AKB48 Chapter 2 Sets Good Starting Point With Another Million-Selling Single

After their Tokyo Dome dream concert was achieved and with the graduation of 1st generation Atsuko Maeda, popular idol group AKB48 announces the new starting point as Chapter 2.

Gingham Check is the first single released as "AKB Chapter 2". It tops the Oricon Weekly Charts, selling 1,182,000 copies. This is AKB48's 14th consecutive No. 1 single on the weekly charts since "RIVER", which was released back in October 2009.
This shall also be their 8th consecutive million-selling single (9th overall). It has been about 16 years since any group has achieved this record.
Elected as No. 1 in AKB48 4th senbatsu election after Atsuko Maeda's withdrawal, this is Yuko Oshima's first time to be the center of a million-selling single.

Last year, all 5 of AKB48 single releases break the million mark. Along with all 3 million-selling singles released so far this year (GIVE ME FIVE!, Manatsu no Sounds Good! and Gingham Check), AKB48 sets history by becoming the first group to achieve at least three million-selling singles in a year for 2 years consecutively.

With this, AKB48 is also now tied with Mr. Children as No. 2 for the record in highest number of consecutive million-selling singles in Oricon's history. The No. 1 place still belongs to B'z, with the record of 13.

To be noted as well, AKB48's latest album "1830m", achieves 2nd position in its 3rd week run on the weekly album charts, becoming their first album to achieve Top 3 for 3 weeks consecutively. Having sold 975,000 copies till date, it's their first promising million-breaking album.

*article image credit: 1830m.tumblr.com