. Currently the record for the shortest album to top the Billboard 200 stands at 12:10, not even two minutes longer than the longest No.1 single “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” (10:13)
At what point do albums start ranking on the Hot 100 chart?