All BTS albums in order: Take a look at the biggest K-pop group’s musical journey (2023)

The seven-member K-pop boy group BTS didn't take over the world overnight, but through years of consistent hard work and undying passion. The group debuted in 2013 (and now remains the only 2013 K-pop group still active) under then-Big Hit Entertainment, now HYBE. The group went through its ups and downs but overtook the entire K-pop industry and the world with its meaningful and catchy music.

BTS has eight studio albums, seven mini-albums, two compilation albums, and a lot more under their belt. The septet consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.

A list of all BTS albums in order

Big Hit Entertainment entered the industry with seven boys wanting to follow their passion and release music that spoke to their generation much more than ordinary K-pop songs.

Thus were born BTS' classic albums O!RUL8,2?, WINGS, and others. These musical works saw quick success because of the comfort and relatability they offered fans. The group has dabbled in various genres from R&B, EDM and Latin pop, to Moombahton Trap, Ballads, and many others.

While newer fans may only know of popular songs such as Dynamite, Butter, and My Universe, the group was formed way before these tracks came into existence. Take a look at all of the BTS albums in order, along with their music videos below.

1) 2 COOL 4 SKOOL - June 12, 2013

Despite not being popular, the group's debut album 2 COOL 4 SKOOL became a respite for many students as it described the struggles of youngsters having to crush their dreams because of the country's extreme competitiveness in school.

2) O!RUL8,2? - September 11, 2013

O!RUL8,2? was along the same lines of student struggles. The music video represented society's views on turning young teenagers into "study robots" and sacrificing their dreams all because of the ideal notion of corporate jobs.

3) SKOOL LUV AFFAIR - February 12, 2014

The SKOOL LUV AFFAIR album still focused on student life, but not on the same education issues. It was based around the teenagers' first love and showed the contrasting perspectives usually seen: strong, macho aura in Boy in Luv and the soft, romantic aura in Just One Day.

The group then released a SKOOL LUV AFFAIR - Special Addition and two Japanese albums, No More Dream and Boy in Luv.

4) DARK & WILD - August 19, 2014

DARK & WILD took a literal dark and wild turn. The album focused on the complex and dark side of young relationships and portrayed the angst of young lovers and the pursuit of love in the music videos.

The seven-member group then released two Japanese albums, Danger and Wake Up, on November 19, 2014, and December 24, 2014.

5) The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.1 - April 29, 2015

Abbreviated as HYYH based on its Korean name, 화양연화, this is the album where the BTS Universe (BU) can be seen starting to get into motion. Through I NEED U, the boys showcased the beauty of youth, friends, love, and the anxiety of someday losing them.

Another Japanese album titled For You was released on June 17, 2015.

6) The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Part 2 - November 30, 2015

RUN brought the group more international fame, as the pop sound and aesthetics attracted more fans. The album turned into a more complex storyline, especially with the title track RUN, as it represented the difficulties and struggles of youth. The music video is one of the most referenced lore of the BU.

Between its next album release, the group released two Japanese albums: I NEED U on December 8, 2015, and RUN on March 15, 2016.

7) The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever

The repackaged album Young Forever included new tracks Fire, which became a party anthem, and Save Me, which opened up the group's insanely synchronized choreography to more people. Years later, the group released an I'm Fine song that stood in contrast to Save Me.

The group then released another Japanese album, titled YOUTH, on September 7, 2016.

8) WINGS - October 10, 2016

WINGS might be called the first album that truly showcased how diverse and explosive K-pop became thanks to BTS. The title track Blood, Sweat & Tears' popularity marked the seven-member group being the first in multiple notable moments, such as their Billboard invitation and even a Billboard win.

9) You Never Walk Alone - February 13, 2017

The repackaged album You Never Walk Alone shifted gears again as it talked about losing a loved one and yet never being alone. It also brought back the return of angst and fearless motivation to continue fighting.

The group's unofficial Queen, Spring Day, remains a classic. It is believed that the song was based on the Sewol Ferry Tragedy that struck South Korea in 2017. The song has been charting in the Top 50 Gaon Music Chart awards for 5 consecutive years.

A Japanese album was released on May 10, 2017.

10) Love Yourself: 承 Her - September 18, 2017

The seven-member group truly shined with DNA and Mic Drop. Billboard performances, Western talk shows - the world was opening up to BTS. Meanwhile, the group continued with its BU through the teaser of Serendipity.

Two more Japanese albums were released by the group. MIC Drop/DNA/Crystal Snow on December 6, 2017 and Face Yourself on April 4, 2018.

11) Love Yourself:轉 Tear - May 18, 2018

The second version in the Love Yourself series, Tear, was all about encouraging people to love themselves.

12) Love Yourself: 結 Answer - August 24, 2018

Repackaged album Love Yourself: Answer saw the rising K-pop group shine in its classic style - lyrics full of puns, attractive clothes, and, majorly, being comfortable in one's own personality. The group merged traditional Korean and modern music for IDOL, which was also hailed for its uniqueness. Some even called it a diss track.

13) Map of the Soul: Persona - April 12, 2019

With the explosive popularity of BTS globally, particularly in the West, the group collaborated with singer Halsey for the title track, Boy with Luv - a play on their old song, Boy in Luv. The perception of love grew from pursuing them no matter what in anger to wanting to protect their loved ones no matter what.

14) BTS World Original Soundtrack - June 28, 2019

This album was created for the group’s highly-anticipated game, BTS World. The album included collaborations with various artists and unit songs.

15) Map of the Soul: 7 - February 21, 2020

The album had more interlude video teasers and music videos than the group's previous releases. Broadly, Map of the Soul: 7 talked about the feeling of exhaustion, constantly being monitored, and the depressing state of a burnt-out mind.

The next release was the Japanese album Map of the Soul 7: The Journey with the title track Stay Gold on July 14, 2020.

16) Dynamite - August 20, 2020

Single Dynamite was the group's first attempt at a full English song. Always staying true to their roots, the members took a turn and experimented with an English pop track, hoping to provide comfort to fans around the world.

17) BE - November 20, 2020

BE holds a special place in fans' hearts. A major part of the album was worked on by the members themselves. The album was released as giving fans a comforting place, showing them that they were not alone in the pandemic.

Ahead of the next release, the group pre-released the Japanese single Film Out on April 1, 2021. The Japanese album BTS, The Best was then released on June 16, 2021.

18) Butter - May 21, 2021

Butter was the group's second full-English single and had more of a Western emo rock band concept attached to it. Naturally, the group created more records than ever before with it.

19) Permission to Dance - July 8, 2021

Permission to Dance was the group's latest release, which was also a full English single. The song focused on similar messaging of music being an escape from reality and being a safe space as the world continued to grapple with the pandemic.

Veteran ARMYs have seen the K-pop group grow, both musically and literally, right in front of their eyes. Many of them will get a chance to see the members perform live once again at the upcoming Permission to Dance On Stage concerts in Seoul and Las Vegas.