diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index d039879bd914..f1688e1f6ed7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -1402,6 +1402,7 @@ struct sevent {
 	char *pmu;
 	char *metric_expr;
 	char *metric_name;
+	int is_cpu;
 };
 
 static int cmp_sevent(const void *a, const void *b)
@@ -1418,6 +1419,11 @@ static int cmp_sevent(const void *a, const void *b)
 		if (n)
 			return n;
 	}
+
+	/* Order CPU core events to be first */
+	if (as->is_cpu != bs->is_cpu)
+		return bs->is_cpu - as->is_cpu;
+
 	return strcmp(as->name, bs->name);
 }
 
@@ -1509,6 +1515,7 @@ void print_pmu_events(const char *event_glob, bool name_only, bool quiet_flag,
 			aliases[j].pmu = pmu->name;
 			aliases[j].metric_expr = alias->metric_expr;
 			aliases[j].metric_name = alias->metric_name;
+			aliases[j].is_cpu = is_cpu;
 			j++;
 		}
 		if (pmu->selectable &&