Two K-pop Bands Race to Top of Japan's Oricon Charts

K-pop bands T-ara and TVXQ ranked No. 1 on Japan's Oricon singles and album charts as soon as they released their new recordings this month. Oricon reported Tuesday that the Korean singers' new releases simultaneously placed first on the respective charts for the first time.

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According to Oricon, TVXQ's new album "Tone", released on Sept. 28, took the top spot on the daily album chart on the first day of its release. It also jumped to the top of the weekly chart after selling 205,000 copies in seven days. (Above Picture: TVXQ (left) and T-ara)

Meanwhile, T-ara's debut single in Japan "Bo Peep Bo Peep", released on the same day as TVXQ's album, placed first on the daily singles chart and the weekly singles chart, selling over 50,000 copies.

This is the first time Korean singers have swept the two charts at the same time since Oricon began recording album-ranking charts in January 1970.

"This is the first time in 11 years and four months that an album by a foreign male singer has generated sales of more than 200,000 copies in its first week since Bon Jovi's "Crush" did so in 2000", Oricon said of TVXQ's success.

T-ara is the first foreign female group to have its debut single hit No. 1 on the weekly chart on the first week of its release, it added.