The 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music
BTS, Blackpink, NewJeans, and many more.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GRIFFIN LOTZ. PHOTOGRAPHS IN ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES; JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES; TEN ASIA/MULTI-BITS/GETTY IMAGES, 2; MARCO DEL GRANDE/THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD/FAIRFAX MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
(Below are the blurbs that I wrote, but please check out the full list on Rolling Stone’s website!)
#96: Busker Busker - ‘Cherry Blossom Ending’ (2012)
K-indie rock trio Busker Busker’s “Cherry Blossom Ending” conquered Korea’s music charts upon its release in 2012 and continues to chart domestically every spring. The breezy, cheerful melody, accentuated by frontman Jang Beom-june’s liltingly sweet vocals, is often heard playing throughout the streets of Korea come March or April, giving it the nickname of Korea’s unofficial “spring carol.” The single’s commercial success subsequently inspired many other Korean artists to produce similar songs about seasons.
#90: Han Myung-sook - ‘The Boy in the Yellow Shirt’ (1961)
Styled after American swing and country music, Han Myung-sook’s 1961 megahit “The Boy in the Yellow Shirt” captivated the nation because it was so different from the popular melancholic trot songs of the time. The refreshingly bouncy tune caused yellow shirts to fly off the shelves and inspired a blockbuster film with a similar name. Its popularity even spread to Southeast Asia and Japan, where Han traveled to perform as Korea’s first Hallyu star. It went on to be covered by foreign artists in the Sixties and Seventies, including the famous French singer Yvette Giraud and Japanese icon Michiko Hamamura, making it an enduring international crossover hit.
#69: Love and Peace -‘It’s Been a Long Time’ (1978)
Love and Peace introduced funk to Korea with their 1978 debut album, It’s Been a Long Time, regarded as one of the best albums to ever come out of the country. Written by folk-rock legend Lee Jang-hee, the title song seamlessly melds Korean lyrics with a track that’s fun and funky enough to get spins at a Seventies roller-rink alongside KC and the Sunshine Band or Hot Chocolate. The result was an instant classic that surprised the Korean public, becoming one of the biggest hits at the time and garnering the group numerous accolades. Currently the country’s longest-running band, Love and Peace helped break open the doors for modern Korean popular music.
#65: Fin.K.L - ‘To My Boyfriend’ (1998)
One of the leading girl groups in the late Nineties and early 2000s, Fin.K.L helped lay the foundations of what would become a multi-billion-dollar industry. After debuting with the slow R&B ballad “Blue Rain,” Fin.K.L made a complete 180 with “To My Boyfriend,” a single with a summery, upbeat melody. Although the members initially thought its lyrics were ridiculous — the opening line goes, “Take a look at me and say I’m pretty” — it was exactly the kind of fun, feel-good love song that domestic audiences were seeking from idols at the time. The success of the bubbly tune, along with the members’ cute image in the music video, greatly influenced the style and visual aesthetic of subsequent K-pop girl groups.
#61: Lee Mija - ‘Camellia Girl’ (1964)
Trot legend Lee Mija has scored multiple hits over the decades, but her 1964 breakthrough, “Camellia Girl,” remains her best-known song. The theme to a movie of the same name, the mournful track topped Korea’s music charts for an unprecedented 35 consecutive weeks and sold over 100,000 records — a feat unheard of at the time. Trot had started to lose its footing ever since Han Myung-sook’s “The Boy in the Yellow Shirt” gave Koreans a taste of Americanized pop, but “Camellia Girl” single-handedly revived the genre. Its commercial success was a pivotal indicator that the domestic Korean music market could thrive.
