K-pop group HUNTR/X is five weeks away from claiming the longest-running number one spot in the history of the Billboard Top Soundtracks chart with the soundtrack to the Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters.
The album has accumulated 57 weeks at the top of the ranking since its release, according to data published by Billboard.
The milestone is particularly notable because the Billboard Top Soundtracks chart was launched just over 25 years ago, in June 2001. Billboard, an American music trade magazine that tracks commercial song and album popularity in the United States, created the specialized list to monitor soundtrack releases across film, television, and video games.
The animated feature film Moana currently holds the all-time record on the list, having spent 62 weeks at number one. HUNTR/X needs to maintain the top position for five more weeks to surpass Moana and become the new leader in the history of the chart.
Moana, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released in 2016, features an original soundtrack written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa'i. Walt Disney Animation Studios is a long-standing American animation studio based in Burbank, California, known for creating musical animated blockbusters that achieve massive commercial success on music charts.
HUNTR/X has demonstrated near-total dominance on the chart. Out of 61 total weeks spent on the ranking, the soundtrack has surrendered the number one spot on only four occasions.
During those four weeks, the top spot was briefly taken by Wicked: For Good, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Wuthering Heights by Charli XCX, and More Than Rivals. The album has remained at number one for the rest of its entire chart run.
Charli XCX is a British pop singer and songwriter, while Wuthering Heights draws its title from the 1847 novel by English author Emily Brontë. Wicked: For Good represents the feature film adaptation of the celebrated Broadway musical Wicked, while A Charlie Brown Christmas is the soundtrack to the 1965 animated television special scored by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi.
Billboard Soundtracks Ranking
The soundtrack for KPop Demon Hunters has already overtaken several major musical hits, including Frozen, Encanto, and Barbie. Only 12 soundtrack albums have managed to stay at number one on the Top Soundtracks chart for at least 25 weeks.
Behind Moana with 62 weeks and KPop Demon Hunters with 57 weeks, Frozen II sits in third place with 51 weeks at number one. The original Frozen album spent 44 weeks at the top, followed by Encanto with 41 weeks. The Greatest Showman and O Brother, Where Art Thou? each logged 34 weeks at number one, while Barbie accumulated 33 weeks. A Charlie Brown Christmas holds 31 weeks at the top, followed by High School Musical and A Star Is Born with 26 weeks each, and Twisters with 25 weeks.
The list features some of the most successful film soundtracks of the 21st century. Frozen, Frozen II, and Encanto were all produced by Disney, featuring popular songs that achieved global streaming numbers. The Greatest Showman is a 2017 biographical musical film starring Hugh Jackman, while O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film by Joel and Ethan Coen whose bluegrass score won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Barbie, released in 2023 by Warner Bros., featured a soundtrack curated by Mark Ronson, while Twisters is a 2024 disaster film featuring original country music tracks.
A notable pattern in the Billboard data shows that the top five soundtracks with the most weeks at number one all belong to animated movies. Animated films have historically driven heavy music consumption due to repeated viewings by younger audiences and families.
Trademark Lawsuit From Demon Hunter
The chart news arrives just days after HUNTR/X became involved in legal proceedings. A United States music group named Demon Hunter has filed a lawsuit against Netflix over the title of the film.
Demon Hunter is a Christian metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in the year 2000. The band said it holds registered trademarks for the name Demon Hunter across several commercial categories. The group claimed that the public success of the movie and its expansion into music, merchandise, and live concert tours is creating confusion among listeners and directly damaging its career and identity.
Christian metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by spiritual and faith-based themes. Seattle, Washington, is a major Pacific Northwest city renowned worldwide as an influential music hub, famously giving rise to grunge and alternative rock bands during the 1990s.
The legal action filed by Demon Hunter also names AEG Presents as a defendant. AEG Presents is the live entertainment company responsible for organizing HUNTR/X's upcoming concert tour, which is scheduled to visit 150 cities worldwide.
AEG Presents, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is a subsidiary of Anschutz Entertainment Group and one of the largest concert promotion and live event organizations in the world, handling major stadium tours, music festivals, and international arena events.
Netflix Response And Future Plans
Netflix responded to the legal action by stating that the allegations made by the band were completely without foundation. The streaming company said it created a global Oscar-winning phenomenon with KPop Demon Hunters that has inspired fans around the world through its music, story, and characters. Netflix added that it expects to defend itself vigorously against the lawsuit in court.
Netflix, based in Los Gatos, California, is the world's leading subscription streaming service, operating globally with hundreds of millions of paid memberships across more than 190 countries.
KPop Demon Hunters remains one of the most successful original titles in Netflix history. The movie became the most-watched film ever on the streaming platform and won two Academy Awards.
K-pop, short for Korean popular music, originates from South Korea and combines electronic, hip-hop, and pop styles with highly stylized visuals and choreography. The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are presented annually in Los Angeles by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to honor outstanding cinematic achievements.
Netflix has already planned a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters, which is scheduled for release in 2029. In addition to the film sequel, the franchise is preparing to launch its 150-city world tour in partnership with AEG Presents.