#56: Pearl Sisters - ‘One Cup of Coffee’ (1968)
One of Korea’s earliest girl groups, the duo Pearl Sisters took the nation by storm with their 1968 debut album, featuring their most iconic hit, “One Cup of Coffee.” The experimental track was originally written and performed by Korean rock legend Shin Joong-hyun (who also produced their entire album), but it’s their version that Koreans immediately recognize to this day. Psychedelic guitar riffs and steady drumbeats provide a tense rhythmic backdrop as the Bae sisters frustratedly chant: “Ordered a cup of coffee/I’m waiting for you to come.” The effortlessly catchy tune led to them becoming the first girl group to receive top honors at a Korean music awards ceremony.
#37: Kim Choo-ja -‘It’s a Lie’ (1971)
If Elvis Presley started a cultural revolution in the U.S. with his infamous hip-shaking, it was Kim Choo-ja who shook things up in Korea. Her sultry voice and unconventional stage performances — which involved a lot of hip-swaying and other energetically sensual dance moves — earned her the status of being Korean pop music’s first sex symbol. With the help of celebrated songwriters like Shin Joong-hyun and Lee Bong-jo, Kim launched and led the Seventies soul craze with hits such as “You, So Far Away,” “Deserted Island,” and the 1971 masterpiece “It’s a Lie,” which best exemplifies her unique blend of soul, dance, and psychedelic rock.
#35: Kim Wan-sun - ‘Pierrot Laughs at Us’ (1990)
Before Lee Hyori and BoA, there was Kim Wan-sun, Korea’s original female idol. Dubbed the “Korean Madonna,” she sang and danced her way to international superstardom, winning over audiences in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong with her fierce, charismatic stage performances. Throughout the late Eighties and early Nineties, her wild popularity among teenage fans laid the groundwork for the rise of K-pop idols and opened the industry’s eyes to the commercial power of visual appeal. The title track from her fifth record, Pierrot Smiles at Us, the first album by a Korean female solo artist to sell over a million copies, is an infectious dance bop about clowns laughing at people for living hypocritical lives.
#28: Patti Kim - ‘Farewell’ (1973)
Reigning as Korea’s queen of Western-style pop in the Sixties and Seventies, Patti Kim is regarded as one of the best vocalists in the country’s history. The trailblazing diva was the first Korean singer to perform in post-WWII Japan and the first Korean solo artist to play in the U.S., where she became the first Korean female artist to hold concerts at Carnegie Hall and in Las Vegas. She also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson a whopping eight times. Legendary songwriter Gil Ok-yun, her then-husband, wrote the bittersweet ballad “Farewell” while the couple were about to divorce, and it turned out to be one of Kim’s most beloved hits.
#25: TVXQ - ‘Mirotic’ (2008)
Back when this duo was still a quintet, boy band TVXQ (also abbreviated as DBSK) unleashed “Mirotic,” the wonderfully seductive title track from their fourth Korean studio album. Fueled by a driving bass line and addictive dance hooks, the powerful electro-pop number became the group’s bestselling single and a popular idol cover song for years to come. Although the Korean Commission on Youth Protection deemed its lyrics to be too suggestive — “I got you under my skin” in particular got under the commission’s skin — and demanded the album carry a parental advisory label, Mirotic sold more copies than any other album by a second-generation K-pop idol group.
#14: Shin Joong Hyun and Yup Juns, ‘Beautiful Woman’ (1974)
Known as the “godfather of Korean rock,” Shin Joong Hyun is a defining pioneer in Korean pop music. A talented guitarist, brilliant songwriter, producer extraordinaire, and musical mentor, he helped shape the careers of many of Korea’s most notable artists, among them Kim Choo-ja, Pearl Sisters, and Kim Wan-sun. His 1974 hit “Beautiful Woman,” from his former band’s debut album, Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns Vol. 1, became such a huge sensation that it was dubbed “the favorite song of 30 million people” (South Korea’s population at the time). Replete with catchy guitar riffs and simple yet memorable verses, the Seventies classic epitomizes Shin’s gift for merging Western psychedelic rock and soul with Korean lyrics — showcasing the infinite possibilities of Korean-style rock.
Read the full article on Rolling Stone.